August 30, 2002
WNBA ref out of hospital

WNBA referee Bill Stokes has been discharged from the hospital ten days after suffering a heart attack during the Comets-Starzz playoff game.


"I feel absolutely wonderful," Stokes, 56, said in the lobby of Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, where he underwent heart bypass surgery and had a defibrillator implanted after his Aug. 20 collapse at nearby Compaq Center where the Houston Comets were playing the Utah Starzz. "I have walked to the edge of death and turned and gone back the other way."

Even better, he hopes to get back to officiating. That's two great sports stories today.

As for whether or not the game should have gone on after he was rushed to the hospital, here's Stokes' opinion:


"I'm not what people came to see," he said. "I'm not the show. I'm just part of the game, an integral part to make the game run smoothly. Obviously, that game should be completed. The kids should not have to come back another night and finish."

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery, Bill Stokes.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on August 30, 2002 to Other sports
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