Ricky Meeks recovering after run-in with hoops ref

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — If you’ve attended high school basketball games in the Wilmington area you’ve probably run into Ricky Meeks sitting on the front row. Unfortunately Meeks has more than his fair share of bad luck recently sitting courtside. He’ll be on the disabled list for Friday’s action due to a leg injury that involved a basketball referee. He may be out for the season after leaving Tuesday’s game in an ambulance.

It’s not the first basketball related injury this season for Meeks as a spectator. Coincidentally, both injuries this season occurred at Coastal Christian High School. Ricky Meeks claims it’s a case of bad luck. He’s been run over twice this season by a referee while watching high school basketball at Coastal Christian.

Click the icon above to see our sitdown interview with Wilmington sports fan Ricky Meeks.

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The transcript of WWAY’s interview with Ricky Meeks and John Rendleman is below.

“The first time was with my right foot back in December and the second time was this past Tuesday night.”

“Both times you’ve been run over by a referee it was at Coastal Christian High School. Coincidence or not?”

“No, I don’t think so. This past Tuesday night the referee was backing up with two players and I wasn’t paying attention, backing up into my left leg and I knew I was in trouble with gruesome pain and my leg was swolen real bad and I had to go by EMS to Cape Fear Hospital. I was not able to walk on it.”

Ricky says it’s the worst pain he’s ever experienced. On Thursday afternoon he went back for more medical treatment at Pelican Family Medicine.

“I had a little bit of bleeding in the area. I got three staples that were put in Tuesday night at Cape Fear.”

“You have to admit those chairs at Coastal Christian are a little close to the court.”

“They are close to the court. That’s what they call courtside.”

“What have you learned from all of this? It’s nice to have a front row seat, but…..”

“When people go to ballgames you got to remember where you sit. You’re always at risk. You never know when players are going to run at you. Sitting on the front row. That’s the chance you take”

“You’ve been run over twice this season at Coastal Christian. Was your leg on the court on either one of those times? Oh no, both times the chair I was sitting in was away from the line, away from the playing action. You always have to give space to the referee to go up and down to make his or her call.”