[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by christianH

Here is the man...62 years old and still officiated in the NBA! Earl Strom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here's one reason Earl is my personal hero:

"Strom was officiating a NBA game during the mid-1970s between the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets with Dick Bavetta as his partner for that game. The game was close at the end and Earl made a last-second call against the Nets, ending the game with a win for Sixers. Suddenly Dick Bavetta ran across floor to the scorer's table, saying, "No! No! I got a push off against [George] McGinnis!" Earl Strom then challenged Bavetta, "Are you over-ruling my call?" "I got pushing off right here!" Bavetta insisted, which reversed Strom's call and the Nets wound up with the victory. With the game over, players were walking to their respective locker rooms when the door to the referees' locker room flew open and Dick Bavetta came staggering out. His uniform was ripped and he was wearing a big welt over his eye, running to get away from Strom. Strom stepped out into the hallway and hollered after Bavetta, "You'll take another one of my ****ing calls again, right, you mother******?"

Ya' gotta love the guy.