Hugh Evans (basketball)

Hugh Evans is a former basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 28 seasons from 1972 to 2001. During his NBA officiating career, Evans worked 1,969 regular season NBA games and 35 NBA Finals games. During the 1995–96 NBA season, Evans was ranked the second best official in the league by coaches, general managers, and NBA Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations Rod Thorn.[1] His final game was Game 4 of the 2001 NBA Finals, played at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 13, 2001. Evans wore the uniform number 25 during his career in the NBA. He currently serves as an assistant supervisor of officials in the NBA front office.

Evans, circa 1974

Life

Evans attended North Carolina A&T and was drafted in the 12th round (80th selection overall) of the 1962 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. Instead of playing in the NBA, he elected to go into baseball and spent three years in the San Francisco Giants minor league organization. In the late 1960s, Evans decided to go into officiating in New York City and later in 1972 was hired by the NBA.

Memorable moments
  • Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point during Game 5 of the 1984 NBA Finals. He worked the first half of the game, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. This game was played in 97-degree heat in Boston Garden.[2]

Quotes by Hugh
  • "I know I'll miss the competitive part and the friends and officials I've met, but I'll enjoy sitting in my rocking chair and watching the young referees I helped," (usatoday.com).
  • Detroit. "The Bad Boys days. They brought the best out of you or scared you to death."(usatoday30.com).
  • Game one of the 1992 Chicago-Portland Finals. "Michael (Jordan) was not a great three-point shooter then, and he hit five or six in a row," Evans said. "It was the most fantastic thing I ever saw" (usatoday30.com).

References
  1. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n24_v91/ai_19381859
  2. Hubbard, Jan (June 9, 1984). "Celtics turn on heat, 121-103". The Dallas Morning News.


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