Rajon Rondo said something stupid.
The Sacramento Kings point guard came under major scrutiny Monday after reports that his ejection from a Dec. 3 game against the Boston Celtics — and subsequent one-game suspension — stemmed from anti-gay slurs he directed toward NBA referee Bill Kennedy, who later came out as gay in an interview with Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski.
Rondo took to Twitter on Monday to make sure the world knows he has nothing against anyone’s sexual orientation or preference.
One still could argue that Rondo’s reported insults directed at Kennedy were in poor taste, regardless of the ref’s sexual orientation.
“Rajon’s comment was disrespectful and offensive, and we wholeheartedly disapprove of any language that discriminates or disparages others based on sexual orientation or anything else,” Kings general manager Vlade Divac said in a statement released by the team. “Rajon has apologized, and this is not the sort of behavior we condone, nor is it representative of the Sacramento Kings organization.”
Added Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé: “Rajon’s comment is not reflective of the culture of the Sacramento Kings organization or the world we want to live in.. He’s apologized and has been suspended by the NBA. On behalf of the team, I apologize to Bill Kennedy for any harm this may have caused.”
Joakim Noah and Kobe Bryant were fined for using anti-gay language during NBA games in 2011.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
