What happened to NBA referee Tony Brothers? Closer look as official exits game between Bulls-Timberwolves

NBA referee Tony Brothers exited the game late in the third quarter between the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night at the United Center. Brothers was the senior official for the game, along with CJ Washington and Che Flores.

According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, Brothers suffered an Achilles injury and had to leave. That left Washington and Flores as the only referees for the game. They have to cope with Brothers' injury, as there are no available backups.

In the video below, Tony Brothers can be seen speaking with Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. Brothers pointed to his left leg as he headed toward the exit. He also motioned that there would only be two referees for the remainder of the contest.

Tony Brothers heads back to the tunnel; tells Coach Finch he's checking out, gesturing to his lower leg | Bulls broadcast later says Brothers has an "Achilles issue"; this is Brothers' 30th season as a NBA referee byu/sewsgup innba

---

---

Who is Tony Brothers?

Tony Brothers is one of the most senior officials in the NBA. He's in his 30th season in the league and has been in charge of more than 1,690 regular-season games. He has also officiated in 187 playoff games, including 16 in the NBA Finals.

Brothers began his career in his home state of Virginia, spending seven years as a high school referee. He had one year of officiating at junior college level before moving to the Continental Basketball Association, where he was a referee for four seasons.

The 59-year-old joined the NBA during the 1994-95 season and is considered among the best officials in the league, but some players voted him as their least favorite official.

---

---

NBA once sidelined Tony Brothers due to trash talk

Tony Brothers made headlines in the 2022-23 NBA season when Spencer Dinwiddie told about what the senior official said about him. Dinwiddie was called for a technical foul after cursing at Brothers. His teammate told him that Brothers called him a "b*tch-a** motherf***er.

"I would like to not be called a b*tch-a** mother f***er to my teammates," Dinwiddie said on November 2022. "If there's anybody who feels that way about me, not naming any names, they can address me personally, face to face."

The NBA punished Brothers for his alleged remarks by sidelining him for at least one game after the incident. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that it was not an official suspension without pay, though.

---