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Bill Kennedy is an awesome referee. Okay, skill wise, he's not top-of-the-line, but in terms of entertainment he qualifies. Sure, many refs are attacked for making themselves the center of attention, but Kennedy does so with such flair and lightheartedness that it's difficult to dislike him. As a result, and after last night's shenanigans, it's time to take a break from the statistical Offbeats and take a look at the top 5 Bill Kennedy moments in history.
5. Bill Kennedy is knocked down HARD by Landry Fields
This one's a bummer for Bill Kennedy, as he gets the short end of the stick here on this collision with Landry Fields. While we hate to see Bill Kennedy hurt, he would be okay, and it's one of the most memorable moments of his career.
4. Bill Kennedy dances his way through a rip-through call
Rarely is a fairly standard rip-through call given as if it were Charles Barkley's golf swing.
3. Bill Kennedy dances his way through the blocking foul
While we're on the theme of great Bill Kennedy calls... here's yet another exaggerated call, this time with a natural music selection to coincide. Note: I do not endorse said music.
2. Bill Kennedy stalls for a commercial break... while the TV still runs
The impetus for this column, as well as one of the greatest moments in NBA TV history that had nothing to do with basketball. Because ESPN previously lost a chance to get their sponsors some airtime, Bill Kennedy tries to make amends in the 4th. Unfortunately, ESPN doesn't know what's going on, and gets the whole exchange with Kennedy, D'Antoni, and Popovich on the air. Remarkably, despite the clarity of what was going on, ESPN immediately and awkwardly cut to commercial after this, with no outro whatsoever.
1. Bill Kennedy's behind the back pass is... wayward
This is my favorite Bill Kennedy moment. He's just trying to have some fun, show off a little for the crowd,clearly inspired by some of the best players in the NBA... and he just misses the behind the back bass by at least 10 feet.
So the next time you see Bill Kennedy scheduled to referee, be happy. There's a slightly higher chance that this game will be slightly more entertaining than usual.