NBA Referee Bill Kennedy is gay. Rajon Rondo is an a**hole.
Rajon Rondo allegedly used some horrendous language to describe referee Bill Kennedy after being tossed the other night. From Woj at Yahoo Sports:
In the game officials’ report used as part of the NBA's investigation – which includes details provided to Yahoo Sports from National Basketball Referee's Association general counsel Lee Seham – Kennedy and fellow referee Ben Taylor described Rondo's post-ejection diatribe as including the statements: "You're a mother------- faggot. … You're a f------ faggot, Billy."To make matters worse, Bill Kennedy is gay.
"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."And to make matters even worse, Rondo likely knew he was gay. The sources here are disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy and famous NBA gambler Haralabos Voulgaris via Masslive's Jay King:
Back in 2011, Donaghy said the beef between Kennedy and Doc Rivers started when Rivers "questioned (Kennedy's) sexual orientation." Donaghy's hardly a credible source, but Voulgaris claims he was at the game in question -- and heard Rivers' comment.
Good for Bill Kennedy, one of the most famous ref beefs vs a coach was him vs Doc. Doc used a derogatory term vs him https://t.co/5Z7h77nus4— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) December 14, 2015
I heard what Doc called Kennedy, it wasn't too hard to predict Doc getting the shaft in future Kennedy games. Grudges are real.— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) December 14, 2015
The fact that Rajon Rondo likely knew Kennedy's sexual orientation when he chose the words with which to berate Bill Kennedy makes it so much worse. Looking at the video, Voulgaris points out that Rondo was actively looking for Kennedy before he yelled at him.
Kennedy goes so far as to switch positions with another ref so there is more of a barrier between him and Rondo, and Rondo keeps stalking— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) December 14, 2015
It appears that Rondo walked across the court to deliver a message of hate to Kennedy after he was tossed. It's gross.
And, amazingly, Rondo will not apologize in person today.
Kings guard Rajon Rondo is not speaking after practice today.— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) December 14, 2015
Kings GM Vlade Divac says Rajon Rondo said "said something that's unacceptable" and that he will apologize in a statement.— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) December 14, 2015
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
That's just not enough from Rondo. He's so far in the wrong here, a statement from Vlade Divac and a few tweets seems far from adequate. Many writers and fans will be calling for a punishment far stiffer than the one game Adam Silver banished him for.
Kennedy's announcement is courageous in the face of the alleged hateful language thrown his way just by former members of the Boston Celtics organization. And the impetus for timing his announcement the way he did has to be to take back control of the narrative and avoid any further speculation on his sexual orientation. It's a power move by Kennedy. He knew that timing the announcement would bring about lots of press after what Rondo allegedly said to him earlier this month, and his doing so has the league talking about the use of a word that has no place on a basketball court, or anywhere ever.
The fact that Kennedy's announcement puts Rajon Rondo in all sorts of hot water? Rondo deserves every drop for his actions here. Good for Bill Kennedy.
Photo Credit AP/Rich Pedroncelli