KEY POINTS

  • NBA referee Leroy Richardson manages to finish his officiating duties after being accidentally bumped twice in the game
  • Footage shows that Richardson took a hit in the groin region and tweaks ankle in another play
  • NBA referees have become a center of attention lately on social media

In basketball, referees also need to be fit and ready to keep in step with the players on the floor.

But being part of the game, they are not spared from injuries and freak accidents. Veteran NBA referee Leroy Richardson showed just that but managed to finish calling the game despite a groin hit and a tweaked ankle.

Richardson, who has officiated over 1,300 regular-season games, was the unfortunate victim during the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls game on Thursday.

The game official was just at the wrong place and at the wrong time when he was accidentally hit by Dario Saric in the groin during a play.

However, that was not the only stroke of bad luck that the 56-year-old referee from New York endured. In another play, he inadvertently took a bump from Denzel Valentine and sent crashing to the Bulls bench. That left him with a tweaked ankle.

Regardless, Richardson shrugged these off and managed to finish calling the game.

The Suns came out with the win over the Bulls, 121-116, with Devin Booker ending up with 45 points for the night.

Richardson becomes the latest referee to take the spotlight after Ashley Moyer-Gleich was seen in a light-hearted moment with Luka Doncic.

NBA Referee Deal
NBA referees will vote Thursday on whether to accept a deal for a seven-year contract that would run through 2022. Pictured: Referee Joey Crawford (right) calls a technical foul on Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks during Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Miami, June 17, 2012. Reuters

In related news, NBA executives are batting for buyout changes following the swoop made by the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets.

Some feel that the buyout free-agency system needs to be reviewed--with some small-market executives believing that the odds are unfairly weighted against them, ESPN reported.

As most know, the Nets were able to land Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge after their respective buyout. Meanwhile, the Lakers copped Andre Drummond.

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