I would like to present an interview
with a great person, the men of
basketball, true referee soul, guy that
came to the camp and got so much engaged
that in 2 days he remembered names of 30
people from different countries involved
in the camp. He made us work, think and
laugh. He has a gift of creating
unbelievable stories… :) Ronnie you
should write a book!
Marta Seweryn: Ronnie, why and how
you became a basketball referee?
Ronnie Nunn: I became interested in
becoming an NBA Official because of a
continued invitation from an NBA
recruiter who conducted a basketball
program in New York called the Pro-Am.
It was a recreational program with many
former university players, American
players who played abroad and some
former and current NBA players. His key
comment to me was, “you have presence
and carriage to be a referee and if you
have the talent, our program can teach
you. I finally took his suggestion and
enrolled in it. His name was Cecil
Watkins and the rest is history.
What is the best thing about being a
referee for you?
First is the “challenge” of the needed
accuracy in the work. Second was the
ability to perform this work well and at
the highest level in the game – the NBA,
and third, it was the unique opportunity
to return to the court and run with the
players with a completely different
objective and goal.
Do you feel fullfilled with your
career as a referee? Is there anything
more you would like to achieve?
I do feel fulfilled overall though I
would have liked to continue my 19 year
career on the floor as an official
except for having to retire due to a
knee injury. However, thanks to the NBA,
I was happily appointed to the position
of Director of Officials which was also
satisfying and very demanding for 5
years. Currently, the NBA has placed me
in a unique teaching venue of being the
Director of Development for NBA
Officiating. This allows me to develop
our recently hired officials along with
working and helping our Referee
Operations Department in various
developmental needed ways.
You were working as a special
education teacher / administrator. How
did this help your work (if so) on the
court?
Working in special education taught me
patience and tolerance with all types of
people especially with those who portray
emotional components to their behaviors.
People in this area of education are
also those who are also gifted and
talented. NBA Players and Coaches fall
into this category. They can be very
emotional while being competitive.
Having experience in special education
enabled me to be successful with these
special performers in handling their
emotions and their talents.
How would you characterize a good
referee?
A good referee is fair, steady,
consistent, effective as a
decision-maker on play contacts and
violations, appropriately interactive
with players and coaches, maintains
sportsmanship-like order in a game and
can meet the standards of NBA
officiating which is appropriate for all
officiating – Play Calling, Court
Presence, Fitness, Off-Court Duties &
Personal Qualities.
Tell us something about the prize you
founded with your wife. What is its
purpose?
We established the Nunn-Better
Scholarship Awards and select on a
yearly basis recipient students who are
devoted to academic success, needed
financial assistance and are committed
to social justice.
What are your duties as an NBA
Director of Development for NBA
Officiating?
Currently, I mentor and tutor recently
hired officials with 3 years or less
experience. I also work at presenting
plays on NBA TV and NBA.com to our NBA
community of players, coaches, fans, TV
and print journalists along with being
available to our Ref Ops Dept whenever
I’m needed to develop officials in
meeting NBA standards of officiating.
How is this different from being the
Director of Officials?
My time as Director of Officials
involved preparing, teaching, monitoring
and assessing administrative staff
(Group Supervisors) and NBA Officials.
It also involved monitoring and
assessing data that also reflected an
official’s work performance. It was an
overall management position that does
not allow for much hands-on interaction
with the officials for me. However, this
is done by our Group Supervisors who
worked more directly with them.
Nevertheless, as Director, I had to be
aware of all facets of our officiating
in areas such as: recruiting, assessing
D-League officials, reviewing data /
in-person work performance of NBA
Officials, and monitoring Group
Supervisors in their efforts to improve
the officials overall performance. I
answered to the Exec VP of Basketball
Operations. Today, our newly developed
Ref Ops Dept has three executive people
doing the job of two executives during
my tenure.
Have you changed anything in the
rules or interpretations during your
work in NBA?
My era included some changes in
Mechanics to ensure more open angles to
see play developments by the officials;
we also established more direct
guidelines on Freedom of Movement
principles such as: Perimeter contacts,
Post-up contacts, Pick and Rolls, Travel
violations, Flagrant fouls, and more
clear boundaries concerning Respect for
Game issues where Technical fouls for
inappropriate unsportsmanlike behaviours
were assessed more consistently
throughout the league.
