Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo recently was suspended for directing a homophobic slur at NBA official Bill Kennedy, who came out Sunday as gay.
The news resurfaced an old report stemming from a 2010 interview with former referee Tim Donaghy, who insinuated that Rondo’s former Boston Celtics coach, Doc Rivers, had used similar slurs against Kennedy in a 2009 playoff game.
“(Kennedy’s sexual orientation) was known around the league, it was obvious during a game Doc Rivers questioned his sexual orientation,” Donaghy said in that interview, via CLNSRadio.com. “And I think that has stuck with Kennedy over the years and he has no love for Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics.”
On Monday, however, Rivers denied using homophobic language toward Kennedy.
“That was not true,” the Los Angeles Clippers coach said, via NBCSports.com. “Sometimes, I hope I have more credibility than where that came from.
“Bill and I have a great relationship. But that’s been out there forever, and I would say this: It’s funny that it’s out there any nobody really asked me the question, because they knew. Not saying you shouldn’t ask the question, but it’s amazing nowadays that all you have to do is blog something or write something, and then it takes on its own life.”
According to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, Kennedy also claims the incident with Rivers didn’t include a homophobic slur.
Re Doc/Bill Kennedy: Contrary to story that’s circulated, Kennedy has told confidantes that Doc never used a gay slur during confrontation
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) December 15, 2015
Also, sources say NBA investigated Doc/Kennedy incident at the time. Doc was fined $25k. Would have been much stiffer penalty for gay slur.
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) December 15, 2015
Sports gambler Haralabos Voulgaris said Monday he heard Rivers use a slur against Kennedy, but later backed off a bit from that claim.
https://twitter.com/haralabob/status/676464128433725440
https://twitter.com/haralabob/status/676464658644123648
https://twitter.com/haralabob/status/676540686938718209
https://twitter.com/haralabob/status/676541008599912449
Thumbnail photo via Isaiah J. Downing/USA TODAY Sports Images
