Hugh Evans, an NBA referee from 1972-2001, is the 17th official to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Hugh Evans always believed that it was his duty to command respect, not affection. As time passed, he became so proficient at earning respect that he couldn’t help but feel a significant amount of affection as well.
Evans, who becomes the 17th referee enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend and just the seventh for his work in the NBA, focused so heavily on the integrity of his role as a game official, he stunted some of the relationships he might have had with players and coaches.
The native of Squire, W.Va., found it critically essential to maintain a certain distance from the participants to eliminate any chance or hint of being influenced by a friendship. He managed to do this effectively, yet still ended up with numerous friends at work.
“Former NBA official Bob Delaney said, ‘Hugh Evans would stride to the center of the floor. Despite being surrounded by coaches and various acquaintances, he maintained an aura of professionalism. He was there to do a job and understood that he shouldn’t be the focal point.'”
Longtime referee Joey Crawford stated, “He was well-liked by players and coaches due to his good nature. He was completely different from me, which I suppose is why they liked him.”
His integrity, game knowledge, and professionalism as a referee were all top-notch. He was always prepared and ready to do his job exceptionally well. Every time he stepped on the court, I knew we were going to get his best effort. His preparation was outstanding.
— Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, on Hugh Evans’ officiating career
Evans, who passed away at the age of 81 in July due to congestive heart failure, will officially be enshrined on Saturday night. Reggie Miller and George Gervin will be his presenters. It’s fair to say that their relationships with Evans flourished more after his retirement, rather than during his active career from 1973-2001.
“Evans had a preference for maintaining professionalism,” his widow Cathy told NBA.com last week. “However, he managed to form relationships with some of the players he respected,” she added.
Anyone who knows a little about Lenny Wilkens, that rare Hall member elected both as a player (1989) and a coach (1998), can guess that Wilkens appreciated Evans’ dignity and professionalism. Coincidentally, Evans — an excellent athlete from North Carolina A&T — had been selected as the 79th pick in the 1963 Draft by the St. Louis Hawks, the team for which Wilkens starred. Evans never made the roster, though.
Wilkens stated, “I was never acquainted with him as a player. However, in his role as a referee, he exemplified integrity, game knowledge, and professionalism at the highest level. He was always prepared and committed to his job. His preparation was impeccable. I was confident that every time he stepped onto the court, he would give his best.”
Discussing the highest-ranking officials in the NBA, he’s definitely one of them. He was a straightforward person but we were always certain of a fair game as he would judge it honestly. Having known him was truly a delight.
A unique NBA officiating journey
Evans has the distinction of being the first African-American referee among the 17 in the Hall, a feat that has filled his family and friends with pride. Delaney, his nominator, recalls meeting Evans in 1985 and hearing people refer to him as ‘the best Black NBA referee.’ He questioned the necessity of the racial qualifier, asserting that Evans was one of the best NBA referees of all time – a sentiment echoed by the Naismith Hall.
Evans served in the NBA for 28 seasons, officiating 1,969 regular season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals games, and four All-Star Games. However, his journey into the league was equally remarkable as his career: he made an impressive leap directly into the professional games, never having officiated a high school or college game.
During the 1988 NBA Finals, Hugh Evans officiates a game.
Evans, a robust 6-foot-4 man, chose to pursue baseball after leaving North Carolina A&T. He spent three seasons playing in the San Francisco Giants’ farm system. Later, he relocated to New York and took up the role of a community center director in Brooklyn. There, he refereed some rec league games and eventually brought his officiating skills to the renowned Rucker League. This is where many of the best basketball players maintained their fitness during the summer on the blacktop courts.
He expended $100 to register for an officials’ camp. After initially failing, he passed the first exam a few weeks later. He also managed to attract the attention of a camp instructor.
Years later, Evans remembered being told, “You’d be wasting your time with college games because you already have what it takes to make it in the pros.”
In 1972, Evans, who was 31 at the time, was signed to a part-time contract and was subsequently added full-time the following year. Despite the challenges, he noted that it was beneficial to be recognized by stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier and others from his work at Rucker Park in Harlem.
Evans was among the pioneering Black referees in the NBA, with only Ken Hudson (1968-72) and a handful of others before him. As expected, he encountered a type of harassment that most of his peers did not experience.
