Reports: Tony Brothers controversy led to the official being forced off the court for a game

According to reports, longtime NBA referee Tony Brothers was forced off the court for a game for allegedly using foul language on Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie.

Tony Brothers is one of the longest tenured coaches in the entire league. The current NBA season is his 29th as a referee in the NBA. Tony Brothers has officiated more than 1600 regular-season games and 170 playoff games. Tony Brothers has also officiated 15 NBA finals games.

Over the course of his career, Tony Brothers has refereed games featuring the likes of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan.

The long-time NBA referee allegedly used foul language on Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie, which resulted in him being taken off for a game. According to long-time NBA reporter Marc Stein, the league did not announce his suspension as it wasn't an official one which comes with a missed paycheck.

What is the Tony Brothers' controversy?

The incident happened during the Dallas Mavericks' victory against the Toronto Raptors. According to Dinwiddie, a clap prompted Tony Brothers to issue a technical foul on him. Spencer Dinwiddie went on to protest the technical foul which led to Tony Brothers saying "b***h-a** m****r f*****r" but did not direct it at Dinwiddie.

However, Spencer Dinwiddie's teammates later told him that the foul words were directed at him by Tony Brothers. In the aftermath of the incident, Spencer Dinwiddie told reporters the following:

"Not only would I like my money back. But I would like to not be called a bitch-ass mother f****er to my teammates. If there's anybody who feels that way about me — not naming any names — they can address me personally, face to face."

Spencer Dinwiddie later explained his stance to the reporters and stated that he would have wanted Tony Brothers to say things directly to his face instead.

"I understand it's the heat of the moment. I've definitely said swear words. But like if I was playing against somebody on the other team and they said that to my teammate, I would be like listen, 'Hey, listen I'm right here.' Hey, look, if you feel that way, fine by me. Just say it to my face, like any other grown man.' That's all I want."

NBA games are high-intensity and cause even the best to have a bad moment. For someone like Tony Brothers who has been in the league for a long time, this feels like something which won't be held against him in the long run.

Tony Brothers has built enough reputation and gained enough respect in the league for him to survive one bad incident which happened in the heat of the moment.