Referee Danny Crawford goes into Basketball Hall of Fame with respect from players, peers

Danny Crawford never scored a basket in the NBA, drew up a play or wore a team’s jersey. Yet after more than three decades officiating, his calm demeanor, consistency and command of the game made him one of the NBA’s most trusted officials.

Now, the longtime referee is receiving the sport’s highest honor.

Crawford will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday. Although fans often criticized him, and the whistle was sometimes met with boos, Crawford says the three decades he spent as an NBA official were rewarding.

“If you can block all of that out, the fans that hate you, the bullying, the fans that totally think you suck, the job is the best job in the world,” Crawford told Andscape. “Refereeing is the next best thing other than playing. It’s the same world. I tell people, ‘Listen, I’m refereeing. I’m running down the court in transition. I know everything those players are supposed to do. They just never pass me the rock.’ ”

The Chicago native learned that he made the Hall of Fame after receiving a phone call from Hall of Fame board chairman Jerry Colangelo in April. Crawford recalled being told during the call that the outpouring of praise for him was overwhelmingly positive, a sentiment that deeply touched him and affirmed the respect he had earned throughout his career.

As an NBA official, Crawford’s career aspirations were to officiate an NBA playoff game, then an NBA Finals game.

Being enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts, never crossed his mind.

“The highest thing to do is referee in the NBA Finals. And I did that,” Crawford said.“I had already reached where I was trying to go as a referee, so to get a call about the Hall of Fame was truly a blessing.”

Crawford’s path to Springfield started modestly with a whistle in hand as a way to earn extra money while staying close to the sport he loved. After his college playing days ended at Northeastern Illinois University, Crawford kept competing in recreational leagues, YMCA games, and coached AAU ball for several years. He understood early that experience as a player helped him as an official.

“They’re [players] going to always vent because they’re so locked into the game that they’re playing, and they get emotional. I was the same way as a player,” Crawford said. “So that made me a better referee, because I understood where they were coming from. The game was about the players, not about the referees. So I always made a point to stay out of the way of play.”

A pivotal moment came when future Hall of Famer Darrell Garretson pulled him aside and told him he had real talent as a referee, and that if he wanted to take the craft seriously, he’d have to give up playing. Crawford took the advice to heart, trading five days a week of playing for six days a week of officiating, a decision that would ultimately help him in his career.

In the 1970s, Crawford was officiating high school and Division I collegiate games in the Missouri Valley Conference before jumping to the NBA. He officiated his first NBA game during the 1985-86 season. Growing up on the West Side of Chicago to hard-working parents taught him how to apply those principles to officiating. After officiating games, Crawford would go home and rewatch the games and do film study to learn something new and become a better official.

“I had the blue collarness in me that helped me actually have a pretty successful career,” Crawford said. “Once I got the job as a referee, I wasn’t afraid of anything, because I grew up afraid. … [Players] they could put fear in your heart, [but] you don’t fear anything when you’re well-trained and you know what you’re doing.”

A decade later, Crawford called his first NBA Finals in 1995 in Game 2 between Houston and Orlando. After the 1995 Finals, he called at least one Finals game every season until his retirement after the 2017 NBA Finals series between Golden State and Cleveland.

“They knew that I can do the job. They also saw my relationship with the players too and the coaches and how I was accepted,” Crawford said about officiating the NBA Finals. “So when you put a referee on the floor, that’s accepted, then they are happy to put you out in tough games, because they know you’re gonna do the job, and these people are gonna respect your work.”

Throughout his 32-year officiating career, Crawford officiated more than 2,000 regular-season games and more than 300 playoff games. He also officiated three All-Star Games. Crawford is one of seven NBA referees to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and he is the second African American NBA referee to be inducted – the first was Hugh Evans, who was inducted three years earlier in 2022.

“Danny was an example of opportunity. He was someone who could go through the door that was knocked down by Evans and Lee Jones. Danny was the first one to walk through the door that they opened, and then he just set a standard of excellence,” current NBA official Marc Davis said. “He’s an example of when you are intentional about diversity, when you cultivate that ground, and you’re open to it, the flowers come through. I think Danny is an example of one of those flowers.”

Davis described Crawford as someone who had an unwavering commitment to his profession. According to Davis, the true definition of greatness in officiating is someone who can work any game, anywhere, and earn the trust and respect of players, coaches, and the league. He believes Crawford accomplished that in his career.

After working with Crawford for over a decade, the two have remained close friends. Since officiating in the league, Crawford emphasized the importance of mentoring younger officials like Davis, passing along the knowledge and experience he and his peers have gained so that the next generation can continue improving and upholding the standards of the profession.

“Something that Danny said to me very young in my career was they’re never gonna clap, so if you’re looking for somebody to clap for you, then you did the wrong job,” Davis said. “​​He said it’s a selfless profession, and that’s why [officiating] is the leadership of our entire profession. It’s because we are the only people out there who do not care who wins. That is a necessity.”

Crawford’s mentorship of young officials and athletes began long before he was a fixture on NBA sidelines. Crawford was a familiar face on the West Side of Chicago. He helped young players like Isiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway and Juwan Howard find spaces to hone their games and often officiated their AAU matchups.

Hardaway first crossed paths with Crawford on the courts of Chicago, back when Hardaway was still in middle school and Crawford officiated his games. Hardaway respected Crawford early on because he was approachable and someone he could go to during games to talk through calls and Crawford admitted when he was wrong.

“I don’t think not one person had issues with Danny Crawford,” Hardaway said. “They knew that when he called the game that it was gonna be a fair game. I could trust him. I know if I hit the ball, he’s not gonna call the foul.”

Their paths reunited years later with Crawford officiating Hardaway’s NBA games. After being whistled for a few fouls, Hardaway pulled Danny aside to discuss the whistle. Crawford offered Hardaway a few words of guidance about playing professional basketball and advice that stuck with Hardaway as he carved out his career.

“Danny’s like, ‘Hey, man, you just gotta know how to play the game. You’re just a rookie. Listen, he’s a veteran. You gotta know how to play it. That’s all I can tell you,’ ” Hardaway said about the interaction. “You could deal with that. He’s telling you the truth, he’s telling you to grow up, and he’s telling you to learn all at the same time.”

According to Thomas, Crawford’s ability to control tempo and emotions without escalating conflict set him apart.

“Not only could he communicate, but he had exceptional judgment when it came to identifying the correct play,” Thomas said. “He was very rarely, if ever, out of position. And he had the unique ability that most officials don’t have. He had the unique ability to hold the whistle for almost half of a second to let the play develop, and that takes exceptional timing and trust in yourself and what you’re seeing.

“Danny brought all of that to the table. That’s what makes him a Hall of Famer. It’s not that he got all the calls right, but the total package he was able to bring to the table.”

Crawford’s induction comes in his first year of eligibility. The ceremony will be made even more special with longtime friends and former Chicago protégés Thomas and Hardaway serving as his presenters, highlighting the deep bonds he forged both on and off the court.

“There’s nothing easy about this profession at all, and it’s a thankless job,” Crawford said. “I want to be known as a referee to stay out of the way.

“I love the game. I took pride in my work every night, and it was just very important for me to do my job and do it the right way.”