Dick Bavetta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dick Bavetta
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Bavetta in March 2013
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| Born |
Richard William Bavetta
December 10, 1939 New York City, U.S.
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| Education | St. Francis College | ||||||
| Spouse(s) | Paulette | ||||||
| Children | Christine & Michele | ||||||
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Dick Bavetta (born December 10, 1939) is a famous American retired referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He started in the NBA in 1975. What makes him special is that he never missed a single game he was supposed to referee until 2014. He holds the amazing record for officiating the most games, with 2,635 games! His 2,600th game was on April 12, 2013, in Washington.
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Early Life and Start
Dick Bavetta was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 10, 1939. His dad was a police officer, and his mom stayed home. Dick went to Power Memorial Academy in New York City. This was the same school where future NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also went!
In 1962, Dick graduated from St. Francis College in New York. He even played on the basketball teams there. He started refereeing because his brother, Joe, who refereed for another league, thought it would be a cool job. Dick used to work in finance on Wall Street. He began by refereeing games for his co-workers. Later, he refereed high school games. For ten years, he worked in New York's high school leagues. Then, he spent nine years in smaller professional basketball leagues.
Becoming an NBA Referee
In the mid-1960s, Dick tried out to become an NBA referee many times. But he was turned down for eight years in a row! This was because he was smaller than other referees. Finally, in 1975, the NBA hired him. His first NBA game was on December 2, 1975. It was between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.
His first ten years in the league were tough. He was often ranked low among referees. He also called a lot of technical fouls and ejected many players. To get better, Dick refereed games in other leagues during the off-season. He also studied the NBA rulebooks very carefully. In 1983, he became the first referee to start a very tough physical training program. He would run six to eight miles every day! This hard work paid off, and he became one of the best referees.
In the 1980s, he became a lead referee. This meant he could approve or change calls made by other officials. His first playoff game was in 1986.
Memorable Moments
One of Dick Bavetta's most memorable games happened in the 1980s. It was a nationally televised game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. His partner, Jack Madden, broke his leg during the game. So, Dick had to referee the rest of the game all by himself! He believed this game really helped his career in the NBA.
From 1990 to 2000, Dick regularly refereed playoff games. He was ranked among the top referees. By 2000, he was one of the highest-paid referees in the NBA. One famous playoff game he refereed was Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. In that game, he ruled that a three-point shot by Howard Eisley of the Utah Jazz did not count. He said it was shot after the shot clock buzzer. However, TV replays showed it might have been released before the buzzer.
Another time, his career was in danger. In 1999, he was accidentally hit in the nose by player Jalen Rose. Rose was trying to punch another player, Patrick Ewing. Dick did not leave the game right away. He waited until later that day to have surgery. Amazingly, he returned the very next day to referee another game!
Setting Records
On February 8, 2006, Dick Bavetta refereed his 2,135th NBA game. This set a new league record for the most games officiated. The previous record was held by Jake O'Donnell. Dick said his secret to staying healthy was "wearing five pairs of socks." He also said he ran five to eight miles every day. Because he stayed in the league for so long, people called him "the Cal Ripken Jr. of referees." Cal Ripken Jr. was a baseball player famous for playing many games in a row.
During the 2006–07 season, Dick refereed a game between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets. This game became famous for a fight where all ten players on the court were ejected! The league later suspended seven players and fined both teams a lot of money.
After 39 years of refereeing in the NBA, Dick Bavetta officially retired on August 19, 2014. He had officiated an incredible 2,635 regular season games in a row.
Helping Others
Dick Bavetta is also very active in charity work. Since 1986, he has given out "Lady Bavetta Scholarships." These scholarships are for high school students from minority groups who need help. He named them after his daughters. Since 1992, he has volunteered at the Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch. This ranch helps children and teenagers with special medical needs. He also works with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He helps lead their efforts in Upstate New York.
During the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend, Dick Bavetta even raced against former NBA player Charles Barkley. They raced for a $75,000 donation to the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Dick lost the race by a tiny bit, even though he dove at the finish line!
Other Achievements
- Inducted into the New York City Catholic High School Hall of Fame on June 1, 2000.
- Received the National Pro-Am Lifetime Achievement Award on October 14, 2002.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
- Was the recipient of the 2016 Jerry Colangelo Award at the Athletes in Action All Star Breakfast. This event happens every year during the NBA All Star Weekend.
Images for kids
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Bavetta in March 2013
See also
In Spanish: Dick Bavetta para niños
