For an NBA referee, the highest compliment after a game is having no one discuss the calls that were made. To have that happen after Game 7 of the NBA Finals is the pinnacle of the profession. Callahan remains an official; Crawford retired after last season, having worked at least one game in every NBA Finals since 1995. But the league, led by McCutchen and Johnson, recognized that doing so required more than just players coming to the referees. That doesn’t mean the passion of the game doesn’t spill over sometimes.

Source: Washington Post June 07, 2018 23:37 UTC