The well-known NBA referee, Billy Kennedy, has no wife, as he has been part of the LGBTQ+ community long before coming out in 2015. His 2015 coming-out story made him the first openly gay male referee in the league.
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Billy Kennedy attended Arizona State University and began his career as a game official in 1995 with CBA.
The 1995 NBA season marked Billy’s debut in the league not as a referee but as a scab during the referee’s lockout.
Billy has officiated over 1420 regular season games across 25 seasons as an NBA staff official and worked on 139 playoff games.
These play-off games include six NBA Finals games.
(1/2) This June, WPI Athletics is celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride Month by highlighting LGBTQ+ individuals with incredible athletic achievements. Next up is Billy Kennedy, a referee in the National Basketball Association. “I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man,” pic.twitter.com/JAGrVwyZa2
— WPI Athletics (@WPIAthletics) June 9, 2021
So, Kennedy has never been uncomfortable with the bright light.
Recently, Billy Kennedy faced the wrath of Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr and their fans.
In the crunch NBA Cup semi-final, with 3.1 seconds left, the Warriors were leading the Rockets by one point.
After Steph Curry missed a three, Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga and Rockets’ Jalen Green dived for the loose ball.
Victory then fell on the Rockets’ lap as Billy Kennedy gave the Rockets two free throws with a foul called on Kuminga.
Referee Billy Kennedy Came Out After An NBA Player Called Him A Slur During A Game
The NBA referee revealed he is gay during an interview with Yahoo! in 2015.
In his interview, Billy said,
I am proud to be an NBA referee and I and 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.
via: Yahoo! Sports
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke in support of Kennedy and said he wholeheartedly supports Bill’s decision to live his life openly and proudly.
Kennedy’s announcement came after the former Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo called him an anti-gay slur after being ejected during a game.
The incident happened during a December 3, 2015, game in Mexico City, with the Kings facing the Celtics.
Rondo was suspended one game for his conduct. Ben Taylor, a referee who worked on the game, mentioned what Rondo said: “You’re a motherf–king f—-t. … You’re a f–king f—-t, Billy.”
Rondo denied making the inflammatory remarks but declined to speak to the media.
At the time, the Kings’ head coach, George Karl, and general manager, Vlade Divac, apologized to Kennedy.
Rondo eventually apologized via X/Twitter and wrote, “They absolutely do not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. I did not mean to offend or disrespect anyone.”
Before coming out in 2015, Kennedy was outed by disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy in 2010.
In his 2016 interview with ESPN, Kennedy said he never felt simultaneously more relaxed about his sexual identity and yet skittish about it exploding on social media.
Billy Kennedy Began Officiating Games When He Was 12
In June 2024, Billy sat down for an interview with ABC15’s Nick Ciletti to celebrate Pride Month.
In his interview, Billy shared a few childhood stories of him and how he became involved as a referee.
Billy loved basketball from a young age and was part of The Boys Club, where he would go, enjoy, learn, and grow as a person.
He started at eight years old, and when he turned 12, he got to referee the eight-year-old game as their referee didn’t show up.
When asked by Ciletti if he was ever scared his secret would come out and derail his entire career, Billy said,
It scared me to death. Would I be accepted? Would I not be accepted? Would the players accept me?
via: ABC15
Kennedy further said that coming out as gay could’ve cost him his NBA job and could jeopardize his entire career, but in 2015, he thought enough was enough.
The NBA referee came out as gay but has kept other details about his personal life away from the public.
He isn’t available on social media and hasn’t shared anything about his partner or family.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Kennedy previously said his most memorable NBA assignment was his first NBA Finals: Game 3 of the 2010 Finals between the Celtics and the Lakers.
- In 2015, NBA head coach Doc Rivers denied using an anti-gay slur against Kennedy despite former NBA referee Tim Donaghy claiming Doc Rivers did so.
