Seven Months Later, Tim Hardaway Now Likes Gay People

Remember Tim Hardaway? The former point guard who suffered from foot in mouth disease in February? Having done tremendous damage to his post-basketball career with those very public comments, Hardaway is trying to make amends.

Hardaway found and enrolled in the YES Institute, which offers programs and classes designed to raise awareness on the issues facing "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and all youth."

"I was scared out of my ... mind," Hardaway said of his first visit. "I didn't know how they were going to act toward me. But you know what? They welcomed me with open arms. That eased a lot of my nervousness."

Hardaway has returned again and again, and has now become a friend of the institute. His picture is even featured on their website.

"Thanks to his honest albeit misguided reaction, Tim did find his way to YES Institute and the education he got was not just about others, but about himself," YES Institute director Martha Fugate wrote. "Because he is a role model, perhaps other people will also learn -- hopefully before bad consequences happen to them."

It will be hard for Hardaway to regain the standing he once had, and his hopes to attain a position in an NBA front-office took a major hit when he said his fateful words. Nobody wants to employ a gay-basher, but how about a former one who has renounced his views? Only time will tell.

"I have taken steps and I'm happy that I did," Hardaway said. "If I didn't, I'd still be naive about it, ignorant about the whole thing. But I can talk about it now. I'm a polite person. That's how I am."