LeBron James, Adams silver, other mourn the exist of the iconic…
Brown, who officiated more than 1,100 NBA games over two decades, died Thursday, his family announced. He passed away after a bout with cancer. The Lakers star lamented the passing.
Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished NBA referees the league had ever seen. Brown was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in April of 2021 and improved to where he was able to return to work in the NBA replay center last season. After a valiant bout, he perished to the disease.
Now LeBron James and several of the leagues superstars have expressed their grief at Tony Brown’s passing at just 55 years of age. His family confirmed that he had entered hospice care in Atlanta in the past days.
LeBron took to Twitter to send a message in memoriam of Brown: “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!”
Referees for the Bucks-76ers wore purple wristbands that said ‘6 STRONG’ in honor of the number that Tony Brown wore when he was reffing.
LeBron James, Adams silver, other mourn the exist of the iconic…
Commissioner Adam Silver also mourned Brown’s passing in an official statement: “Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues.”
Our brother Tony Brown passed today after his fearless fight against pancreatic cancer. Tony was a son, father, and friend who will be missed every day and remembered every moment. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to his Endowment at CAU: https://t.co/JoOowfy3Dn pic.twitter.com/RLOFqTx7AP
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) October 21, 2022
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Brown officiated 1,016 regular-season games and 25 playoff games in 17 seasons as an NBA official. His favorite musician was Michael Jackson and his favorite movie, Denzel Washington’s Training Day.