Sacramento Kings guard Rajon Rondo issued a tepid non-apology apology Monday for his use of a homophobic slur toward NBA official Billy Kennedy during his ejection in last week’s Kings game on December 3rd. Kennedy came out as openly gay on Monday in a statement to Yahoo Sports.
On Tuesday, after substantial criticism of the fact that he didn’t actually use the words “apology,” or “sorry,” or “regret” in his two-tweet statement Monday, Rondo clarified his position and went further in a statement released by the team. From Rondo, via the Kings:
“Yesterday, I said that my words toward Bill Kennedy were unacceptable and did not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. Some have interpreted my comments as a non-apology. I want to be clear, from the bottom of my heart that I am truly sorry for what I said to Bill. There is no place on or off the court for language that disrespects anyone’s sexual orientation. That is not who I am or what I believe and I will strive every day to be a better person.”
That’s a much better apology, even if it was likely not authored by Rondo but instead by a PR spokesperson in the organization. At least it acknowledges the severity of the situation and the importance of him actually apologizing.
Where Rondo goes from here is the significant question. Tim Hardaway came under fire for his comments about the gay community years ago, but went on to be an advocate for gay rights. Rondo has an opportunity to learn about the LGBT community and why his language was so hurtful for so many fans, but he has to embrace that opportunity and not look to simply sweep this under the rug, as he seemed to do Monday by declining to speak to the media amid the controversy and releasing the terse series of tweets.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
