PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The basketball world is honoring a trailblazer who dedicated his life to the game.
Tommy Nuñez Sr., who grew up in Phoenix and became the first Hispanic referee in the NBA in 1972, died Friday.
He refereed for more than 30 years in the NBA before retiring in 2002.
According to his foundation, during his off-seasons, Nuñez worked for the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Job Training Department and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps, working with what he calls “the underdogs of the world.”
Nuñez also organized the Tommy Nuñez National Hispanic Basketball Classic, an annual tournament in Arizona that brought Latino players and referees together and raised money for youth scholarships.
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