An NBA Referee

What It's Like To Be...

Dan Heath

Curiosity, Jobs, Careers, Business, Storytelling, Society & Culture, Human Interest

4.8 • 646 Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2024

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ignoring 10,000 booing fans, collaborating with the replay center, and striving for perfection with Billy Kennedy, an NBA referee. What happens when you get a call wrong? And what's the difference between the trail, slot, and lead officials? GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at [email protected] WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions: 1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to kno...

Transcript

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0:00.0	Billy Kennedy spent a lot of time at the Boys Club where he grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.
0:04.5	He played on a basketball team there.
0:06.4	But one day a referee didn't show up for a younger kid's game,
0:10.0	and the Boys Club director asked if anyone wanted to referee.
0:14.1	And I raised my hand up.
0:16.0	I don't know why.
0:17.6	I have no idea why I did that.
0:24.8	I never forget. It was a Saturday morning. I didn't,
0:29.3	they didn't have a shirt that fit. They just gave me a whistle and I kind of went out there.
0:36.8	Billy got the bug, the referee bug. It changed the way he watched games as a fan. There was a guy who I've been in the name of Jokasue.
0:38.3	He's out of the Philadelphia, a great NBA referee,
0:41.3	and I was at a game watching.
0:43.3	I wasn't watching the players or the game itself.
0:46.3	I was always watching the referees.
0:48.3	He had a few people encourage him along the way,
0:50.3	and he caught the attention of a local journalist.
0:53.3	There's an article in the Young Athlete magazine in that story,
0:58.3	and it's clear that I say at 12 years old,
1:01.5	yeah, I'm going to be an NBA referee.
1:04.4	And so it's documented that this is something that I've been doing for over 40 years.
1:10.6	And over those decades, he's seen some magical moments on the court.
1:14.8	He officiated the game where Kobe Bryant scored 81 points.
	...

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