“Cathy Evans reminded, “You must keep in mind, those events occurred in the ’70s and ’80s. I remember being at a game in Houston where a fan continued to rant. Hugh never engaged in an argument with a fan. He would just signal for security.”
“I recall contemplating, ‘This fellow is about to exit and isn’t even aware of it.’ I had observed Hugh approaching the table and then saw the guy at the table heading to security. Before I knew it, they were escorting the youngster out.
“He was short on time and didn’t want to detract from the game. That’s what security personnel are for – to handle such matters.”
Evans ‘only cared about the game’
In contrast to how he distanced himself from players and coaches, Evans was quite the opposite with his co-workers. He was readily available as a resource and mentor, keen to impart the knowledge he gained about the game in real-time.
In a 1998 game, Hugh Evans converses with other referees.
“His demeanor was incredibly reassuring to a novice referee,” stated Delaney. “When you enter an arena as an unknown, there’s a desire to prove your worth. He provided the strength to do that.”
He possessed exceptional leadership skills, yet was not a man who constantly said, ‘I told you to do this’ or ‘I told you to do that.’ Instead, he demonstrated the right actions. He also encouraged and guided you, using a unique teaching approach to convey his message.
Crawford added, “There were some older guys who were control freaks, which made learning difficult. However, Hugh was completely different. He would simply say, ‘Go ahead.’ If an incident occurred on the floor, he had no issue with you going to the scorer’s table, managing the clock, or speaking with the coaches.”
Back in the day, there weren’t opportunities like the Las Vegas Summer League or other venues where one could acquire refereeing skills. The learning process was essentially on-the-job training. Some veteran referees would harshly criticize you in the locker room if your style of refereeing didn’t match theirs. However, Hubert was a calm presence who focused solely on the game.
“Duke, or Mike Callahan as he’s also known, who is my best friend, always expressed that he preferred working with Hugh more than me when he started.”
Evans transitioned to the role of an NBA assistant supervisor of officials for two seasons after resigning as a game official in 2001. Despite retiring, he remained committed to contributing to the game.
During the 2001 NBA Finals, Hugh Evans refereed his last NBA game.
“Cathy Evans recalled, “Sometimes, during our travels, he would skip dinner because he wanted the young referees to watch certain games. He would tell me, ‘I’m heading to a particular person’s room to analyze this tape.'”
“Even after he retired, the guys still called him. They’d say things like, ‘I’m covering an ESPN game tonight. If you have some spare time, could you watch the game and send me some of your notes?'”
For much of his career, Evans resided in Richmond, VA, before relocating to Florida and eventually Atlanta. He was a skilled golfer and often played with Sam Jones, a Hall of Famer from the Boston Celtics who passed away the previous December, and Luis Grillo, a former NBA referee.
In April, despite his own failing health, Evans, along with his wife Cathy and Delaney — who served as the driving force behind Evans’ wheelchair — traveled to the Men’s NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. The trip was made for the announcement of Evans’ induction into the Referee’s Hall of Fame. The warm welcome and congratulations he received from former NBA players, coaches, referees, and even fans, compensated for what he would miss at the following weekend’s event in Springfield.
If you didn’t officiate in a way that some older referees liked, they wouldn’t hesitate to berate you in the locker room. Hubert, however, was more discreet and his only concern was the game.
— Joey Crawford, on Hugh Evans
“Delaney expressed, ‘I believe Hugh was somewhat aware that he was faltering. That’s why attending the Final Four was significant. He understood that he would gain recognition there.'”
Nobody truly desires to receive an award or recognition after their death. Luckily for Evans, the affection he experienced at the Superdome and in the subsequent three months prior to his death demonstrated to Evans, his wife Cathy, and their sons Aaron and Todd the joy the basketball community felt for him.
“Cathy mentioned that he received an email from Russ Granik, the former deputy commissioner of the NBA. He was also contacted by Matt Winick, a longtime league executive who was in charge of scheduling referees. He received numerous calls and text messages. Doc Rivers, the coach for Philadelphia, even texted to say that he and some other coaches had a conversation about Hugh that lasted more than an hour,” she said.
“I’m simply glad that he was aware he was going in.”
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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