NBA referee comes out after Rajon Rondo allegedly used a slur against him
When Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo was ejected from a game against the Celtics on December 3, most chalked it up to Rondo being Rondo, the fiery point guard’s temper once again getting the best of him.
It turns out it may have been more serious.
A Yahoo! Sports report Monday revealed that the official Rondo was arguing with, referee Bill Kennedy, is gay, and that Rondo lobbed anti-gay slurs at Kennedy before the ejection. From Adrian Wojnarowski’s story:
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 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——- f—–. … You’re a f—— f—–, Billy.’’ Seham reported that a third official, Bennie Adams, outside of hearing distance, “affirmed that Rondo aggressively pursued referee Bill Kennedy and had to be restrained by teammates and escorted off the floor by Sacramento team security.’’
Kennedy had not publicly identified as gay until Monday. NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement to Yahoo! supporting his decision to come out.
“I wholeheartedly support Bill’s decision to live his life proudly and openly,’’ Silver told Yahoo!
In 2011, both Joakim Noah and Kobe Bryant were fined by the NBA for using anti-gay slurs. Rondo is the first player to be suspended for the violation. He’ll lose his game check of $86,300 for Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets. Rondo declined comment for the Yahoo! story.
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