Veteran NBA official Tony Brown passed away on Wednesday following a hard-fought battle with cancer.
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It was a sad day for the NBA, which lost one of its long-time officials, Tony Brown. The veteran official was suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer at the age of 55 years.
Hailing from Florida, Brown had officiated 1,110 regular season games and 35 playoff games in 20 seasons. The veteran official attended Florida A&M before transferring to Clark Atlanta University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Finance.
While attending high school, Brown attained All-State basketball honors at Atmos P. Godby in Tallahassee, Florida. Before joining the NBA, he worked 4-seasons in both the G League and CBA and 3-seasons in the WNBA.
At the time, Brown officiated the 2002 WNBA Finals, the 2002 All-Star game, and the 2001 CBA Finals.
Brown’s unfortunate demise is a big void to fill for the league. Nonetheless, Twitter decided to pay homage to the veteran official.
NBA Twitter pays its respect to the late Tony Brown.
NBA veteran official Tony Brown passed away today following a hard-fought bout with cancer. He was one of the best running the sidelines and one cool brother. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/GPhyMORCRU
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) October 20, 2022
Longtime NBA official Tony Brown passed away today surrounded by his family, friends and fellow officials after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 55. pic.twitter.com/pFCJZtiwrg
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 20, 2022
Rest In Peace, Tony Brown. You are missed brother. pic.twitter.com/G0ISZtyjjj
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) October 20, 2022
Longtime NBA referee Tony Brown, who spent 20 seasons in the league and was one of the most respected officials, passed away on Thursday after courageously battling pancreatic cancer. https://t.co/qpARkATDZF
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 20, 2022
We are asking for your support in establishing the Tony Brown Basketball Scholarship Endowment. Tony, a Clark Atlanta University alum & beloved NBA Ref for 20 years, was diagnosed with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer last year. Let’s keep fighting with Tony. https://t.co/Go53xplVUh pic.twitter.com/xVzSTkJ4bP
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) October 4, 2022
Rest In Peace Tony Brown. @OfficialNBARefs pic.twitter.com/aFyeJFgV3s
— Pete Pranica (@PetePranica) October 20, 2022
R.I.P. Tony man!! Great ref but greater dude! Loved when I ran on the court for warmups and he would be on the game that night! Your smile & laugh will be missed tremendously here in our sport! 🙏🏾🤎👑 https://t.co/JI23eZczTi
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 21, 2022
Tony Brown career highlights:
CBA Finals, WNBA Finals, NBA Finals, WNBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Game (twice) … and he threw out Gregg Popovich on a night where Becky Hammon had to fill in as coach of the Spurs.
A wonderful man. May he rest in peace.
And bleep cancer.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) October 20, 2022
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issues statement.
Commissioner Silver said the following on the unfortunate demise of Brown.
“Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues,” Commissioner Silver. “After his pancreatic cancer diagnosis early last year, Tony fought courageously through countless rounds of treatment to return to work this past season at the NBA Replay Center, demonstrating the dedication, determination, and passion that made him such a highly respected official for 20 years. The entire NBA family mourns Tony’s passing and we send our deepest condolences to his wife, Tina; their children, Bailey, Basile, and Baylen; and his fellow referees.”
Via: NBA.com
Also read: NBA Commissioner Salary: What is Adam Silver’s Net Worth
