[JRutledge]

You also have to have a very good sense of handling hostile or complicated situations with complicated people. You have to be able to sell the coaches, players and fans that you have things under control. I would not say it is just simply what you do with your calls, but how you handle yourself with all the little stuff.

I think it is a little more important about what you are willing to call or not willing to call, when the game is on the line. Are you still focused and competent when the whole world seems against you? Or do you crack and fade when the tension mounts.

The best officials I have seen, always keep a even demeanor. They stay the same when the game is a blowout, or it is a buzzer beater. And yes what you call can help determine that, but how are you handling the calls.

Ed Rush, Director of NBA Officials, told me personally that the type of pressure experiences that an official has had in the past in a competitive arena (like playing basketball at the college and pros) is a major factor in who they choose to become NBA officials. And the more of these situations that you have been in, help them determine if you are viable canidate to become an NBA Official. Not just a focus on what you call or did not call in specific situations.

Peace