Veteran referee Bill Kennedy comes out as the NBA's first openly gay male official

With a statement to Yahoo Sports on Sunday night, veteran NBA referee Bill Kennedy became the league's first openly gay male official. Kennedy's announcement came three days after Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo was suspended for allegedly using an anti-gay slur against Kennedy in a Dec. 3 game.

"I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man," Kennedy said in a statement. "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 has officiated more than 1,100 NBA games over an 18-year career, including five games in the NBA Finals. In 2014, referee Violet Palmer became the NBA's first openly gay official, after she revealed to The Associated Press that she was marrying her longtime partner Tanya Stine.

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