Steve Javie
Encyclopedia
Steve Javie is a retired American professional basketball
referee
who refereed in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) from the 1986–87 NBA season to the 2010–11 season. As of the beginning of the 2006–07 NBA season, Javie has officiated 1,264 regular season, 190 playoff
, and 18 NBA Finals
games. He has officiated the NBA championship series every year since the 1995 NBA Finals
. According to Referee magazine, Javie is a highly regarded referee in the NBA, and he is respected within the officiating community for his game management skills. He is also notable during his NBA officiating career for his quickness in assessing technical foul
s.
Prior to his NBA career, he played and graduated from La Salle College High School
. He later played baseball
for Temple University
from 1974 to 1976 and later was an umpire
in the Florida State League
(Class-A) from 1978 to 1981. Transitioning to basketball, he officiated in the Continental Basketball Association
(CBA) from 1981 to 1986.
to Stan and Stella Javie. During his childhood, he attended and later graduated from La Salle College High School
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, where he played baseball, football
, and basketball
, earning All-League honors in baseball and basketball. Following high school, he continued a baseball career at Temple University
. He graduated from the university in 1976 with a bachelor's degree
in business administration. As a prospect
in baseball, Javie signed with the Baltimore Orioles
minor league organization. He was released from the Orioles minor league system (Class-A) after one year due to an arm injury suffered as a pitcher
.
, was also a sports official
. Stan Javie worked in the National Football League
from 1951 to 1980 as a field judge
and back judge, and was assigned to officiate four Super Bowl
s. In an interview with Referee magazine, Steve Javie described his father as "a guy
you'd go to war with. He had a passion. He was probably the official that everyone strives to be, but can't, because you have to be yourself. I can't be a Stan Javie and you can't be, but if
you took all the characteristics and makeup, you'd want to be that kind of official." His godfather
, Johnny Stevens
, was an American League
umpire and worked four World Series
in a career that spanned from 1948 to 1975.
Javie resides in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
. He is married to Mary-ellen, whom he met in 1990 at the Philadelphia International Airport
, where she was employed. The couple were married in August 1991.
and neglected children. He hosts an annual fundraising golf
tournament to support a variety of causes in the Philadelphia metropolitan area
. The two-day event, which also includes dinner
, dance
, and silent auction, has raised US$1 million since its inception.
In 2007, he participated in a summer clinic at Don Guanella High School in Springfield, Pennsylvania
, along with four other NBA officials, teaching developmentally challenged boys the rules of basketball and how to signal violations.
in their baby products line. Becoming uninterested in his job at Johnson & Johnson, he decided to pursue an occupation within sports, and became a baseball umpire in 1978. Having no prior experience as an arbiter, Javie attended an umpire school operated by Major League Baseball
(MLB) umpire Bill Kinnamon
. Upon completion of training, he was selected to work in the Florida State League. Looking to be promoted to the Class-AA Eastern League, he was denied entrance into the league due to scheduling conflicts and later a players' strike
. In June 1981, after two and a half years in the Florida State League, Javie left the organization over disagreements with executives due to the lack of promotion opportunities, and being forced to split from an experienced umpire crew that included Jerry Layne
, who later worked in the major leagues.
level in Pennsylvania
during the baseball off-season. In addition, he was invited to NBA camps for prospective officials. Within a week of return home following the end of his umpiring career, Javie contacted his father's friend, NBA referee Earl Strom
, who assisted Javie in reaching then-CBA supervisor Cecil Watkins about the possibility of working in the CBA. After officiating games in Philadelphia's Baker League, he was hired by the CBA in the fall of 1981. He arrived to the CBA with a "baseball mentality" and had to make quick decisions on the court because of the league's reputation for fighting among players and arguing by coaches. During a game at The Armory
in Albany, New York
, Javie was chased down a staircase by then-Albany Patroons
coach Phil Jackson
, who had received a technical foul. He worked CBA games for five years before being hired by the NBA in 1986.
in October 2000, "I'd get so mad I'd lose control for two or three minutes, and that's when I would miss calls." Javie developed mentorship
s with referees Joe Crawford
and Jack Madden to assist in the maturation process. Working his debut game with Crawford at the Pontiac Silverdome
in Detroit, Michigan
, Javie received a grade of 40 points out of 100 by supervisor Darell Garretson. While reviewing game film later at the hotel
, Crawford noted errors made throughout the game by himself. As a result of this film study, Javie learned that experienced officials make mistakes and admitting error will improve a referee's ability in the long-term. Ninety minutes after the conclusion of a game, Javie reviews game film. In addition to film review, Madden taught Javie not to lose focus when players and coaches were upset, and to walk away from them rather than becoming angry. Javie credited his mentors for success as a referee saying, "My mentors have made me what I am today. I'm a little part of each of them. It's their success in teaching me."
