LAS VEGAS — For the second quarter of the New York Knicks-Portland Trail Blazers contest at Thomas and Mack Center to wrap up the Monday slate at NBA Summer League, Richard Jefferson went to the other side.
After attending several officiating meetings since the start of NBA Summer League last Thursday, the former Arizona Wildcat and longtime NBA veteran made his reffing debut, donning No. 77 on the back of his gray-and-black uniform.
Jefferson's first call was a loose ball that bounced out of bounds. Jefferson blew his whistle and signaled that the ball was last touched by the Trail Blazers, which drew praise from Knicks fans, except the call was overturned by other officials. The official referee statistics for Jefferson, who is now an ESPN commentator, in a 10-minute quarter: Two whistles blown, one overturned call, one over-the-back offensive foul and six passes to free-throw shooters.
While installing Jefferson as a temporary referee may seem like a gimmick from the NBA, it served as a sentimental moment for the one-time champion who played in the league for 17 seasons since he was a first-round pick in 2001. Akinjo, a former All-Pac-12 guard who left the UA after then-head coach Sean Miller was fired, combined for 11 points on 3-for-22 shooting in two losses for the Hawks leading up to Tuesday’s contest against the Heat.
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