If Tony Brothers was never in the NBA as an official, it would be a whole other scenario. Brothers is a legend in terms of officiating as he has been around for longer than people would’ve expected him to be. He first joined the league as an official during the 1994-95 season. So he has worked through a couple of pivotal eras which included some of the greatest players of all time. Brothers isn’t known for his officiating but he is notorious for how bad he can be at times.

Recently, he was caught up in an insanely controversial scenario during a Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game. And without any surprise, it involved LeBron James’ game-winning shot. The Lakers forward nailed a three-pointer which Brothers ruled off as a two-pointer. This cost the Lakers a potential victory and Brothers received a load of criticism from fans and James himself.

As controversial as his officiating is, his story about getting into the NBA might leave you perplexed. During an interview, he said, “I don’t even really care too much for basketball. In the sense of, I’m not a fan, like just watching it.” He explained that he initially wanted to work as a judge. Brothers continued, “I applied to two schools. And they both said no. My mom made a call over to Old Dominion… and they admitted me there and after I graduated, I ended up working for a consulting firm.”

“I met a lady that refereed basketball. She told me how to get started and here I am. So the whole desire to be a judge… I didn’t know what type of judge I was going to be. But now I’m the judge, the jury, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, everybody,” he concluded. Tony Brothers’ statement might come off as extremely questionable as it seems like he had no interest in the sports at all. This also could mean that he didn’t have enough knowledge about it either.

What else does Tony Brothers do besides officiating NBA games?

Tony Brothers has had multiple questionable moments in the league and fans do not like him for that very reason. Teams often face issues with Brothers on the court and at times, his officiating has cost them a few crucial victories. However, he isn’t only an NBA official full-time. Brothers also works as a social worker on the side. He has a couple of organizations that work towards helping men, women, and families.

Back in 2007, Tony Brothers and his wife at the time, Monica founded an organization together to give aid to single parents, specifically single mothers in Virginia. Later, he branched out to establish his foundation to assist people in his community. He founded Men for Hope, Inc., an organization that provides support to men. The organization helps individuals find their worth in society and assists similar establishments along the way.