and Washington Bullets at the Capital Centre
on April 4, 1991. Bullets' forward Pervis Ellison
was called for a personal foul and then threw the ball at referee Billy Spooner. Javie ran across the court to impose a technical foul on Ellison for this action. In the sequence of events that followed, Javie ejected Ellison after protesting the call, the Bullets' head coach
Wes Unseld
for protesting the dismissal of Ellison, and the Bullets' mascot
, "Hoops", for making gestures to incite the crowd. Rod Thorn, then the NBA's vice president for operations, ruled that Javie overreacted in ejecting Ellison and would be subject to discipline. The extent of the disciplinary action was not disclosed. Javie reflected on the experience saying, "My fatal mistake was getting involved with Billy [Spooner] and Pervis [Ellison] in the first place. You have to be there for your partners, but most of the time you've got to let them call their game."
Nearly three years later in another game involving the Portland Trail Blazers, Trail Blazers radio
broadcast analyst
Mike Rice was ejected by Javie in an unprecedented action for disputing calls from his broadcast position. In the third quarter of the game in Indianapolis, Indiana
, Rice made a "choke
" gesture towards Javie in disagreement over a goaltending violation non-call on shot attempt by Portland's Cliff Robinson
. After a verbal exchange between Javie and Rice, Rice was removed from the broadcast and escorted to the locker room area by arena security.
During the 2002–03 NBA season, Javie was fined $1,000 by the league for a verbal altercation with Pat Riley
, then-head coach of the Miami Heat
.
In a January 2007 game between the Philadelphia 76ers
and Denver Nuggets
, Denver point guard
Allen Iverson
received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter. Iverson was quoted postgame about Javie, telling the press, "I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out, his fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway. It's been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad." Iverson was fined $25,000 for his remarks, as well as for "verbal abuse of a game official".
s provided by the league. Other referees were sentenced to probation
or a period of house arrest
, and ordered to pay the taxes. He fought the charges because he believed he did not intentionally do anything wrong. Discussing the trial, Javie told Referee magazine, "My job is about my name. My dad taught me your name is the most important thing. I had to fight for my name." During the trial, Javie argued that he didn't owe taxes on more than $84,000 in income over three years because the money was value-earned from frequent flyer miles, which are non-taxable. He later described the trial as "the hardest two weeks" of his life.
's final game of his fifteen year NBA career. During a game break towards the end of regulation, Javie congratulated Jordan on his career and told him he was a "class act". Javie then turned around and told the younger players on the court, "You could do a lot worse than modeling yourselves after this guy."
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
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...
who refereed 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) from the 1986–87 NBA season to the 2010–11 season. As of the beginning of the 2006–07 NBA season, Javie has officiated 1,264 regular season, 190 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...
, and 18 NBA 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. He has officiated the NBA championship series every year since the 1995 NBA Finals
1995 NBA Finals
The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1994–95 NBA season. The series pitted the Orlando Magic against the Houston Rockets. The pre-series hype and build-up of the Finals was centered around the meeting of the two centers Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic and Hakeem Olajuwon of the Rockets...
. According to Referee magazine, Javie is a highly regarded referee in the NBA, and he is respected within the officiating community for his game management skills. He is also notable during his NBA officiating career for his quickness in assessing technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
s.
Prior to his NBA career, he played and graduated from La Salle College High School
La Salle College High School
La Salle College High School founded in 1858 is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for boys located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, outside Philadelphia. The school is staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian...
. He later played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
for Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
from 1974 to 1976 and later was an umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
in the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
(Class-A) from 1978 to 1981. Transitioning to basketball, he officiated in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
(CBA) from 1981 to 1986.
Early life
Steve Javie was born on January 17, 1955 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to Stan and Stella Javie. During his childhood, he attended and later graduated from La Salle College High School
La Salle College High School
La Salle College High School founded in 1858 is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for boys located in Wyndmoor, a community in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, outside Philadelphia. The school is staffed by a lay faculty and the Christian...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, where he played baseball, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, earning All-League honors in baseball and basketball. Following high school, he continued a baseball career at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
. He graduated from the university in 1976 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in business administration. As a prospect
Prospect (sports)
In sports, a prospect is any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team, or isn't established with the team yet. Prospects can sometimes be assigned to farm teams...
in baseball, Javie signed with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
minor league organization. He was released from the Orioles minor league system (Class-A) after one year due to an arm injury suffered as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
.
