'No-nonsense' referee Hugh Evans gets his due in Springfield

Hugh Evans always believed it was his duty to be respected, not necessarily liked. As time passed, he became so proficient at earning respect that he inevitably started feeling quite 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., saw it as crucial to maintain a certain distance from the participants to eliminate any chance or even the hint of being influenced by a friendship. Despite his efforts, he still ended up with a significant number of work friends.

“Hugh Evans would stride to the center of the court,” recounted former NBA official Bob Delaney, “and even amidst coaches and acquaintances, he projected this aura of ‘I’m here to do a job and I’m aware I shouldn’t be the focus of attention.'”

Longtime referee, Joey Crawford, stated, “He was really well-liked by players and coaches because of his pleasant demeanor. He was the complete antithesis of me, which I suppose is why they liked him.”

His integrity, knowledge of the game, and professionalism were all top-tier as a referee. He was always prepared and ready to work. His preparation was exceptional, and it was clear that he always gave his best every time he set foot on the court.

— Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens, on Hugh Evans’ officiating career

Evans, who passed away at the age of 81 in July due to congestive heart failure, will be officially honored on Saturday night. Reggie Miller and George Gervin will be presenting the tribute. It’s fair to mention that their relationships with Evans grew stronger after his retirement than during his active career from 1973-2001.

“Evans’ widow, Cathy, shared with NBA.com last week that he preferred to keep things strictly professional,” she said. “However, he did maintain relationships with players 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, “I wasn’t familiar with him as a player. However, in his role as a referee, his honesty, game understanding, and professionalism were all first-rate. He was consistently prepared to perform his duties. His readiness was exceptional. I had confidence that he would give his best every time he stepped on the court.”

Discussing the highest-ranking officials in the NBA, he’s definitely among them. He was a straightforward person. However, we were certain that he would ensure fairness in the game and make calls based on what he perceived. Having known him was truly a delight.

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A unique NBA officiating journey

Evans is now the first African-American referee in the Hall’s 17-strong group, a significant accolade that has filled his family and friends with pride. Delaney, the individual who nominated him, recalled his initial encounter with Hugh Evans in 1985. Delaney often heard others label Evans as ‘the best Black NBA referee’. However, he didn’t understand why the term ‘Black’ was included. To Delaney, Evans was one of the greatest NBA referees ever, a sentiment echoed by the Naismith Hall.

Evans worked for 28 NBA 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 was equally remarkable as his accomplishments within it; Evans bypassed high school and college games and jumped directly into the professional league.

Evans, a robust 6-foot-4 individual, chose to pursue a career in baseball after leaving North Carolina A&T. He played for three seasons in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system. Eventually, he relocated to New York and assumed the role of director at a community center in Brooklyn. It was here that he began refereeing recreational league games and before long, he moved on to officiate at the renowned Rucker League. This is where many of the greatest basketball players kept fit during the summer on the blacktop courts.

He invested $100 in joining an officials’ camp. A few weeks later, despite failing his initial exam, he managed to pass. In addition, he grabbed the attention of a camp instructor.

Evans remembered years later, “He told me that I would be squandering my time with college games since I already possessed the talent to succeed in the professional leagues.”

In 1972, at the age of 31, Evans was signed to a part-time contract, which was upgraded to full-time the following year. Despite the challenge, Evans stated that his work at Rucker Park in Harlem was recognized by stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier, and others, which helped him.

Evans was among the pioneering 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.

“Cathy Evans reminded, “That was during the ’70s and ’80s. I remember being at a game in Houston where a fan just wouldn’t stop. Hugh never engaged in any back-and-forth with a fan. He simply called for security.”

I recall thinking, ‘He is about to depart and he’s not even aware of it.’ This thought occurred to me when I observed Hugh approach the table, followed by the table guy heading towards security. Before long, they were escorting the youngster out.

“He lacked time and didn’t wish to detract from the game. That’s the purpose of security – to allow them to perform their duties.”

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Evans ‘only cared about the game’

Contrary to how he distanced himself from players and coaches, Evans was quite the opposite with his coworkers. He was always ready to mentor and offer his knowledge, eager to share the insights he had gained about the game.

“His demeanor was incredibly reassuring to a novice referee,” said Delaney. “When you enter an arena as an unknown, there’s a desire to prove your worth. He provided the kind of strength needed for that.”

He possessed strong leadership qualities, but he wasn’t the type to boss people around. Instead, he demonstrated what needed to be done and guided others in a supportive manner. His teaching style was effective and inspiring, making his point clear.

Crawford added, “Some of the older guys were control freaks, making it difficult to learn. But Hugh was completely different. He would simply say, ‘Do it.’ If something occurred on the floor, he didn’t have a problem with you going to the scorer’s table to manage the clock and communicate with the coaches.

Back then, you didn’t have the Las Vegas Summer League or any of these venues to learn how to referee – you had to learn while doing the job. Some veteran referees would harshly criticize you in the locker room if your style didn’t match theirs. Hubert, on the other hand, was relaxed and focused solely on the game.

“Duke, otherwise known as Mike Callahan, once told me when we first met, ‘I prefer working with Hugh more than you.’ He and I have since become best friends.”

Evans served as an NBA assistant supervisor of officials for two seasons after resigning as a game official in 2001. Despite retiring, he remained dedicated to contributing to the game.

“Cathy Evans relayed, “There were instances when I was traveling with him where he would skip dinner as he wanted the novice referees to observe certain games. He’d inform me, ‘I’ll be in so-and-so’s room dissecting this tape.'”

The men continued to contact him even after his retirement. They would say, “I’m commentating on an ESPN game tonight. If it’s convenient, could you watch the game and send me your observations?”

Throughout much of his career, Evans resided in Richmond, VA, before relocating to Florida and eventually Atlanta. He was a skilled golfer and often played with Sam Jones, a Hall of Famer from the Boston Celtics who passed away the previous December, and Luis Grillo, a former NBA referee.

In April, despite his own declining health, Evans, along with his wife Cathy and Delaney, who acted as the power source of his wheelchair, made a trip to the men’s NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. The purpose of this visit was to announce his induction into the referee’s Hall of Fame. The warm welcome he received that weekend, filled with congratulations from former NBA players, coaches, and referees, as well as greetings from fans, compensated for what he would miss this weekend in Springfield.

If you didn’t referee in a way some older referees liked, they would harshly criticize you in the locker room. However, Hubert was more subtle and focused only on the game.

— Joey Crawford, on Hugh Evans

“Delaney said, ‘I believe Hugh somewhat realized he was struggling and that’s why attending the Final Four was significant for him. He knew he would be acknowledged there.'”

Nobody genuinely desires to win an award or attain recognition after they’ve passed away. Luckily for Evans, the warmth he experienced at the Superdome and in the following three months prior to his death demonstrated to him, his wife Cathy, and their sons Aaron and Todd, the joy the basketball community had for him.

“Cathy stated that he received an email from Russ Granik, the former NBA deputy commissioner. Additionally, he got phone calls from Matt Winick, a longtime league executive who was in charge of scheduling the referees for many years. He was also bombarded with numerous calls and text messages. Among these was a text from Doc Rivers, the coach of Philadelphia, who mentioned that he and some other coaches had engaged in an hour-long discussion about Hugh,” she added.

“I’m simply glad 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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