Sixty-five referees will compose the NBA officiating staff for the 2018-19 season. Below are some numbers and tidbits pertaining to this season’s NBA officials.
On The Court
- 33 – Ken Mauer is entering his 33rd season as an NBA referee, the most for any current official. He is followed by Ron Garretson, who begins his 32nd season.
- 1,904/238 – Garretson has called 1,904 regular-season games and 238 playoff games, the most of any current official in each category.
- 1,408 – Monty McCutchen worked 1,408 regular-season games – along with 169 playoff games (including 16 NBA Finals games) – before stepping off the court last season to oversee day-to-day management and on-court performance of all officials as Vice President, Head of Referee Development and Training.
- 20 – Mike Callahan leads active referees with 20 NBA Finals games officiated, followed by Mauer with 19 and Scott Foster with 18.
- 37/27 – 37 of the 65 officials (57%) have at least 10 years of experience, while 27 of the 65 (42%) have 15 or more years of experience.
- 75.4 – 49 of the 65 referees (75.4%) have worked in the G League.
- 33.8 – 22 of the 65 referees (33.8%) have WNBA officiating experience.
Off The Court
- 3,600 – Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations Michelle Johnson logged more than 3,600 flight hours as a pilot for the United States Air Force during her 36-year career. The former three-star general was the 19th Superintendent at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she was a graduate and the first woman inducted into the Air Force Sports Hall of Fame after a stellar basketball career for the Falcons.
- 1987 – President of League Operations Byron Spruell was an offensive lineman and co-captain of the 1987 Notre Dame football team helping future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown win the Heisman Trophy that season.
- 1977 – Mauer earned All-Big Ten honors in 1977 for the University of Minnesota’s baseball team, helping lead the Golden Gophers to the College World Series alongside future Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.
- 87 – NBA official Eric Dalen wore No. 87 as a two-time letterman at tight end for the University of Minnesota.
- 12 – NBA official Leroy Richardson spent 12 years in the United States Navy (1982-94), serving as a surface warfare specialist and underwater sea surveillance specialist.
- 9 – Historically Black Colleges and Universities are represented by nine referees: Bennie Adams (Southern University); Tony Brown (Clark Atlanta University); Derrick Collins (Xavier University in New Orleans); Sean Corbin (Coppin State University); Courtney Kirkland (Southern University); Karl Lane (Philander Smith College); Eric Lewis (Bethune Cookman College); CJ Washington (Southern University); and Tom Washington (Norfolk State University).
- 7 – The NBA referee roster features seven officials who have earned advanced degrees: Adams (MS, Southern University, 1993); Brent Barnaky (JD, Nova Southeastern Law School, 2001); Kevin Cutler (MS, Cal State Dominguez Hills, 2005); Tyler Ford (MA, Ball State University, 2009); Lauren Holtkamp (MS, Drury University, 2004; MDV, Emory University, 2010); Kevin Scott (MS, Georgia Southern University, 2002); and Sean Wright (MBA, University of Mobile, 1996).
- 4 – This year’s staff features four second-generation NBA referees: James Capers, the son of former NBA referee James Capers, Sr.; JB DeRosa, the son of former official Joe DeRosa; Brian Forte, the son of Joe Forte; and Garretson, the son of former NBA official Darell Garretson.
- 4 – Four referees – Derek Richardson, Leroy Richardson, Wright and Zach Zarba – were born in New York City, the most for any major U.S. city. New Orleans and Miami have produced three referees each.
- 3 – Three officials have served in the U.S. military, including Matt Boland (Connecticut National Guard), Rodney Mott (U.S. Navy) and Leroy Richards (U.S. Navy). In addition, NBA Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations Michelle Johnson is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
- 2 – Two referees were born in Eastern Europe: Marat Kogut (Kiev, Ukraine) and Gediminas Petraitis (Kaunas, Lithuania).
- 2 – This year’s officiating staff includes two sets of referees with family ties. Lauren Holtkamp and Jonathan Sterling are married to each other, while Jacyn and John Goble are the only brothers officiating this season.
