march july american professional basketball referee national_basketball_association nba years regarded greatest officials nba history nba games record held retirement league referee work games selected referee consecutive appearances following career referee color commentator coverage nba cbs seasons appeared television advertisement miller member personal life early life family born philadelphia pennsylvania raised pennsylvania father prominent basketball referee baseball umpire played basketball child eventually chose profession father graduating began basketball games jewish community center later worked games age recruited referee games alongside father served president career president cup championship series selected referee game president cup playoff championship series time served united_states_air_force korean war married twice life marriage childhood sweetheart raised children relationship troubled eventually ended met susan office new_york_city worked station time worked additional job outside common era married years later child born gambling problem life suffered gambling problem labeled spend leisure time placing race tracks las_vegas nevada puerto_rico time nba allowed practice prohibited incurred gambling losses offered las_vegas outstanding debt participating point refused accept offer said wife goes principles love game respect couldn couldn memory father couldn bankruptcy hate according new_york_times interview pension fund pay debts owed additional refused seek professional help cut gambling habit later life nba career early years recommended coach owner nba time nba commissioner observing exhibition game hired nba february midway nba season youngest official league early years nba quickly established official worked playoff games years league memorable nba finals games fort wayne notable actions fans fights players attacks game series played indianapolis indiana interrupted fan threw chair floor ran court protest calls referee years later history entire louis hawks colleague notable game game championship series playing knocked punch head coach stormed court demanded chamberlain thrown game told shut knocked floor countered threat don pick somebody size intervened discussion told red seven like volunteer head officials career progressed league took responsibilities named referee chief worked alongside hired league supervisor officials year replace position oversaw areas referee mechanics techniques rule interpretations role authored nba official manual case book served head officials nba lost veteran officials rival salary benefits time transaction told deputy commissioner nba commissioner walter kennedy prepared offer guys greatest contract history pro basketball early 1970s successfully encouraged league adopt plain gray referee uniform traditional shirt emphasize presence officials games final years health condition began deteriorate forced retire suffering blood lung nba playoff game played april final game carried court november officially ended career referee nba games official league history time record games year career post career broadcasting following career transitioned career broadcasting nba seasons worked television analyst covering nba cbs season paired championship series memorable triple overtime game labeled greatest game nba history game celtic apparent game winning field goal conclusion second overtime game clock expired barry noted shot seconds remaining referee decided second remained second overtime period television commercial featured television advertisement head coach promote miller tastes great filling advertising campaign debated filling tastes great bar room scene refused agree foremost filling threw thumb air bar advertisement popularized miller campaign slogan campaign named eighth best 20th century legacy died july heart attack new_york_city standing outside movie theatre entrance collapsed unsuccessful attempts mouth mouth taken hospital died hour arrival time death nba commissioner said contributions integrity pro basketball legendary officials wore patch uniform number following season death nba season honor official nba worn number present day known charisma personality iconic stature court nba early years nba fans professional basketball recognizable official nba decades boston_globe said man red earned title nba institution certainly retirement set precedent standards future judged early career later hired nba attended games worked philadelphia pennsylvania studied style approach credited influence development career nba autobiography calling shots described prominent style courage judgment excellent judgment regardless pressure involved later told new_york_times simply greatest referee time advocate april announced seven members class september years death reported length time elected result gambling lifestyle thirteenth referee inducted hall_of_fame
Mendy Rudolph