Renowned basketball referee Pascal Dorison dies at 63

Pascal Dorison, a distinguished international basketball referee, passed away on Saturday at the age of 63 due to recent health issues. Throughout his career, Dorison was recognized as one of France's premier officials in the 1990s, earning the Ballon de Cristal for his significant contributions to the sport.

His extensive career included officiating 826 first-division games, 416 of which were in Pro A, alongside 210 international matches and six European finals. Dorison held the distinction of being the third French referee to officiate a EuroLeague final and was the last French referee to officiate a EuroBasket final for over two decades, a feat matched only in 2025.

In Greece, Dorison is particularly remembered for the historic 1996 European Champions Cup final in Paris. In that game, Panathinaikos secured their first-ever European title by defeating Barcelona. Dorison, along with Israeli referee Ruben Virojnik, faced scrutiny over a controversial play involving Stojan Vranković's block on José Antonio Montero, with Barcelona fans claiming the ball had touched the backboard before the block.