We also introduced Instant Replay
Reviews for quarter and game–ending shot
situations where its use could determine
whether a ball was released in a timely
manner and whether an ejection for a
Flagrant foul could be confirmed by a
monitor review. There are some other
Instant Replay usages as well for timing
scenarios. Today, we have increased the
use of instant Replay Review for
determining the accuracy of a two vs.
three point made shots. Instant Replay
is continually being discussed further
for other play scenarios of interest.
Is there anything you would change
more to improve the way of officiating
in NBA or officiating from general point
of view?
For officiating in general, I would like
to see more uniformed rules and
interpretations in our sport of
basketball at all levels and I’d like to
see more consistent mechanics as a
method to see play actions more clearly
in any venue of the game.
During some passed seasons in NBA we
had some examples of escalating violence
on the court, how did you manage
this?
We have had some overt singular moments
of physical altercations by our players,
but more importantly and dramatically,
we have diminished the amounts of such
behaviours as well. Fines and
suspensions by the NBA upper management
team for these type actions have
minimized these issues and continue to
be a deterrent to such actions.
How it is to officiate an NBA Finals
game?
It is a super feeling to work on the
floor as an official with such gifted
athletes in general. For me, officiating
was a return to the floor in another way
than being a player or coach. However,
a Finals game includes all the pomp and
circumstance of a dramatic event and the
coaches / player’s skills and conviction
to win are heightened and emphasized. As
an official, you must be ready to meet
the demands of excellence required of
you for such a game and series.
Preparation, experience, superior call
accuracy and expecting the unexpected
are some of the criteria for those
officials selected to participate at
this level of competition.
Do you like ´´european style of the
game´´?
Yes I do. I see the game as competitive,
aggressive. Basketball is being copied
and mimicked all over the world in
similar fashion more than ever. Players
are copying each other’s moves, styles
and methods in playing offense and
defense while being more and more
effective for their respective teams.
Officials must meet the demand of
appropriately adjudicating the game
which takes on consistency in
maintaining guidelines by continual
training and development.
What is the ´´WNBA mentor program´´
that you have been involved in?
When I was an NBA official, I was asked
and welcomed the opportunity to mentor
WNBA officials during their initial
first couple of years of being appointed
to the WNBA staff. Going to games in
that venue was very eye-opening
concerning the surprising abilities of
women’s basketball and the manner needed
to officiate it effectively.
What is your opinion about women
officiating only to women´s games and
men only men´s games?
It’s already notable that we see most
women referee women’s games as we see
most men refereeing men’s games. I
believe solid officiating abilities by
men and women alike are a challenge
regardless of gender. Good consistent
and competent officiating is what all
participants are looking for. However,
there may be more of a general comfort
level for officials to work within their
own gender group just as a personal
preference. The NBA has already opened
its doors to 2 women appointed to the
staff. One ( Violet Palmer ) has stayed
on and continues to do a fine job while
the other (Dee Kantner) has gone on to
become the WNBA Director of Officials.
What do you think about having the
same rules of basketball refereeing in
all leagues all around the world? Or we
need to keep it different?
As I mentioned earlier, I would like to
see us continue to converge towards
similar rules, interpretations, and
mechanics.
Do you think a regular Euroleague or
FIBA referee could officiate NBA
games?
I think quality FIBA and Euro-league
officials with talent and proper
training can become D-League candidates
and potential NBA staff appointees.
Is there any difference between
teaching NBA and European referees?
No – My experience with developing and
teaching various officials from
different parts of the world are the
same – those who are talented enough and
focused can become successful to the
level of their abilities.
Is there anything in FIBA style of
refereeing that you would apply to
NBA?
Style is a bit of a vague term, but yes,
I noticed the importance of “off-ball”
coverage concerns that is a focal point
for NBA Officials and should be more of
a focal point for FIBA /Euro-League
officials. I also saw some similarities
in mechanics concerning the Lead
official’s needed movement on the
baseline. I would like to see more FIBA/
Euro-league games to determine other
similarities and differences.
How do you feel about being here at
the camp with all those referees from
all over the world?
I was excited and honoured to be a
teaching participant at the camp. But, I
learned so much more from the campers
and the camp’s administrative team about
FIBA and Euro-league rules and
interpretations.
The camp in Poland is one of two
summer camps in Europe, besides Alan
Richardson´s camp. Do you think summer
camps like this are useful? What is
their purpose?
