A referee in the state of Kansas is choosing to blame a recent viral moment at a girls high school basketball game on an underlying medical condition. He claims he did not flop.
The Kansas State High School Athletics Association continues to investigate the matter.
In the meantime, the high school basketball official is on leave. Jeff Freeman will some time away from the sport to focus on his health.
The flop heard around the world.
Friday was a night that will not soon be forgotten in Kansas. It was the most viral girls high school basketball moment in state history.
Bonner Springs and Eudora shared the same record at 7-1 prior to the Frontier League showdown. Tensions were already high as the Braves and the Cardinals took the floor for warmups.
And then it got weird.
Senior guard Emily Morton drove to the hoop for a layup late in the third quarter. She thought she was fouled on the way up. I tend to agree. No call.
Morton expressed her frustration toward referee Jeff Freeman. He issued a technical foul for her complaint. She kept talking. He issued a second technical, which led her to be ejected from the contest.
Morton stopped dead in her tracks when she learned of the ejection but Freeman kept moving. The inevitable collision course led the latter to (gently) put the hand on the chest of the former to stop him.
As soon as Morton’s hand made contact with Freeman, there was a brief three-second countdown before he fell to the ground backwards. It appeared to be the most egregious flop of all-time. Truly.
The Kansas high school basketball referee blames his health.
Jose Jazquez Torres of The Pow Wow captured the best photo of the bizarre sequence of events. Emily Morton, her coaches, all of the players on the bench and every single person in the crowd were baffled.
The broadcast video went extremely viral on social media.
This is one of the craziest things I've ever seen lol.
— Charles Chaney (@ChuckChaneyBCTG) January 17, 2026
Obviously, you shouldn't put your hands on an official but this fall is wild.
You be the judge.
The official was up right after a commercial break and even administered the tech foul shots lol. pic.twitter.com/UwUl5wYLlr
However, the referee claims it was not a flop. Jeff Freeman blames his health— even though he returned to the court after about two minutes and finished the entire game.
I have a medical condition. I am visiting my neurologist [Tuesday], hopefully, and will have additional information after that. Ask my fellow officials, coaches, athletic directors, etc., about me. My reputation is stellar. I do not want any additional punishment for that player, coach or school. It was not their fault.”
He is currently taking a break from officiating to focus on his wellbeing. There have been multiple (largely unconfirmed) reports about Freeman’s alleged medical condition that say he is lucky to be alive.
According to sources with familiarity of the situation, the Kansas State High School Athletic Association is not entirely convinced this was not a flop. It will continue to work with the official to find out exactly what happened. We obviously wish Freeman the best in his recovery. The truth will come out!