Bill Kennedy, one of the NBA's top referees, has revealed he is gay.
"I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man," Kennedy told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night. "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."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver delivered a statement of support for Kennedy.
"I wholeheartedly support Bill's decision to live his life proudly and openly," Silver told Yahoo Sports in a statement.