Philadelphia Sixers guard Allen Iverson said he was responding to repeated taunting when he made derogatory remarks concerning gays toward a fan on Sunday.
NBC microphones picked up Iverson telling a fan repeatedly, "Go home, fa---t," during Sunday's 86-81 nationally televised victory at Indiana.
Iverson told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday that he meant no disrespect to the gay community, but also said he was the target of unruly badgering from fans.
"That's the worst I've heard it in my career," Iverson told the newspaper. "They called me monkey. They called me n-----. They called me jailbird ... waving their middle finger at me. Everything. Screaming behind the bench the whole time, and nothing was done about it. They weren't even thrown out.
"I even went to the referee and told him, 'Look at this guy. Look what he's saying to me.' The ref told me he couldn't do anything about that right now, so I just got tired of it. I told the referee, 'Well, just leave me alone then. Don't say anything about me saying something to them.' I just couldn't take it anymore."
Iverson drew criticism from NBA commissioner David Stern for using comments derogatory toward gays and women in a rap album before this season, and Stern said Iverson agreed to remove those lyrics from the album.
As for Sunday's incident, an NBA spokesman said the league "is looking at it."
"I think there were things that were said to Allen on the court, and I think Allen responded," Sixers general manager Billy King said Tuesday. "And I think a lot of players respond. I don't think Allen was being derogatory to any group or anything like that. I think it was taunting back and forth between a fan. The fan didn't complain. I think it's a story that's being made out of nothing."
The Sixers say that King's comments stand as the organization's on the issue.
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AUDIO VIDEO
 NBC's Mike Breen explains the scene in Indiana where the Allen Iverson cursing incident occurred.
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Billy King says that Allen Iverson did not intend to hurt anyone with his remarks.
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