Former NBA forward Richard Jefferson has done just about everything when it comes to the game of basketball, playing on eight teams over his 17-year NBA career. He has been working with ESPN as an analyst since 2019. Now, he will experience yet another role in the game: Officiating.
Jefferson will jump in as a referee during the second quarter of Monday night’s Summer League game between the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers and then go on-air during halftime to discuss his experience in the new role. He reportedly attended the daily officiating meetings held in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League to help teach him the nuances of officiating.
This news has extremely mixed reactions around the NBA world. Some believe that it will be a really cool experience for Jefferson, and think that it could do some good for broadcasters to get an understanding of how it feels to referee an NBA game.
@Rjeff24 better be mic'd up https://t.co/BvCT8N2jPb
— Ced™ (@cedfunches) July 11, 2022
I love this. Richard Jefferson continues to shine as one of the best players-turned-media personalities out there. Him being a referee is going to be hilarious! https://t.co/ckFKSvodVg
— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) July 11, 2022
MUST-WATCH GAME @Rjeff24 https://t.co/GjCdt3lGZJ
— Howard Chen 陈定豪 (@TheHoChen) July 11, 2022
However, others think that this could end up being a complete disaster, and don’t really understand why he has decided to make this move into officiating for the night.
Oh boy @Rjeff24, good luck to all the Knicks and Blazers. https://t.co/mOL87CkuuP
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) July 11, 2022
Over/Under the amount of techs @Rjeff24 hands out in the 2nd Q.
Setting this at 2… https://t.co/KaYmJjYQ9k
— Camron Smith (@camronsmith) July 11, 2022
There can definitely be arguments for and against Jefferson being named as a referee for Monday night’s game.
On one hand, it is only the NBA Summer League and it doesn’t exactly count for much, even if he does an awful job. However, considering that many players are fighting for NBA roster spots, an inexperienced ref could definitely end up having a negative impact on someone’s career.
Whether or not Jefferson is good as an official, it will definitely be entertaining to see how he does in his new role on Monday night.
[NBAPR]