NBA referee Bill Kennedy’s coach’s challenge verdicts becoming must-see TV

NBA officials are occasionally criticized for making themselves the center of attention during games. However, when veteran referee Bill Kennedy announces the outcome of a coach’s challenge, he often does so in a way that entertains everyone but the team he’s ruling against.

Kennedy’s latest performance came Friday night in Indianapolis, during the fourth quarter of the Boston Celtics’ 140-122 win over the Indiana Pacers.

On the play in question, Pacers wing Quenton Jackson was whistled for a shooting foul on Celtics guard Anfernee Simons. Indiana coach Rick Carlisle used his coach’s challenge, hoping to overturn the call. After the officiating crew reviewed the play on courtside video monitors, Kennedy announced the ruling in what’s become his signature style, full of dramatic pauses and carefully enunciated verbiage.

“After reviewing the play, the defensive player is still moving and makes contact prior to any movement by the offensive player’s leg, resulting in the defensive foul being upheld, and the coach’s challenge is unsuccessful.”

Can Bill Kennedy review every Coach’s Challenge?

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— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 27, 2025

Friday night’s game wasn’t the first time Kennedy’s challenge resolutions gained attention on social media. During a 140-126 Los Angeles Lakers win over the Utah Jazz, Kennedy calmly shooed Lakers guard Luka Dončić away from center court before explaining the outcome of a successful challenge by Utah head coach Will Hardy, which resulted in a foul being called against Dončić.

“After reviewing the play, Anderson steals the ball and is then fouled by number 77 of the Lakers,” Kennedy said. “The ball will be given to Utah on the side with 23 on the shot clock. The coach’s challenge is successful.”

Kennedy, now in his 26th NBA season, has officiated more than 1,400 regular-season games and 139 playoff games, including six NBA Finals assignments. His challenge verdicts aren’t the only way small aspects of his personality come out on the job.

On his bio page on the National Basketball Referees Association website, Kennedy lists karaoke as his hidden talent and Luther Vandross as his favorite musical artist, hinting at the entertainer beneath the stripes.

The NBA introduced the coach’s challenge rule at the beginning of the 2019-20 season. It grants each team one opportunity per game to reverse a personal-foul call, dispute a goaltending or basket-interference decision, or overturn an out-of-bounds call when the team’s coaches believe the referees’ initial call was incorrect.

If a challenge is successful, the team retains the opportunity to challenge another call later in the game. If it is unsuccessful, the team is penalized one timeout.

The outcome of a challenge can affect the result of a game, but in the dire world of NBA basketball, Kennedy reminds us that it’s still OK to have a little fun.