Gregg Popovich to Referee Bill Kennedy: 'You Have More Courage Than Anybody' After Coming Out

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich shared some encouraging words with NBA referee Bill Kennedy just days after he came out.

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On Dec. 13, 2015, Bill Kennedy came out, becoming the first openly gay referee in the NBA. "I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man," Kennedy toldYahoo! Sports. "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." Was it a momentous occasion in the league's history? Yes. Was Kennedy able to rightfully handle the situation on his own terms? No. 

During a Dec. 3, 2015 game between the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings in Mexico City, Kennedy gave Rajon Rondo two consecutive technical fouls, which warrants an immediate ejection. Rondo, however, stayed on the court and hurled gay slurs in Kennedy's direction. Rondo's remarks earned him a one-game suspension, but it also led to the Kennedy's coming out in his Yahoo! Sports interview. 

One day after coming out, Kennedy refereed the San Antonio Spurs versus Utah Jazz game. When the lights went down for player introductions, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich used that opportunity to stand next to Kennedy, and share a personal message. "He said, quote, unquote, 'You have more guts, you have more balls than anybody I know,'" Kennedy toldESPN The Magazine. "'You have more courage than anybody I know. Now, go out there and kick ass.' Then he walked away. He didn't say a word to me for the rest of the game."

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