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During Friday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic, seasoned NBA referee Bill Kennedy was wheeled off the court after sustaining what seemed to be an injury.
The 59-year-old referee appeared to have suffered a non-contact leg injury while sprinting down the court amid a 76ers fast break late in the first quarter. Despite the injury, the 76ers went on to secure a 103-91 victory.
Game footage captured Kennedy limping near the baseline, struggling to keep up with the fast-paced action that characterizes today’s NBA games.
After making his way to the sideline with difficulty, Kennedy signaled for help and received immediate attention from the medical team.
Shortly following his injury, the Magic called a timeout, allowing the arena’s medical staff to thoroughly assess Kennedy’s condition on the court.
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.
