An NBA referee who was recognized for his showmanship on the courtroom throughout the Sixties and ’70s, died August 14, 2021 from congestive coronary heart failure in Oceanside, CA. He was 92. 

In the mid 1950’s, Sokol took up wrestling and refereeing basketball for a time to make more money and was finally observed for the latter by the still-young Nationwide Basketball Affiliation .  In 1965, Sokol went straight from refereeing native video games to NBA contests.

One of many highlights of Sokol’s profession was officiating the 1972 NBA All-Star Recreation in Los Angeles, the place he shared the ground with legendary gamers like Walt Frazier, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlin. His trademark over-the-top mannerisms can nonetheless be seen on YouTube, the place the sport has been archived.

“He as very dramatic,” Debbie Sokol stated of her father. “He as a showman, and he preferred to make the calls extraordinarily colourful.”

In 2014, Manny Sokol was inducted into the New York Metropolis Basketball Corridor of Fame for his contributions to the game.

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