Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo found himself in hot water with the NBA and LGBT advocates earlier this month when he yelled anti-gay slurs at top NBA referee Bill Kennedy. After a firestorm of controversy about the incident, Rondo has finally decided to open up about his outburst.
The incident happened on Dec. 3 during a match up between the Celtics and the Kings at the Mexican City Arena. After racking up a series of technical fouls, Kennedy decided to eject Rondo from the game and that’s when Rondo exploded and began yelling at Kennedy, “You’re a motherf—in’ f—-ot! You’re a f—in’ f—ot, Billy!”
Rondo’s teammates stepped in and pulled him away before the situation got any worse, but afterwards Rondo was suspended for one game.
On Monday, Rondo decided to make a public statement via his Twitter page and explain that he meant no harm to the LGBT community with his outburst.
Although the story might have ended there, it got new life shortly afterwards when Kennedy decided to come out as gay amid all of the controversy surrounding the outburst.
“I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man. 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,” Kennedy said in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
“I wholeheartedly support Bill’s decision to live his life proudly and openly,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver told Yahoo Sports 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.”
Kudos to Kennedy for coming out as proud and gay and, hopefully, Rondo has learned his lesson.
