NBA referee Bill Kennedy taken off on wheelchair after suffering injury
Veteran NBA referee Bill Kennedy suffered an apparent injury and was taken off the court in a wheelchair Friday night during the 76ers’ game against the Magic.
Kennedy, 59, appeared to suffer a non-contact leg injury while running down the floor during a 76ers fast break late in the first quarter of the contest in the 103-91 win for the 76ers.
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Replays from the game show him limping near the baseline and unable to continue moving with the pace of play, which has increased in the modern NBA.
After limping to the sideline, Kennedy called for assistance and was tended to by medical staff.
The Magic called a timeout shortly after the injury, and the arena training team evaluated him on the court for several minutes.
Unable to put weight on the leg, Kennedy was then guided off the floor in a wheelchair and taken to the officials’ locker room, abruptly ending his night.
With Kennedy sidelined, the officiating crew was reduced to two officials, James Williams and Michael Smith, for the remainder of the game.
Kennedy has been an NBA referee since 1996 and is widely respected across the league.
He has officiated more than 1,500 NBA games and also worked events in the college and international basketball ranks earlier in his career.
He gained broader recognition on social media over recent years for his thorough explanations of coach challenge rulings during broadcasts and owning the camera.
The 76ers went on to beat the Magic in a statement road win, where Philly held Orlando to 12 points in the fourth quarter.
The Sixers were paced offensively by likely NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey, who finished the night with 29 points, making 8 of his final 12 field goal attempts.
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