One of the NBA's top referees has come out as a gay man.

In an emotional statement given to Yahoo Sports, Bill Kennedy said; 'I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man.'

He then added; '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.'

Unfortunately, this announcement came in the wake of Kennedy being bombarded with homosexual slurs by Sacramento Kings star Rajon Rondo during a December 3 game in Mexico City.

Brave: NBA referee Bill Kennedy (far right with Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul in 2009) came out as gay in an interview on Monday

Awful: After being ejected from the game, Rondo screamed; 'You’re a motherf*****g f****t. … You’re a f*****g f****t, Billy'

During that game, Rondo was ejected after he received a technical foul and then began to taunt Kennedy, receiving a second technical foul and being told to leave the court.

At that point, Rondo had to be held back by his teammates as he screamed at Kennedy; 'You’re a motherf*****g f****t. … You’re a f*****g f****t, Billy.'

These slurs were heard not just by Kennedy but also by referee Ben Taylor.

A third official, Bennie Adams, also confirmed this report the next day.

Last Friday, Rondo received a one-game suspension for 'directing a derogatory and offensive term towards a game official and not leaving the court in a timely manner.'

Rondo is not the third NBA player to be punished for using an anti-gay slur, with Joakim Noah and Kobe Bryant being fined $50,000 and $100,000 respectively when they did the same.

Those incidents both happened in 2011 and the men quickly apologized. Their comments were not directed at a gay individual.

Rondo however is denying he ever directed any homosexual slurs at Kennedy, 47, who has been an NBA referee for 18 seasons.

He is making $9.5million this season, which means that he will lose $86,300 as a result of the suspension.

Making matters worse is the fact that Kennedy's sexuality was not a secret to some in the NBA, including former Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers according to referee Tim Donaghy.

In a 2010 interview Donaghy said that Kennedy was gay, and that Rivers had questioned his sexuality during a game, which upset Kennedy.

Rondo played for the Celtics and Rivers at the time, which means that he too likely knew that Kennedy was a gay man, and that is why he used those anti-gay slurs.

This marks the first time an NBA player has been suspended for language, but some feel the penalty should have been much harder - especially if there is definitive proof Rondo knew Kennedy was gay.

In addition to suspending Rondo, NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement supporting Kennedy.

'I wholeheartedly support Bill's decision to live his life proudly and openly. Throughout his 18-year career with the league, Bill has excelled as a referee because of his passion, dedication and courage,' said Silver.

'Those qualities will continue to serve him well both as a game official and as a positive influence for others. While our league has made great progress, our work continues to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity.'

Kennedy is now the second NBA referee to come out as gay, with the league's first female ref Violet Palmer revealing she was a lesbian and set to marry her girlfriend last year.

The NBA has had the best record of all the professional sports leagues when it comes to gay rights, with Jason Collins the first major professional athlete to come out as a homosexual.

He was greeted with an endless amount of public support from his fellow athletes on social media, and those who came out against him were immediately shamed by the league.

In addition, major players and entire teams - from the Portland Trailblazers to Shaquille O'Neal - have been very vocal in showing their support for everything from marriage equality to fighting anti-gay bullying.

That makes the situation a bit of a headache for Silver, especially with Rondo denying he ever made the comments.