LAS VEGAS — Forty-two-year-old Richard Jefferson stepped on an NBA court docket for the primary time since he retired. Nevertheless it wasn’t to play — it was to referee a Las Vegas Summer season League recreation.
Jefferson — who spent seven seasons with the Nets, and gained a 2016 title with Cleveland — refereed the second quarter of Monday night’s Knicks vs. Trail Blazers game at Thomas & Mack Area.
“A part of the rationale why I agreed to do it’s as a result of I had such an amazing quantity of respect for the officers. I perceive how essential they’re to our recreation,” stated Jefferson, an ESPN broadcaster. “I acquired texts from Monty McCutchen. I acquired texts from Bob Delaney. I used to be getting texts from Scott Foster, Zach Zarba, as a result of I’ve relationships with these guys as a result of I respect what they do of their craft.
“So for me to get the chance to come back out right here and simply run round a bit bit and study, it’s intense. Anyone that desires to criticize the officers simply go referee a highschool recreation first and you then would possibly have a look at it a bit otherwise.”
Jefferson went to officiating conferences to prep for his one-off cameo function, 5 periods of an hour-and-a-half every.
And Jefferson noticed the irony in his refereeing debut coming towards the Knicks. He had a protracted historical past of each beating them as a participant with the Nets, and of prodding their fanbase whereas a Nets broadcaster.
“I’ve no problem with the Knick followers. I perceive after they see my face, I perceive they’ll get annoyed for all of the years of ache that we tormented them via,” Jefferson joked. “No, I respect the Knicks. A part of the rivalry — and it’s like Ohio State-Michigan, UCLA-USC, Duke-North Carolina — the Knicks are the crew within the city. We’re the Nets, so there’s all the time going to be the rivalry.
“There’s all the time going to be that power and I’ve no downside leaning into it, taking part in into it. Nothing however a ton of respect for everyone within the Knick group although.”
Even when he enjoys trolling them. There was some good-natured ribbing backwards and forwards with the Knicks braintrust seated courtside.
“Yeah, just a bit bit. [Tom Thibodeau] was over there cracking jokes, telling me to blow my whistle, simply having some enjoyable,” Jefferson stated. “And once more, similar to I stated, it was an incredible expertise.”
The Knicks followers jeered Jefferson by identify after a number of calls. And McCutchen — the NBA’s Senior Vice President, Head of Referee Improvement and Coaching — even noticed the humor in Jefferson’s interactions with the followers.
“They positively had some enjoyable. You understand, we even noticed Wealthy wave at one time,” McCutchen laughed. “I most likely wouldn’t enable that had he pursued a refereeing profession, however we’ll most likely enable it beneath these circumstances.”
