Richard Jefferson made his refereeing debut in the NBA Summer League on Monday, and the one-time champion experienced everything that comes with being an official … including heckling.
Even before Jefferson came in to officiate the second quarter of the Portland Trail Blazers-New York Knicks game in Las Vegas, someone shouted at him saying, “You suck, Richard.” While the former NBA forward expected such gestures to come, especially since referees play a key role in every game, it was quite hard for him because he was called by his name since people know and recognize him.
Making things more difficult for Jefferson is the fact that he can't talk back. For someone known for his savage clapbacks and as an analyst used to making his opinions known, that's just a brutal situation to be in.
“Most referees aren't being heckled by name, and normally I'm used to being able to say stuff back. That was the hardest part,” Jefferson said, via ClutchPoints Twitter.
It's certainly a great learning experience for Richard Jefferson, though. Being an NBA referee isn't easy, and it has its own challenges if a former player is doing it. Aside from the name recognition, perhaps the expectations are also different.
Jefferson, however, did say that he wants to try it again next year–even vowing to study better to get him better prepared for the job.
As for the referees, the ex-NBA veteran shared his respect and admiration for officials and even sent a stern message to those who are so used to abusing them.
“I have such a tremendous amount of respect for the officials. I understand how important they are to our game… Anybody that once criticized the officials, just go referee a high school game first,” Jefferson added.
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