Veteran NBA referee Scott Wall battles leukemia

NBA referee Scott Wall has been undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia since being diagnosed earlier this year, the National Basketball Referees Association revealed on Wednesday in New York.

All referees will be using a whistle marked with the No. 31 — Wall’s referee jersey number — for the remainder of the season. The union said that tribute was happening as a sign of “solidarity with our brother.”

Wall has undergone chemotherapy treatment and had a 30-day hospital stay, the union said, adding that “doctors have successfully eliminated the leukemia cells from his body and have transitioned Scott into the next phase of treatment.”

Wall has worked 1,530 games in 30 seasons as an NBA referee. The Florida resident was selected to work the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando.