Richard W. Bavetta (born December 10, 1939)
is an American retired
professional basketball referee for the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
(NBA). Since starting in
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, he had never missed an assigned game and holds the league record for most officiated games with 2,635.
His game on April 12, 2013 in Washington was his 2,600th consecutive game as an NBA official.
Early life
Bavetta was born in the
Park Slope
Park Slope is a neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, New York City, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush A ...
neighborhood of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York on December 10, 1939. His father was an officer for the
New York Police Department, and his mother was a homemaker.
Bavetta attended
Power Memorial Academy
Power Memorial Academy (PMA) was an all-boys Catholic high school in New York City that operated from 1931 through 1984. It was a basketball powerhouse, producing several NBA players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Len Elmore, Mario Elie, Chris M ...
in New York City (the same school future NBA star
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran.
Given name Karim
* Karim A ...
attended) and is a 1962 graduate of
St. Francis College in New York
and played on the schools' basketball teams.
He began officiating after his brother, Joe, who officiated for the American Basketball Association, convinced him that it would be an interesting career.
A
Wall Street broker
A broker is a person or firm who arranges transactions between a buyer and a seller for a commission when the deal is executed. A broker who also acts as a seller or as a buyer becomes a principal party to the deal. Neither role should be confu ...
for
Salomon Brothers
Salomon Brothers, Inc., was an American multinational bulge bracket investment bank headquartered in New York. It was one of the five largest investment banking enterprises in the United States and the most profitable firm on Wall Street durin ...
with an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
in finance from the
New York Institute of Finance
The New York Institute of Finance (NYIF) is an American Education Company that was founded by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1922.
The institute provides continuing education to professionals in the finance Industry and corporations worldw ...
, Bavetta began officiating games between fellow brokers in the Wall Street League, played at New York's
Downtown Athletic Club
The Downtown Athletic Club, also known as the Downtown Club, was a private social and athletic club that operated from 1926 to 2002 at 20 West Street, within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The Downtown Athletic Cl ...
, and later worked high school games.
For ten years, he officiated Public and Catholic High School leagues in New York and later nine years in the Eastern Professional Basketball League, which later became the
Continental Basketball Association.
NBA officiating career
In the mid-1960s, he began to attend regional referee tryouts in the hopes of becoming an NBA referee; however, he was rejected for eight straight years due to his small physique and unimposing size.
Bavetta was finally hired by the NBA in 1975 following the retirement of
Mendy Rudolph
Marvin "Mendy" Rudolph (March 8, 1926July 4, 1979) was an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 22 years, from 1953 to 1975. One of the few basketball game officials to be inducted into the Bas ...
.
He debuted December 2, 1975 at
Madison Square Garden in an NBA game between the
New York Knicks and the
Boston Celtics. His first ten years in the league were tough as he was constantly ranked bottom among NBA referees in performance evaluations and led the league in technical fouls and ejections called.
To improve his officiating, Bavetta refereed games for the New Jersey pro league and
Rucker League in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
during the off-seasons and studied NBA rulebooks. In 1983, he became the first referee to undergo rigorous physical training. He ran six to eight miles and took three-hour naps every day. His effort paid off when he emerged as one of the best referees.
In the 1980s, he was named chief referee, who has the power to approve or overrule calls made by other officials. He was assigned to officiate his first playoff game in 1986.
Bavetta's most memorable game occurred during a 1980s nationally televised contest between the
Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics when he was forced to officiate an NBA game by himself after his partner,
Jack Madden
Jack Madden is an American retired professional basketball referee. He was born in Trenton, NJ.Pluto, Terry, 'Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association', New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990, , pp. 132–133
Madden ...
, broke his leg in a collision with Celtics
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007), nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a c ...
.
At one point in the game, Celtics
forward Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...
and 76ers guard
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
began to strangle each other and were ejected by Bavetta. Bavetta believed that this game assisted in the progression of his career in the NBA.
From 1990 to 2000, Bavetta regularly refereed playoff games and was ranked at the top among referees in terms of performance evaluation. In 2000, he was one of the highest-paid referees in the NBA, earning over $200,000 a year.
Among those playoff games included
Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals
Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals was a professional basketball game that was played on June 14, 1998 between the visiting Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center, now known as Vivint Arena, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game is widely cit ...
, in which Bavetta ruled that a three-point basket made by
Howard Eisley
Howard Jonathan Eisley (born December 4, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player and current coach. Born in Detroit, Eisley played college basketball at Boston College and was drafted in 1994 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Eisle ...
of the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
was released after the
shot clock
A shot clock is a countdown timer used in a variety of games and sports, proving a set amount of time that a team may possess the object of play before attempting to score a goal. Shot clocks are used in several sports including basketball, wat ...
buzzer sounded and thus would not count. However, television replays on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
showed otherwise. Bavetta's career was threatened when he was accidentally hit in the nose by Pacers forward
Jalen Rose
Jalen Anthony Rose (born January 30, 1973) is an American sports analyst and former professional basketball player. In college, he was a member of the University of Michigan Wolverines' " Fab Five" (along with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy K ...
