Joey Crawford won’t referee another NBA game
By Nick Tylwalk
Joey Crawford has been a lightning rod for controversy at times during his lengthy career as an NBA referee, but he’s done officiating due to injury.
Sometimes it’s tough to evaluate any sports figure until their career comes to an end. For Joey Crawford, who’s been an NBA referee for 39 eventful seasons, that time is apparently here.
It’s not any type of controversy that is forcing Crawford to step away but the same thing that forces athletes to call it quits: Injury, specifically, a meniscus tear in an already afflicted right knee. NBA.com reports that rehab on the knee has not gone well, which means Crawford will be hanging up his whistle.
Not many referees in pro sports become recognizable in their own right — even fans of the mega-popular NFL might only be able to name Steve Hochuli — but Crawford is a notable exception. He famously was part of a group of referees charged with tax evasion in the late 90s, though he ended up returning to the league shortly thereafter even after pleading guilty.
He also had a reputation for dramatic clashes with players on the court, including one with the least likely of suspects, San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan. That one supposedly featured Crawford challenging Duncan to a fight and earned the ref a playoff suspension from then-commissioner David Stern.
The NBA.com report hints that Crawford might continue to have a hand in pro hoops by working in the NBA’s Replay Center in Secaucus. Though not always a fan of the idea of instant replay, Crawford has come around on it due to the way technology can help ensure difficult calls are correct.
Love him or hate him, everyone who loved the NBA ended up with an opinion of the man who first started officiating games in 1977. Now that he’s going to be leaving the court behind, some of those opinions are bound to be solidified and finalized over the months to come.