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 his role was to command respect, not admiration. As time passed, he became so proficient in earning respect that he couldn’t avoid gaining a fair amount of admiration 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 resident of Squire, W.Va., felt it was crucial to maintain a certain distance from the participants to eliminate any chance or even the hint of being influenced by a friendship. He managed to do this successfully, but still ended up with numerous work friends.
“Even surrounded by coaches and various acquaintances, Hugh Evans had this presence that said ‘I’m here to perform my duties and I understand that I’m not expected to be the focal point,'” said Bob Delaney, a former NBA official. “He would step into the center of the floor,” he added.
Longtime referee Joey Crawford stated, “Players and coaches genuinely liked him because of his pleasant demeanor. He was entirely different from me, which I suppose is why they took a liking to him.”
His integrity, knowledge of the game, and professionalism as a referee were all top-tier. He was always prepared and ready to fulfill his duties. His preparation was exceptional. Every time he stepped on the court, I knew he would give his best.
— Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, on Hugh Evans’ officiating career
Evans, who passed away at 81 in July due to congestive heart failure, will be officially honoured on Saturday night. Reggie Miller and George Gervin will present the enshrinement. It’s clear that their relationships with Evans strengthened more after his retirement, rather than during his active years from 1973-2001.
“Evans always preferred to maintain a professional approach,” his widow, Cathy, shared with NBA.com last week. “However, with the players he respected, he managed to form relationships with a few of them.”
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 expressed, “I didn’t know him in his capacity as a player. However, as a referee, his honesty, understanding of the game, and professionalism were of the highest level. He was always prepared and ready to perform his duties. His preparation was exemplary. I was confident that every time he set foot on the court, he would give his best.”
He is certainly among the highest-ranking officials in the NBA. He was a man who didn’t tolerate nonsense, but we were confident that he would ensure fairness in the game and make calls as he perceived them. It was a delight to have known him.
A unique NBA officiating journey
Evans has also made history as the first African-American referee among the Hall’s 17, a point of pride for his family and friends. Delaney, the one who nominated him, stated, “I first encountered Hugh Evans in 1985, and often heard people refer to him as ‘the best Black NBA referee.’ I never quite grasped why the term ‘Black’ was included — he was simply one of the best NBA referees of all time, a sentiment shared by the Naismith Hall.”
Evans had an impressive career in the NBA, officiating 1,969 regular season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals games, and four All-Star Games over 28 seasons. However, his journey to the league was equally notable. He bypassed officiating at the high school and college levels, transitioning directly to the professional level.
During the 1988 NBA Finals, Hugh Evans officiates a game.
Evans, a robust 6-foot-4 figure, chose baseball after departing from 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. It was there that he began refereeing some recreational league games. Before long, he brought his whistle to the legendary Rucker League, where many of basketball’s finest players kept fit on the summer blacktops.
He invested $100 in an officials’ camp enrollment. After initially failing the first exam a few weeks later, he eventually passed and managed to impress a camp instructor.
Evans remembered years later, “He told me that pursuing college games would be a waste of time as I already possessed the skills needed to succeed in the professional leagues.”
In 1972, 31-year-old Evans was signed to a part-time contract and was promoted to full-time the subsequent year. Despite the challenge, it was beneficial that stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier and others recognized him from his work at Rucker Park in Harlem.
Evans was among the first Black referees in the NBA, with only Ken Hudson (1968-72) and a handful of others preceding him. As expected, he encountered a type of heckling that most of his peers did not experience.
“Cathy Evans reminded, “You must keep in mind, this was during the ’70s and ’80s. I remember being at a game in Houston where a fan wouldn’t stop ranting. Hugh never engaged in a back and forth with fans. He would simply signal for security.”
I recall thinking, ‘He’s about to be escorted out and he’s completely oblivious.’ I had witnessed Hugh approaching the table, followed by the table guy heading towards security. Before long, they were ushering the young man out.
“He lacked the time and didn’t want to detract from the game. That’s the purpose of security – to allow them to handle their responsibilities.”
Evans ‘only cared about the game’
In contrast to how he distanced himself from players and coaches, Evans was quite the opposite with his coworkers. He was always ready to serve as a mentor and a valuable resource, eager to share the knowledge he had acquired about the game.
In 1998, Hugh Evans converses with other referees during a game.
“His demeanor was incredibly reassuring, especially to a less experienced referee,” commented Delaney. “Imagine entering an arena where nobody knows you, and you’re trying to prove your worth. He provided that kind of strength and confidence.”
He possessed remarkable leadership traits, but he was not the type to say ‘I told you to do this’ or ‘I told you to do that.’ He demonstrated the right actions. He was also an inspiring figure, employing an effective teaching method to make his point.
Crawford also added: “There were some older colleagues who were control freaks, which made learning quite challenging. However, Hugh was completely different. He would simply say, ‘Do it.’ If an incident occurred on the floor, he wouldn’t hesitate to let you approach the [scorers] table, manage the clock, and communicate with the coaches.
“Back then, there wasn’t a Las Vegas Summer League or similar venues where one could learn refereeing. The learning process was entirely on-the-job. If you didn’t referee like some of the older referees, they would harshly criticize you in the locker room. However, Hubert was different. He was low-key and his only concern was the game itself.”
“Duke”, otherwise known as Mike Callahan, who is my best friend, once stated when he started, “I prefer working with Hugh over you.”
Evans, a game official who stepped down in 2001, served as an NBA assistant supervisor of officials for two seasons. Despite retiring, he remained dedicated to contributing to the game.
During the 2001 NBA Finals, Hugh Evans refereed his final NBA game.
“Cathy Evans stated, “There were instances when I accompanied him on travels and he would willingly skip dinner so the young referees could watch certain games. He would announce, ‘I am heading to so-and-so’s room to deconstruct this tape.'”
“Even after his retirement, the guys still reached out to him. They would say, ‘I’m covering an ESPN game tonight. If you could, could you watch the game and send me some notes?'”
For a significant portion of his career, Evans resided in Richmond, Va., before relocating to Florida and then Atlanta. He was a skilled golfer, often playing alongside Boston Celtics Hall of Famer, Sam Jones (who passed away the previous December), and ex-NBA referee, Luis Grillo.
In April, Evans, his wife Cathy, and Delaney – who acted as the driving force of Evans’ wheelchair – traveled to the men’s NCAA Final Four in New Orleans despite Evans’ deteriorating health. This trip was for the announcement of his induction into the referee’s Hall of Fame. The warm reception he received that weekend, which included congratulations from former NBA players, coaches, referees, and even fans, more than compensated for what he will miss this weekend in Springfield.
If you didn’t officiate in a manner that pleased some senior referees, they would severely criticize you in the locker room. Hubert, on the other hand, was unassuming and only focused on the game.
— Joey Crawford, on Hugh Evans
“Delaney mentioned, “Hugh was somewhat aware of his failing condition, which is why it was important for him to attend the Final Four event. He knew he would receive recognition there.”
Nobody genuinely desires posthumous recognition or awards. Luckily for Evans, his experience at the Superdome and the three months following before his departure demonstrated to him, his wife Cathy, and sons Aaron and Todd, the joy the basketball community felt for him.
“Cathy shared that he received an email from Russ Granik, the former NBA deputy commissioner. He also received phone calls from Matt Winick, a longtime league executive who was responsible for the referees’ scheduling for many years. He was inundated with calls and text messages. Among these was a text from Doc Rivers, the coach for Philadelphia, who said he and some other coaches spent over an hour discussing Hugh,” 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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