Bill Kennedy, head judge of the “challenge”
If “challenges” are now generally accepted by coaches and players, they are first and foremost a necessary evil that breaks the rhythm, and whose judgment is often made in three seconds. Besides being in the NBA, every open mic is also a stage. And the judge Bill Kennedy decided to use his…
The last example was last night, during Celtics – Kings. Jaylen Brown just picked up his sixth foul with just over two minutes left. Joe Macula then pulls out his “challenge” to avoid his leader’s exit.
Except that after the meeting, the coach of Boston, half seriously and half ironically, explained that he specifically wanted to d’entendre Bill Kennedy announce the verdict!
“Actually, I just wanted to hear Billy Kennedy” assures the technician from Massachusetts. “He always makes good challenge announcements and we wanted to ask for the check anyway, just to hear him.”
That’s because Bill Kennedy’s “challenges,” during which he plays with public expectations, done several times across the web.
What a way for the 59-year-old referee to break a routine, in his 26th season in the league, when he has already officiated 1,420 regular season games, 139 playoff games, including six NBA Finals games. And maybe to remember his hidden talent, listed on the NBA referee union websitenamely karaoke!
2026-01-02 17:36:00
