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

Hugh Evans consistently believed that his role was to garner respect, not affection. However, as time passed, he became so proficient at earning respect that he inadvertently started experiencing considerable affection.

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., considered it crucial to maintain a certain distance from the participants. His aim was to eliminate any chance or even the hint that his objectivity could be compromised by personal relationships. Despite his efforts, he managed to form numerous friendships at work.

“Even in the presence of coaches and various acquaintances, Hugh Evans had this air of ‘I am here to perform a task and I understand that I shouldn’t be the center of attention.’ He would step into the middle of the floor,” recalled Bob Delaney, a former NBA official.

Longtime referee Joey Crawford stated, “He was well-liked by players and coaches alike due to his pleasant demeanor. He was completely different from me, which I suppose is why they liked him.”

“His integrity as a referee, understanding of the game, and professionalism were all first-rate. He was consistently prepared and committed to his role. His meticulous preparation was praiseworthy. I was certain that every time he took to the floor, he would give his best.”

— 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 enshrined on Saturday night. Reggie Miller and George Gervin will be the presenters. It can be safely stated that their relationships with Evans developed more after his retirement than during his active career from 1973 to 2001.

“Evans’ widow, Cathy, told NBA.com last week that he preferred to keep everything strictly professional. However, he did form relationships with some of the players he respected,” she added.

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 was never acquainted with him as a player. However, as a referee, his integrity, understanding of the game, and professionalism were all first-rate. He was consistently prepared to perform his duties. His readiness was exceptional. I was confident that whenever he stepped onto the court, he would give his utmost best.”

Discussing the highest-ranking officials in the NBA, he is certainly among them. He was a straightforward person. However, we were confident that he would ensure fairness in the game and make calls based on what he observed. Having known him was truly a pleasure.

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A unique NBA officiating journey

Evans also achieves the distinction of being the first African-American referee in the Hall’s 17, a milestone his family and friends take great pride in. Delaney, the person who nominated him, stated, “When I met Hugh Evans in 1985, I often heard people refer to him as ‘the best Black NBA referee.’ I could never comprehend why the term ‘Black’ was included — in my opinion, he was one of the finest NBA referees of all time, a sentiment echoed by the Naismith Hall.”

Evans spent 28 NBA seasons working 1,969 regular season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals games, and four All-Star Games. However, his journey to the league was as extraordinary as his accomplishments once he arrived. Remarkably, Evans never officiated a high school or college game, he made a direct leap to the professional level.

Evans, a robust man standing at 6-foot-4, chose to pursue baseball after his time at North Carolina A&T. He played three seasons in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system before moving to New York. There, he took on the role of director at a community center in Brooklyn. It was in this position that Evans began officiating recreational league games. In due time, he brought his whistle to the infamous Rucker League, a summer blacktop where some of basketball’s greatest players maintained their fitness.

After spending $100 to join an officials’ camp, he failed the first exam a few weeks later but eventually passed. He also managed to grab the attention of a camp instructor.

Evans remembered years later, “He told me going to college was unnecessary because I already possessed the skills to succeed professionally.”

In 1972, Evans, who was 31 at the time, was signed to a part-time contract and was later added as a full-time employee the next year. Despite the challenges, 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, following only Ken Hudson (1968-72) and a handful of others. As expected, he encountered a type of heckling that most of his peers did not.

“Cathy Evans reminded, “You must consider that this was during the ’70s and ’80s. I remember being at a game in Houston where a fan just kept going on. Hugh was not one to engage in a back-and-forth with a fan. He would simply summon security.”

“I recall contemplating, ‘This man is about to depart and he’s unaware of it.’ I had observed Hugh moving towards the table, followed by the man at the table heading to security. Before I knew it, they were escorting the youngster away.

“He lacked time and didn’t wish to distract from the game. That’s the role 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 fellow workers. He was a readily available resource and mentor, always eager to impart the knowledge he had gained about the game.

“His demeanor was incredibly reassuring, especially to a younger referee,” said Delaney. “When you enter an arena and nobody knows you, there’s this need to prove your worth. He was the kind of person who boosted your confidence and gave you that strength.”

He possessed impressive leadership skills, yet he wasn’t the type to dictate orders. Instead, he set a good example of what should be done. While guiding you along that path, he had a unique teaching style that effectively communicated his point.

Crawford added, “Some of the older guys were control freaks, which made learning difficult. However, Hugh was completely different. He would just say, ‘Do it.’ If something occurred on the floor, he had no issue with you going to the scorers’ table, managing the clock, or speaking to the coaches.”

Back then, there was no Las Vegas Summer League or other venues for learning refereeing skills; you had to learn while doing the job. If you didn’t referee in the same manner as some older referees, they’d harshly criticize you in the locker room. Hubert, however, was a laid-back individual who was solely focused on the game.

“Duke, also known as Mike Callahan, who is also my best friend, always asserted that he preferred working with Hugh more than with me when he first started.”

Evans, who stepped down as a game official in 2001, served as an NBA assistant supervisor of officials for two seasons. Despite being retired, he continued to be committed to contributing to the game.

“Cathy Evans said, “There were occasions when I accompanied him on his travels, he would forgo dinner to allow the novice referees to watch certain games. He would express, ‘Take note, I’m heading to so-and-so’s room to analyze this tape.'”

The men continued to reach out even after his retirement. They would tell him, “I’m covering an ESPN game tonight. If you have a moment, could you watch the game and send me some observations?”

For most of his career, Evans resided in Richmond, Va., before eventually relocating to Florida and then Atlanta. He was a skilled golfer, often playing alongside 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, Evans, despite his deteriorating health, traveled to the men’s NCAA Final Four in New Orleans with his wife Cathy and Delaney, who operates his wheelchair, for the announcement of his induction into the referee’s Hall of Fame. The warm reception he received that weekend, with former NBA players, coaches, referees, and even fans congratulating him and stopping to greet him, compensated for what he was going to miss in Springfield the following weekend.

If you didn’t officiate the way some older referees preferred, they would berate you in the locker room. However, Hubert was more understated and his sole focus was the game.

— Joey Crawford, on Hugh Evans

“Delaney expressed, ‘I believe Hugh somewhat realized he was faltering and that’s why attending the Final Four event was crucial. He knew it would bring him recognition.'”

Nobody genuinely desires to achieve recognition or win an award after their death. Luckily for Evans, the affection he experienced at the Superdome and during the subsequent three months before his demise conveyed to him, his wife Cathy, and his sons Aaron and Todd, the extent of the basketball world’s happiness for him.

“Cathy shared that 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 used to handle the referees’ scheduling. Numerous calls and text messages poured in. One of these was from Doc Rivers, the coach of Philadelphia, who texted to say that he and some other coaches had spent over an hour talking about Hugh,”

“I’m simply glad that 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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