Family
Steve Javie's father, Stan JavieStan Javie
Stanley "Stan" Javie was an American football official in the National Football League for 30 years until the conclusion of the 1980 NFL season. Working as a back judge, Javie was assigned four Super Bowls; Super Bowl II, Super Bowl VIII, Super Bowl X, and Super Bowl XIV; one of the first...
, was also a sports official
Official
An official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...
. Stan Javie worked in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1951 to 1980 as a field judge
and back judge, and was assigned to officiate four Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s. In an interview with Referee magazine, Steve Javie described his father as "a guy
you'd go to war with. He had a passion. He was probably the official that everyone strives to be, but can't, because you have to be yourself. I can't be a Stan Javie and you can't be, but if
you took all the characteristics and makeup, you'd want to be that kind of official." His godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
, Johnny Stevens
Johnny Stevens
John William Stevens was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1948 to 1971...
, was an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
umpire and worked four World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
in a career that spanned from 1948 to 1975.
Javie resides in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Blue Bell is a census-designated place in Whitpain Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 6,067....
. He is married to Mary-ellen, whom he met in 1990 at the Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
, where she was employed. The couple were married in August 1991.
Charity
Along with his wife, Steve Javie started the Javie Foundation for Charity to raise money for the homeless, disabled, abusedPhysical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
and neglected children. He hosts an annual fundraising golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament to support a variety of causes in the Philadelphia metropolitan area
Delaware Valley
The Delaware Valley is a term used to refer to the valley where the Delaware River flows, along with the surrounding communities. This includes the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia. Such educational institutions as Delaware Valley Regional High School in Alexandria Township...
. The two-day event, which also includes dinner
Dinner
Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main...
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, and silent auction, has raised US$1 million since its inception.
In 2007, he participated in a summer clinic at Don Guanella High School in Springfield, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township, or simply Springfield, is a township and a Census Designated Place in Delaware County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 23,677 at the 2000 census...
, along with four other NBA officials, teaching developmentally challenged boys the rules of basketball and how to signal violations.
Baseball umpire
After his baseball playing career was over at age 22, Javie began working at Johnson & JohnsonJohnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
in their baby products line. Becoming uninterested in his job at Johnson & Johnson, he decided to pursue an occupation within sports, and became a baseball umpire in 1978. Having no prior experience as an arbiter, Javie attended an umpire school operated by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) umpire Bill Kinnamon
Bill Kinnamon
William Ervin Kinnamon was an umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1960 to 1969....
. Upon completion of training, he was selected to work in the Florida State League. Looking to be promoted to the Class-AA Eastern League, he was denied entrance into the league due to scheduling conflicts and later a players' strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
. In June 1981, after two and a half years in the Florida State League, Javie left the organization over disagreements with executives due to the lack of promotion opportunities, and being forced to split from an experienced umpire crew that included Jerry Layne
Jerry Layne
Jerry Blake Layne is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the National League between 1989 and 1999, and throughout both major leagues since 2000...
, who later worked in the major leagues.
CBA career
While serving as an umpire, Javie had officiated basketball games at the high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
level in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
during the baseball off-season. In addition, he was invited to NBA camps for prospective officials. Within a week of return home following the end of his umpiring career, Javie contacted his father's friend, NBA referee 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...
, who assisted Javie in reaching then-CBA supervisor Cecil Watkins about the possibility of working in the CBA. After officiating games in Philadelphia's Baker League, he was hired by the CBA in the fall of 1981. He arrived to the CBA with a "baseball mentality" and had to make quick decisions on the court because of the league's reputation for fighting among players and arguing by coaches. During a game at The Armory
Washington Avenue Armory
The Washington Avenue Armory, officially known as the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Washington Avenue Armory, is now a multi-purpose arena in Albany, New York. It was the home of the Albany Legends of the...
in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Javie was chased down a staircase by then-Albany Patroons
Albany Patroons
The Albany Patroons were a professional basketball team that played in the Continental Basketball Association ....
coach Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
, who had received a technical foul. He worked CBA games for five years before being hired by the NBA in 1986.
