Bert Smith, veteran NCAA official, just collapsed on the court. He's now on his feet. pic.twitter.com/BOhBvJT01U
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) March 30, 2021
Referee Bert Smith collapsed while working during the first half between USC and Gonzaga in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
It was a terrifying scene, with Smith falling onto his back and laying on the ground unconscious before he was ultimately loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the locker room area for further evaluation.
Now, we know what happened to cause the scare.
After spending two days in the hospital, Indiana University Health Methodist doctor Katie Trammel discovered the 56-year-old referee collapsed due to a pulmonary embolism, according to TMZ Sports.
That means Smith had a blood clot in his lung.