Inside The Heat

Miami Heat, Other NBA Players Pay Their Respects To NBA Referee Tony Brown

The well-respected, veteran referee passed away from cancer Thursday night
Shandel Richardson|
Miami Heat, Other NBA Players Pay Their Respects To NBA Referee Tony Brown
Miami Heat, Other NBA Players Pay Their Respects To NBA Referee Tony Brown

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Miami Heat

The NBA world lost a well-respected figure when longtime referee Tony Brown passed away from cancer late Thursday night. 

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was among the several around the league to express their thoughts about Brown, who officiated 1,110 regular-season games and 35 playoff games in 20 seasons. He was 55. 

“Tony was one of those referees, he never let us get under his skin,” Adebayo said. “You know, throughout the 50-50 calls and us blowing up about it, intense moments, he was one of those referees I could go up to and say it with my emotion, but he wouldn’t take it that way.”

Former Heat player LeBron James also expressed his feelings. 

R.I.P. Tony man!!," James tweeted. "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!"

The league also released a statement. 

“Tony Brown was one of the most accomplished referees in the NBA and an inspiration to his colleagues,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “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.”

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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