, who was trying to punch Knicks center
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a Jamaican-American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Georgetown University men's team. He played most of his career as the starting center for the N ...
during a 1999 game between the
Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. Bavetta did not leave the game immediately, opting to wait until later in the day to have surgery. He returned the next day to officiate an
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...
-
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
game.
On February 8, 2006, Bavetta officiated his 2,135th NBA game, setting a league record for most games officiated that was previously held by
Jake O'Donnell
James Michael "Jake" O'Donnell (born January 25, 1937 in Philadelphia) is a former sports official who worked as a National Basketball Association (NBA) referee for 28 seasons from 1967 to 1995, and also as an umpire in Major League Baseball for ...
.
Bavetta said the secret to his longevity was "wearing five pairs of socks", which he claims helped keep his feet in good shape.
Contributing to his good health, Bavetta says he runs five to eight miles every day.
For his longevity in the league, he has received the nickname "the
Cal Ripken Jr.
Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed " The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his posit ...
of referees".
During the
2006–07 season, Bavetta officiated a December 16, 2006 game between the New York Knicks and
Denver Nuggets. The game involved a
brawl where all ten players on the court were ejected by Bavetta and his officiating crew.
The league eventually suspended seven players for a total of 47 games and fined both teams $500,000.
After 39 years of officiating in the NBA, Bavetta officially retired on August 19, 2014 having officiated 2,635 consecutive regular season games.
Charitable works
Bavetta is also actively involved in charitable works. He has established and financed the Lady Bavetta Scholarships since 1986 in honor of his daughters, awarded to high school minority children based on their needs.
He has volunteered since 1992 with Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch working with children and teens with a multitude of medical special needs. He also works with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and serves as the Upstate New York Regional Director for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
During the
2007 NBA All-Star Weekend, Bavetta raced
Turner Network Television
TNT (originally an abbreviation for Turner Network Television) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery that launched on October 3, 1988. TNT's original purpose ...
(TNT) studio analyst and former NBA player
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on NBA on TNT, TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons ...
for a $75,000 charitable donation ($50,000 contributed by the NBA and $25,000 by TNT) to the
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, h ...
,
but lost by a narrow margin.
The distance of the race was three and one half full lengths of the court
(or 329 feet). Bavetta lost the race despite a last-second dive and Barkley running the last portion of the race backwards.
The dive resulted in an abrasion injury to Bavetta's right knee.
Controversies
Altercations with Earl Strom
According to
Darryl Dawkins
Darryl R. Dawkins (January 11, 1957 – August 27, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He was particularly known for his tenure with the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, although he als ...
' autobiography, Bavetta was officiating an NBA game during the mid-1970s between the
Philadelphia 76ers and
New Jersey Nets
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
with
Earl Strom
Earl "Yogi" Strom (December 15, 1927 – July 10, 1994) was an American professional basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for three years in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Strom is cre ...
as his partner for that game.
Bavetta overruled Strom on a crucial last-second
personal foul call against the Nets, which would have been a victory for the 76ers.
When the game ended and players were walking to their respective locker rooms, the door to the referees' locker room flew open and Bavetta came staggering out.
His uniform was allegedly ripped and he was wearing a big welt over his eye, running to get away from Strom.
Strom stepped out into the hallway and hollered after Bavetta, "You'll take another one of my fucking calls again, right, you motherfucker?"
Strom was fined for the incident.
Bavetta had another altercation with Strom when Strom tried to choke Bavetta before an NBA game in 1989. Strom reportedly apologized within two weeks of the incident.
Allegations of game fixing
Bavetta was one of three referees for the Game 6 of the
2002 Western Conference Finals between the
Kings and the
Lakers. Former referee
Tim Donaghy has alleged that at least one of the referees working this game had subjective motives for wanting the Lakers to defeat the Kings, and made officiating calls to effectuate this outcome.
NBA rules prohibited active referees from commenting on the situation publicly. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' reported on June 12, 2008 that the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
investigated allegations that Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals had been manipulated to further the series to a seventh game.
In a 2002 article,
Bill Simmons named the worst officiated games of the prior four years, alleging that the games involved either extending a series so it did not end quickly or advancing a large market team for the NBA's benefit. All seven games named had been officiated by Bavetta.
Other achievements
* Inducted into the New York City Catholic High School Hall of Fame on June 1, 2000
* Received the National Pro-Am Lifetime Achievement Award on October 14, 2002
* Inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
* Was the recipient of the 2016 Jerry Colangelo Award at the Athletes in Action All Star Breakfast, which is held each year during the NBA All Star Weekend
References
External links
National Basketball Referees Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bavetta, Dick
1939 births
Living people
Basketball people from New York (state)
Continental Basketball Association referees
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
National Basketball Association referees
People from Ocala, Florida
People from Park Slope
Sportspeople from Brooklyn
St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers men's basketball players