Veteran NBA referee Tony Brown dies of cancer at 55

The NBA is mourning the loss of one of its longtime officials.

The league announced in a statement on Thursday that veteran referee Tony Brown has died at the age of 55 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Brown was surrounded by family, friends and fellow officials at the time of his death, the statement adds. You can read the full statement here.

Brown spent 20 seasons as an NBA referee, officiating a total of 1,110 regular-season games and 35 playoff games. His resume also included working the 2020 NBA Finals and the NBA All-Star Games in 2018 and 2021.

Brown’s family is encouraging donations to the Tony and Tina Brown Basketball Program Endowment at Clark Atlanta University (an HBCU located in Georgia) in lieu of flowers. Brown’s death comes just a few months after another well-known NBA referee died.