Darrell Garretson
Encyclopedia
Darell Lee Garretson was an American
professional basketball referee
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) for 27 years from 1967 to 1994, and he later served as NBA Supervisor of Officials for 17 years from 1981 to 1998. During his career, Garretson officiated over 2,000 games, including 1,798 regular season NBA games, 269 playoff
games, 41 Finals
games and five All-Star
games.
, Garretson attended Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University
) during the 1950s and later served in the U.S. Navy
, stationed in San Diego, California
. Discharging from the Navy in 1960, Garretson remained in California along with his wife, Jeanne. Becoming involved with sports, he served as manager of the Garden Grove, California
team in the Little League World Series
in 1968
. He also officiated recreational, high school, and college basketball games, while working as a salesman, before being hired by the NBA.
became a basketball official, and is currently a referee in the NBA.
at age 76. The cause of death is an unknown at this time, but it was reported that Garretson's health had been in decline following recent surgery and effects of illnesses.
Following the news of his death, NBA commissioner
David Stern
said in a statement, "We are saddened by the passing of Darell Garretson. Darell was a man of extraordinary character, who touched many lives during his 31-year tenure as an NBA official and supervisor of officials." Lamell McMorris, spokesman for the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA), the union representing NBA officials, said, "Our grief at losing Darell Garretson is not just about the loss of an icon, a refereeing legend, although he certainly is both of those things. It is much more personal. Darell discovered and developed so many of our current referees. ... He took them and he coached them, tirelessly, and he made them some of the most elite referees in the world. And they love him for it."
. He was sentenced to 180 days home detention, three years of probation, and a US$5,000 fine.
Later when he became officiating supervisor, Garretson was an advocate for increasing the number of officials per NBA game from two to three, beginning with the 1988–89 NBA season. The addition of the third official allowed for better coverage of the court and also provided mentoring for younger officials with two more experienced officials.
Working in the NBA's front office, he also was involved with scouting prospective officials and providing instruction. He developed the concept of "refereeing the defense", a practice in which officials focus attention on a defensive player instead of watching the ball. He urged all officials to continue improving skills and achieving personal goals by focusing on every possible aspect. Former referee and current director of officiating, Ronnie Nunn
said of Garretson, "[he] was a guy who drilled into you to get plays right."
As an official and supervisor in the NBA, Garretson was the target of criticism by the media and notable officials including, Jake O'Donnell
, Richie Powers
, and Earl Strom
. Critics of Garretson claimed that he developed the current generation of referees into "robots" by suppressing individual personality. On the court, Garretson was also known to minimize the amount of communication between himself and players and coaches, which was considered an unpopular approach among members of the media.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball referee
Official (basketball)
In basketball, an official is a person who has the responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, as well as other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) for 27 years from 1967 to 1994, and he later served as NBA Supervisor of Officials for 17 years from 1981 to 1998. During his career, Garretson officiated over 2,000 games, including 1,798 regular season NBA games, 269 playoff
NBA Playoffs
The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...
games, 41 Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
games and five All-Star
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
games.
Early life
Born in Long Point, IllinoisLong Point, Illinois
Long Point is a village in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 247 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Long Point is located at ....
, Garretson attended Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
) during the 1950s and later served in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, stationed in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Discharging from the Navy in 1960, Garretson remained in California along with his wife, Jeanne. Becoming involved with sports, he served as manager of the Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
team in the Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
in 1968
1968 in baseball
-The Year of the Pitcher:In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance, caused by enforcing a larger strike zone beginning in 1963...
. He also officiated recreational, high school, and college basketball games, while working as a salesman, before being hired by the NBA.
Family
Darell Garretson and Jeanne Garretson have two sons, Ron, and Rick. Ron GarretsonRon Garretson
Ron Garretson is an American professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association . In his 20+ NBA seasons, since 1987, officiated over 1,600 games, including 1,397 regular season NBA games, 157 playoff games and 11 Finals games. He also officiated the 1993 Europe Tour in London...
became a basketball official, and is currently a referee in the NBA.
Death
Darell Garretson died in his sleep on April 24, 2008 at his home in Mesa, ArizonaMesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
at age 76. The cause of death is an unknown at this time, but it was reported that Garretson's health had been in decline following recent surgery and effects of illnesses.
Following the news of his death, NBA commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...
said in a statement, "We are saddened by the passing of Darell Garretson. Darell was a man of extraordinary character, who touched many lives during his 31-year tenure as an NBA official and supervisor of officials." Lamell McMorris, spokesman for the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA), the union representing NBA officials, said, "Our grief at losing Darell Garretson is not just about the loss of an icon, a refereeing legend, although he certainly is both of those things. It is much more personal. Darell discovered and developed so many of our current referees. ... He took them and he coached them, tirelessly, and he made them some of the most elite referees in the world. And they love him for it."
Income tax fraud
In 2000, Garretson pleaded guilty to fraud in an airline-ticket scheme involving purchasing less expensive tickets and pocketing the difference without reporting the additional income to the Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
. He was sentenced to 180 days home detention, three years of probation, and a US$5,000 fine.
Legacy
As a referee, Garretson was credited for creating and heading the first union for NBA referees, known as the National Association of Basketball Referees, a predecessor to the present day NBRA.Later when he became officiating supervisor, Garretson was an advocate for increasing the number of officials per NBA game from two to three, beginning with the 1988–89 NBA season. The addition of the third official allowed for better coverage of the court and also provided mentoring for younger officials with two more experienced officials.
Working in the NBA's front office, he also was involved with scouting prospective officials and providing instruction. He developed the concept of "refereeing the defense", a practice in which officials focus attention on a defensive player instead of watching the ball. He urged all officials to continue improving skills and achieving personal goals by focusing on every possible aspect. Former referee and current director of officiating, Ronnie Nunn
Ronnie Nunn
Ronnie Nunn is a former professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association for nineteen seasons and is as of 2011 the league's Director of Officials and host of Making the Call With Ronnie Nunn on NBA TV...
said of Garretson, "[he] was a guy who drilled into you to get plays right."
As an official and supervisor in the NBA, Garretson was the target of criticism by the media and notable officials including, Jake O'Donnell
Jake O'Donnell
James Michael "Jake" O'Donnell is a former sports official who worked as a National Basketball Association referee for 28 seasons from 1967 to 1995, and also as an umpire in Major League Baseball for four seasons from to...
, Richie Powers
Richie Powers
Richard F. "Richie" Powers was a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1979. He worked 25 NBA Finals games, including the triple-overtime Game 5 contest in the 1976 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics, considered "The Greatest...
, and Earl Strom
Earl Strom
Earl "Yogi" Strom was a professional basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association and for three years in the American Basketball Association . Strom is credited as the greatest referee in the history of the NBA and was known for his flamboyant style and ability to...
. Critics of Garretson claimed that he developed the current generation of referees into "robots" by suppressing individual personality. On the court, Garretson was also known to minimize the amount of communication between himself and players and coaches, which was considered an unpopular approach among members of the media.