NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
NBA executive Sha’Rae Mitchell fell hard during Thursday night’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets after hitting a cameraman and appearing to injure her head in the collision.
Mitchell, who is in her first season as an NBA team manager, was running at full speed across the court with just over eight minutes remaining when she fell hard to the ground after colliding with a cameraman, who appeared to be filming the crowd on the court during the game.
Referee Sha’Rae Mitchell (98) signals during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on March 12, 2026. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Play was stopped as Mitchell appeared to grab the back of his head, bent over in obvious pain.
She left the field and sat down, continuing to grab her head.
Referee Sha’Rae Mitchell holds her head after a collision during the fourth quarter of the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on March 12, 2026. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
RUSSELL WESTBROOK TURNS THE JOURNALIST TABLES IN HEATED POST-GAME CONFRONTATION AFTER KINGS SUFFER 50TH LOSS
Mitchell would return to the game as Jalen Johnson recorded 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the Hawks extend the NBA’s current longest winning streak to eight games with a 108-97 win over the Nets.
The 40-year-old referee officially joined the league this season after officiating 11 regular season games as a non-personnel official during the 2022-23 NBA season and four games during the 2021-22 season.
Rapper and artist Boosie Badazz reacts after seeing referee Sha’Rae Mitchell (98) fall to the ground following a collision during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on March 12, 2026. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
Mitchell was a standout college basketball player at UC Santa Barbara before serving on the coaching staffs at Stanford University, UCLA and Coastal Carolina University. She then began officiating college basketball for several years before debuting at the professional level.
