A couple of weeks ago, Rajon Rondo was booted out of a loss to the Boston Celtics in Mexico City after earning a pair of technical fouls, and then later slapped with a one-game suspension for his tirade against referee Bill Kennedy.
The ref revealed that he’s a gay man, and according to his colleagues on the floor that night, Rondo yelled anti-gay slurs at Kennedy as he was being kicked out.
The 29-year-old point guard is the first player in NBA history to be suspended for uttering anti-gay remarks, though others have been punished with fines.
Per Yahoo! Sports:
“I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man,” Kennedy said 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.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver delivered a statement of support for Kennedy. […] “I wholeheartedly support Bill’s decision to live his life proudly and openly,” Silver said in a statement. “Throughout his 18-year career with the league, Bill has excelled as a referee because of his passion, dedication and courage. Those qualities will continue to serve him well both as a game official and as a positive influence for others. While our league has made great progress, our work continues to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity.”
After Kennedy, 49, ejected Rondo with consecutive technical fouls in a Kings loss to the Boston Celtics, Rondo defied league protocol to immediately leave the court and began stalking Kennedy, who had retreated to a far sideline of the floor. […] In the game officials’ report used as part of the NBA’s investigation – which includes details provided 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.”
