Tommy Nuñez, an American basketball referee, died on April 24, 2026, at the age of 87.
Born in Santa Maria, California, on September 10, 1938, he was of Mexican American descent. Nuñez was hired by the NBA in 1972 and became the first Hispanic to referee in any major sport.
He worked in the NBA for 30 years before retiring in 2002. He was the founder of the Tommy Núñez foundation and the father of former NBA referee Tommy Núñez Jr.
Tommy Nuñez, 88, American basketball referee.