Tony Brothers

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}

{{short description|American basketball referee}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Tony Brothers

| image = Tony Brothers (51688442700) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Brothers in November 2021

| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|mf=yes|1964|09|14}}}}

| birth_place =

| alma_mater = Old Dominion University

| spouse =

| parents =

| children = 2

| nationality = American

| module = {{Infobox basketball biography|embed=yes

| position = NBA referee

| referee_start = 1994

| referee_end =

}}

}}

Tony Brothers (born September 14, 1964) is an American professional basketball referee who works in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been a referee in the NBA since the 1994–95 season.{{cite web|url=http://mediacentral.nba.com/media/mediacentral/Officials-Guide.pdf |title=NBA Officials Media Guide 2013-14 |publisher=Mediacentral.nba.com |accessdate=March 11, 2015}} Now in his 31st year, Brothers has officiated 1,800 regular season games, 200 playoff games and 17 NBA Finals games.{{Cite web |title=Tony Brothers {{!}} Official #25 {{!}} NBRA |url=https://www.nbra.net/nba-officials/referee-biographies/tony-brothers/ |website=NATIONAL BASKETBALL REFEREES ASSOCIATION}} He officiated the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20090215/ESTWST/boxscore.html|title=East at West Game Boxscore|work=Nba.com|accessdate=January 17, 2015}} In a survey of NBA players, Brothers was voted one of the favorite referees, but also received several votes as the least favorite referee.{{Cite web |last=Sam |first=Doric |title=NBA Players Vote Tony Brothers Best, 2nd-Worst Ref; Scott Foster Rated Worst |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10072853-nba-players-vote-tony-brothers-best-2nd-worst-ref-scott-foster-rated-worst |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}} He wears the uniform number 25.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/referees/brothto99r.html|title=Tony Brothers|publisher=Basketball-Reference.com|accessdate=January 17, 2015}}

Brothers graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Virginia. A 1986 and 2022 graduate of Old Dominion University, he received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. In 2007, he co-founded Still Hope Foundation, Inc.,{{cite web|url=http://www.stillhopefoundation.org/about/|title=About Us|publisher=Stillhopefoundation.org|accessdate=January 17, 2015}} to assist single mothers in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area. In 2015, he founded Men for Hope, Inc., a non-profit to support men, organize their effort in the community, and work with organizations providing services for women and their families.