Yes - these summer camps are very useful
as they provide training and development
of officials who wish to improve their
level of work and be recognized as
skillful officials when they return to
their respective countries. Camps like
this also improve official’s level of
competency and because of that, can be
more easily considered for renown
world-wide tournament games.
You also go to NBA Summer Camps, what
is different there comparing to our
camp?
This camp created by Kuba Zamojski
resembled NBA Camps in the states. It
was instructive both in the classroom
and on the court with appropriate
follow-up reviews for solid learning to
take place. Kuba has experienced an NBA
Camp. His instruction in the classroom
and on the court with comments and game
play reviews closely resembled an
effective NBA format. His assistant in
this camp, Sasha Pukl was also an
outstanding clinician that added to the
camp’s success.
Would you ever consider sending some
of your referees to come for the camp in
Poland, to meet with the best referees
in Euroleague and FIBA?
I think that when scheduling NBA
Officials to travel to Europe for
preseason games, it might offer a time
for some informal interactions between
the two groups. I also think that a
training camp for selected International
officials with NBA candidate and Novice
officials together might also serve as
developmental for potential
International officials who wish to
pursue an NBA career in officiating.
Have you also learned something
here?
Yes, that primarily officials everywhere
wish to improve and make strides forward
in their careers. The officials, who go
to camps and seek out training, clearly
improve their skills and their
abilities.
Do you see any potential referees at
the camp?
Yes – I saw several with potential. They
are at good points in their careers by
having less overall experience which
allows them to be more open to learning
and improving their level of
effectiveness.
Three and four editions ago we had at
the camp, Tommy Nunez, your coworker
from Refs department. How is it to work
with him?
Tommy is an outstanding person and a
referee with 30+ years of NBA experience
on the floor including additional years
as an administrator off the floor. He
was a fair and likeable official and a
fair Group Supervisor to those officials
assigned to him. He continues to be a
great ambassador for officials
worldwide.
How do you think we could make
basketball in the country like Poland
more popular? Here the national sport is
football…
Quality basketball can be seen on TV in
the NBA, Euro-league, FIBA and in NCAA
games. Exposing people to this
outstanding and exciting world-wide game
might begin creating a higher level of
interest. The young Polish players who
participated in the camp demonstrated
growth and love of the game based on
their energy and skill level of
performance. I think it is obvious from
the high school level camp participants
including the teaching particulars of
their coaches that basketball is
spreading its interest and joy very
favourably in Poland.
It was great to have you here. Will
you come to us again?
Officiated over
2,000 regular
NBA season and
75 play-off
games in his
career.
Now Supervisor
of Ref ...
Costas Rigas
started as a
basketball
player with 1st
Greek division
club. Later he
became a coach
an ...
Referee since
1973
International
referee since
1987
4 Olympic Games
('92 Barcelona,
'96 Atlant ...
Referee since
1989
International
referee since
1999
From 2000 in
ULEB.
Refereeing
EUROLEAGUE and ...
International
referee since
2003.
From 2003 in
ULEB.
Refereeing
EUROLEAGUE and
ULEB CUP
games ...
Born 1970
(Krakow)
Referee since
1986, 1989
(National)
FIBA license
2000
2001 IV
Franc ...
RONNIE NUNN
Director of
Referees
Development
National
Basketball
Association
Ronnie Nunn,
the N ...
Mr. Kotleba`s
basketball
career was the
following:
1960 - 1968 - a
player,
1968 - 1970 - a
...
Mr. Pukl was
born in 1970,
Maribor.
He started to
officiate while
still playing
basketball, at
...
Born: 1964,
Helsinki
Referee since
1978
(National)
National League
1984
FIBA licence
198 ...
National
Referee since
1974 up to
1998
FIBA Referee
since 1978
22 FIBA Cup
Finals and
World/Eu ...
Player untill
junior age in
basketball club
Inter
Bratislava.
Like his
father, who was
FIBA refere ...
Former
basketball
player, youth
and juniors
until age 20.
Dariusz started
to referee at
age 17. ...
ULEB and FIBA
commissioner
As a
commissioner
and observer
work last 3
Final Fours in
Euroleague:
...
Ronnie Nunn: I learned so much from campers...;)
;)
;)
;)
Openning
Ceremony
Games T ...
How they
started… -
instructors for
referee.pl
Every year we
are coming to
camp to get
some kno ...