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 his role was to command respect, not affection. Eventually, he became so proficient at earning respect that he couldn’t help but feel he was also liked.
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., believed it was crucial to maintain a professional distance from the participants to eliminate any chance or even hint of bias due to friendship. He managed to achieve this successfully, but still ended up with many work friends.
“Even amidst coaches and various people he was familiar with, Hugh Evans would calmly stride to the center of the floor,” said Bob Delaney, a former NBA official. “He exuded this aura that conveyed ‘I’m here to perform my duty and I understand that I’m not meant to be the focal point.'”
Longtime referee Joey Crawford stated, “Players and coaches genuinely liked him because he had a pleasant demeanor. He was completely different from me, which I presume is why they were fond of him.”
His integrity, knowledge of the game, and professionalism as a referee were all top-tier. This guy was always primed for the job. His preparation was simply outstanding. I was confident that we would always get his best every time he stepped on the court.
— Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, on Hugh Evans’ officiating career
Evans, who passed away in July at the age of 81 due to congestive heart failure, will be formally inducted on Saturday night. Reggie Miller and George Gervin will be presenting the honor. It can be said that their relationships with Evans flourished more post his retirement than during his active career from 1973 to 2001.
“Evans always preferred to keep things strictly professional,” his widow, Cathy, shared with NBA.com last week. “However, he did establish relationships with a few players whom he held in high regard.”
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, “Although I didn’t know him in his capacity as a player, I can vouch for his impeccable integrity, deep understanding of the game, and professional attitude as a referee. He was always prepared and ready to perform his duties. His preparation was outstanding. I was sure that he would give his best every time he set foot on the court.”
Discussing the high-ranking officials in the NBA, he is undoubtedly among them. He was a straightforward individual. However, we were certain that he would ensure fairness in the game and would make decisions based on his judgment. It was an honor to have known him.
A unique NBA officiating journey
Evans has also made history by becoming the first African-American referee in the Hall’s 17, a feat that his family and friends take great pride in. Delaney, who put forward his nomination, said, “I first came across Hugh Evans in 1985. It was common to hear people refer to him as ‘the best Black NBA referee.’ I never quite understood why it was necessary to insert ‘Black.’ He was undeniably 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 to the league is just as remarkable as his achievements within it. He bypassed high school and college games, making an immediate jump to professional basketball.
During the 1988 NBA Finals, a game is refereed by Hugh Evans.
Evans, a robust man standing at 6-foot-4, chose to pursue a career in baseball after graduating from North Carolina A&T. He played for three seasons in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system. Later, he relocated to New York and took up the role of director at a community center in Brooklyn. It was here that he began refereeing recreational league games. Eventually, he brought his refereeing skills to the renowned Rucker League, a summer basketball league frequented by some of the sport’s greatest players for off-season conditioning.
He paid $100 for enrollment in an officials’ camp. A few weeks later, despite initially failing the first exam, he managed to pass. He also succeeded in attracting the attention of a camp instructor.
Years later, Evans remembered him saying, “He told me that going for college games would be a waste of time because I already had what was needed to succeed in the pros.”
In 1972, 31-year-old Evans was signed to a part-time contract, which was upgraded to full-time the following year. Despite the challenge, he found it helpful 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 pioneering Black referees in the NBA, with only Ken Hudson (1968-72) and a handful of others preceding him. As might be expected, he encountered a type of heckling that most of his colleagues were spared from.
“Cathy Evans reminded, “That was during the ’70s and ’80s. I have memories of being at a game in Houston where a fan kept going on. Hugh, however, was never the type to argue with fans. Instead, he would simply call for security.”
“I recall thinking to myself, ‘This fellow is about to depart and he’s completely oblivious.’ I had watched Hugh approach the table, followed by the man at the table going to security. Before long, they were escorting the young man away.”
“He lacked the time and didn’t want to detract from the game. That’s the purpose of security – to allow them to carry out their duties.”
Evans ‘only cared about the game’
Evans, in contrast to the distance he maintained from players and coaches, was completely different with his coworkers. He readily positioned himself as a mentor and a resource, enthusiastically imparting knowledge about the game he learned in real-time.
In 1998, Hugh Evans conversed with other referees during a game.
“His demeanor was incredibly reassuring, especially for a novice referee,” said Delaney. “When you enter an arena as an unknown, you aim to prove your worth. He instilled that kind of strength in you.”
He possessed exceptional leadership skills, yet he never resorted to a domineering style of ‘do as I say.’ Instead, he led by example, demonstrating the ideal course of action. He supported you throughout the process with his unique and effective teaching approach.
Crawford added, “Some of the older guys were control freaks, which made learning difficult. However, Hugh was completely different. His attitude was, ‘Just do it.’ If an incident occurred on the floor, he had no issue with you going to the scorers’ table to handle the clock or speaking with the coaches.”
Back in the day, opportunities like the Las Vegas Summer League didn’t exist, nor were there numerous venues where you could acquire refereeing skills. You had to learn while doing the job. Some senior referees would severely criticize you in the locker room if your style didn’t match theirs. However, Hubert was different – he was understated and his sole focus was on the game.
“When ‘Duke’ [Mike] Callahan started, he always said he preferred working with Hugh over me – and he’s my best friend.”
Evans stepped down as a game official in 2001 and spent two seasons as an NBA assistant supervisor of officials. Despite retiring, he remained committed to contributing to the game.
During the 2001 NBA Finals, Hugh Evans refereed his last NBA game.
“Cathy Evans stated, “There were instances when I accompanied him on travels, he would often skip dinner to let the young referees watch certain games. He would inform us, ‘I’m heading to so-and-so’s room to analyze this tape.'”
Even after he retired, the guys would still call him. They’d ask, ‘I’m covering an ESPN game tonight. If you can, could you watch the game and send me your observations?’
Much of Evans’ career was spent living in Richmond, Va., before he relocated to Florida and eventually, Atlanta. He was a skilled golfer and often played with the likes of Boston Celtics Hall of Famer, Sam Jones, who passed away the previous December, and former NBA referee, Luis Grillo.
In April, Evans, who was in poor health, his wife Cathy, and Delaney, who acted as the motor of Evans’ wheelchair, traveled to the men’s NCAA Final Four in New Orleans for the announcement of Evans’ induction into the referee’s Hall of Fame. The warm welcome he received that weekend, including congratulations from former NBA players, coaches, and referees, as well as greetings from fans, compensated for what he was going to miss in Springfield the following weekend.
If you didn’t officiate in a way that some older referees approved of, they would harshly criticize you in the locker room. However, Hubert was more understated and his only concern was the game itself.
— Joey Crawford, on Hugh Evans
“Delaney said, “I believe Hugh was somewhat aware that he was faltering and that’s the reason attending the Final Four was crucial for him. He understood that he would receive recognition there.”
Nobody genuinely desires to receive an award or acknowledgement after their death. Luckily for Evans, the warmth he received at the Superdome and in the three months leading up to his demise, demonstrated to him, his wife Cathy and sons Aaron and Todd, the extent to which the basketball community celebrated his successes.
“Cathy said, ‘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 managed the scheduling of referees for many years. He was bombarded with numerous calls and text messages. Among them was a text from Doc Rivers, the coach of Philadelphia, who mentioned that he and some other coaches had discussed Hugh for over an hour.”
“I’m simply glad that he was aware he was going in.”
* * *
Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
