Tony Brown

Longtime NBA referee Tony Brown died Thursday at the age of 55 after battling cancer, the league announced.

Loved when I ran on the court for warmups and he would be on the game that night! James replied to the news on Twitter, writing, "R.I.P. Brown officiated 1,110 regular-season games and 35 playoff games in 20 seasons as an NBA staff official.

The referee worked 20 seasons in the NBA, working a total of 1110 regular-season games and 35 playoff games.

During those years, he worked the 2002 WNBA Finals, the ’02 WNBA All-Star Game and the ’01 CBA Finals. During his career, he worked 1,110 regular-season games and 35 playoff games, as well as the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. “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.

Longtime NBA referee Tony Brown, who spent 20 seasons in the league and was one of the league's most respected officials, passed away on Thursday after ...

Your smile & laugh will be missed tremendously here in our sport!" Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. 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," commissioner Great ref but greater dude!" "R.I.P. “We ask that you join us in that spirit as we prepare to celebrate Tony’s life.

Tony Brown, who officiated more than 1100 NBA games over almost two decades, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

"The first thing I went through was the sacrifices that my family made to stand by my side during this journey. Earlier that year, Brown made what was his lone on-court appearance at the NBA Finals. Brown ejected Popovich for his outburst, and Popovich pointed to then-Spurs assistant Becky Hammon to take over. He also worked championship-round games in the CBA and [WNBA](https://www.foxsports.com/wnba), plus was a WNBA All-Star official before moving to the NBA in 2003. "His hard work, determination, and perseverance are what set him apart from the rest because those qualities are hard to come by these days." He worked the 2018 All-Star Game in Los Angeles, then was picked to work the 2021 game that was moved to Atlanta. Earlier this month, some Clark Atlanta players visited Brown in hospice and presented him with a jersey as a thank-you for his efforts. No scholarship was available there for him, so Brown worked his way through school as an employee of Delta Air Lines. What kind of example was I going to be to my kids if I just laid in this bed and let it overtake me? The native of Tallahassee, Florida, was diagnosed after experiencing some stomach discomfort, which he initially attributed to what he thought was bad sushi. Our biggest thank you to our village of family and friends, near and far, old and new. He entered hospice care in Atlanta in recent days, his family said.

NBA referee Tony Brown, who officiated over 1,100 games during his 20-year career, died on Thursday due to complications from pancreatic cancer. He was 55.

Brown had a remarkable career that saw him officiate the 2018 and 2021 NBA All-Star Games in addition to a game of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. He was also an accomplished basketball player in his day, as he accepted a scholarship to Florida A&M. "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.