If you haven’t already heard or seen in the basketball realm today, longtime NBA referee Bill Kennedy has revealed himself as gay.
From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:
“I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man,” Kennedy told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. “I am following in the footsteps of others who have self-identified in the hopes that will send a message to young men and women in sports that you must allow no one to make you feel ashamed of who you are.”
On December 3rd, Rajon Rondo went out of his element and stepped across a line NBA players shouldn’t ever cross. He used multiple anti-gay slurs when he was given a bad call by Kennedy in their game in Mexico City versus the Celtics.
Forward to 15 Seconds.
When given the double technical foul that caused an automatic ejection, Rondo went against league protocol and went after Kennedy.
It was out of line for Rondo to act in such fashion and went to Twitter to express how he felt.
My actions during the game were out of frustration and emotion, period!
— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 14, 2015
They absolutely do not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. I did not mean to offend or disrespect anyone.
— Rajon Rondo (@RajonRondo) December 14, 2015
Now, I understand Rondo’s apologies and I am sure he didn’t mean to offend anyone in the gay community. It just makes him seem like the weak man. Rondo’s been having some issues in Sacramento this season, and I would say this by far is the worst of all.
What should be brought to light is the bravery of Bill Kennedy to come out as gay to his peers in the NBA community after 18 seasons as a referee. It is unclear if his family and friends were already aware.
I assume so since Rondo may have known already. Regardless, Kennedy is the man for what he did. He has the support of so many people around the league and I am glad to see that he is doing if for others who may be ashamed of their sexuality.
In a society that’s supposed to encourage individuality, it’s a shame that Rondo chose to berate Kennedy with a sexual slur. Sexual orientation should have no bearing on the hardwood, whether it be that of a player, coach or referee.
