born december american retired professional basketball referee national_basketball_association nba starting missed assigned game holds league record games game april washington consecutive game nba official early life born neighborhood brooklyn new_york december father officer mother attended new_york_city school future nba star attended graduate new_york played schools basketball teams began brother joe convinced interesting career wall street broker finance began games fellow played new_york later worked high school games years public leagues new_york later years later nba career mid-1960s began attend regional referee hopes nba referee rejected straight years small physique size finally hired nba following retirement debuted december madison square garden nba game years league tough constantly ranked nba performance led league technical called improve games new_jersey pro league harlem seasons studied nba referee undergo rigorous physical training ran miles took hour day effort paid emerged best 1980s named chief referee power approve calls officials assigned playoff game memorable game occurred 1980s nationally televised contest philadelphia forced nba game partner broke leg collision guard point game forward guard began ejected believed game assisted progression career nba regularly playoff games ranked terms performance evaluation highest paid nba earning year playoff games included game ruled point basket released shot clock sounded count television nbc showed career threatened accidentally hit nose forward trying punch center patrick game leave game immediately opting wait later day surgery returned day game february nba game setting league record games previously held donnell said secret longevity wearing pairs claims helped feet good shape contributing good health says runs miles day longevity league received nickname season december game game involved brawl players court ejected crew league eventually suspended seven players total games fined teams years nba officially retired august charitable works actively involved charitable works established financed lady honor daughters awarded high school minority children based needs volunteered double hole working children cancer hiv works serves director nba star weekend raced tnt studio analyst nba player charitable donation contributed nba tnt las_vegas lost narrow margin distance race half lengths court feet lost race despite second dive running portion race backwards dive resulted injury right knee controversies according autobiography nba game mid-1970s philadelphia partner game overruled crucial second personal foul nets victory game ended players walking respective locker rooms door locker room flew open came uniform allegedly ripped wearing big eye running away stepped hallway fucking calls right fined incident altercation tried choke halftime nba game allegedly siding home crowd reportedly apologized weeks later allegations game fixing game western conference finals kings referee alleged working game motives wanting defeat kings calls outcome nba permitted speak publicly incident new_york_times reported june fbi investigating allegations game western conference finals manipulated series seventh game television commented obvious fix article named worst games prior years alleging games involved extending series end quickly advancing large market team nba benefit seven games named achievements inducted june received national pro lifetime achievement award october inducted memorial basketball hall fame recipient athletes action star breakfast held year nba star weekend
Dick Bavetta