Early years
Upon arriving in the NBA, Javie developed a reputation early for having a "quick trigger finger", and he was believed to be one of the league leaders in calling technical fouls during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Reflecting on his early years in the league, Javie told Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
in October 2000, "I'd get so mad I'd lose control for two or three minutes, and that's when I would miss calls." Javie developed mentorship
Mentorship
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
s with referees Joe Crawford
Joe Crawford
Joseph "Joey" Crawford has been an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association since 1977 and wears the uniform number 17. Crawford is one of the most experienced officials in the NBA and has developed a reputation for being eager to assess technical fouls...
and Jack Madden to assist in the maturation process. Working his debut game with Crawford at the Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Javie received a grade of 40 points out of 100 by supervisor Darell Garretson. While reviewing game film later at the hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, Crawford noted errors made throughout the game by himself. As a result of this film study, Javie learned that experienced officials make mistakes and admitting error will improve a referee's ability in the long-term. Ninety minutes after the conclusion of a game, Javie reviews game film. In addition to film review, Madden taught Javie not to lose focus when players and coaches were upset, and to walk away from them rather than becoming angry. Javie credited his mentors for success as a referee saying, "My mentors have made me what I am today. I'm a little part of each of them. It's their success in teaching me."
On-court controversies
Javie's first public incident came during the 1990–91 NBA season in a game between the Portland Trail BlazersPortland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
and Washington Bullets at the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
on April 4, 1991. Bullets' forward Pervis Ellison
Pervis Ellison
Pervis Ellison is a former college and professional NBA basketball player.Ellison was nicknamed "Never Nervous Pervis" for his play with the University of Louisville. At 6 ft 9 in and 242 lb, he started all four years as the center under coach Denny Crum...
was called for a personal foul and then threw the ball at referee Billy Spooner. Javie ran across the court to impose a technical foul on Ellison for this action. In the sequence of events that followed, Javie ejected Ellison after protesting the call, the Bullets' head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld
Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
for protesting the dismissal of Ellison, and the Bullets' mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, "Hoops", for making gestures to incite the crowd. Rod Thorn, then the NBA's vice president for operations, ruled that Javie overreacted in ejecting Ellison and would be subject to discipline. The extent of the disciplinary action was not disclosed. Javie reflected on the experience saying, "My fatal mistake was getting involved with Billy [Spooner] and Pervis [Ellison] in the first place. You have to be there for your partners, but most of the time you've got to let them call their game."
Nearly three years later in another game involving the Portland Trail Blazers, Trail Blazers radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcast analyst
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
Mike Rice was ejected by Javie in an unprecedented action for disputing calls from his broadcast position. In the third quarter of the game in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Rice made a "choke
Choking
Choking is the mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from the environment into the lungs. Choking prevents breathing, and can be partial or complete, with partial choking allowing some, although inadequate, flow of air into the lungs. Prolonged or complete choking results in asphyxia which...
" gesture towards Javie in disagreement over a goaltending violation non-call on shot attempt by Portland's Cliff Robinson
Clifford R. Robinson
Clifford "Cliff" Ralph Robinson is a former American professional basketball player, formerly of the National Basketball Association.-Highlights:...
. After a verbal exchange between Javie and Rice, Rice was removed from the broadcast and escorted to the locker room area by arena security.
During the 2002–03 NBA season, Javie was fined $1,000 by the league for a verbal altercation with Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
, then-head coach of the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
.
In a January 2007 game between the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
and Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, Denver point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
received two technical fouls and was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter. Iverson was quoted postgame about Javie, telling the press, "I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out, his fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway. It's been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad." Iverson was fined $25,000 for his remarks, as well as for "verbal abuse of a game official".
Income tax evasion trial
In January 1999, Javie was the only one of fifteen referees to be acquitted of tax evasion charges as a result of not reporting income he received by downgrading airline ticketAirline ticket
An airline ticket is a document, issued by an airline or a travel agency, to confirm that an individual has purchased a seat on a flight on an aircraft. This document is then used to obtain a boarding pass, at the airport...
s provided by the league. Other referees were sentenced to probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
or a period of house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
, and ordered to pay the taxes. He fought the charges because he believed he did not intentionally do anything wrong. Discussing the trial, Javie told Referee magazine, "My job is about my name. My dad taught me your name is the most important thing. I had to fight for my name." During the trial, Javie argued that he didn't owe taxes on more than $84,000 in income over three years because the money was value-earned from frequent flyer miles, which are non-taxable. He later described the trial as "the hardest two weeks" of his life.
Memorable games
In April 2003, Javie was the referee in Michael JordanMichael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
's final game of his fifteen year NBA career. During a game break towards the end of regulation, Javie congratulated Jordan on his career and told him he was a "class act". Javie then turned around and told the younger players on the court, "You could do a lot worse than modeling yourselves after this guy."