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How much does an NBA Basketball Referee make?
Sportskeeda ^ | Jonathan Wright

Posted on 03/02/2021 10:03:07 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Being an NBA referee is a harder job than many people think, no matter how many fans believe they could do a better job or that their "grandma could have made a better call." They can be a team's hero or their greatest nightmare, depending on the night's call.

An NBA referee needs to be confident, stern, smart, and aware to make a call in a high-pressure environment with 20,000 fans cheering or booing at them. An underrated aspect of a referee is the physical fitness that they need to maintain during a game. Refs need to run up and down the court all game without a substitution or water break to ensure they are always in the right place to make the correct call.

With all these job requirements, it would be expected that an NBA referee is fairly compensated. This article will cover how much a ref makes and the different ranks a referee has.

An NBA referee payday

The average salary for an NBA referee ranges from $180,000 to $550,000. There is such a drastic pay range because there are different statuses a referee can be.

An NBA referee is divided into three distinctions. There is the entry-level ref, the WNBA ref, and the senior-level referee. The entry-level referee is looked at as a rookie, and they make around $600 for each game they are a part of or about $250,000 a year if they are full-time.

A WNBA referee is paid the lowest of the distinctions and they make around $425 a game or about $180,000 a year.

The highest and final level an NBA referee can reach is the senior-level ref. For a referee to reach this status, they need to be in service for three to five years.

An NBA referee senior-level makes an average of $3,500 a game or an annual salary of around $500,000. The top referees are eligible to work the NBA playoffs and the NBA Finals. Any postseason game, an NBA referee is eligible to earn an extra $800 to $5,000 each game in addition to their salaries. The amount varies depending on the referee's status.

On top of an NBA referee's salary, regardless of their distinction, they also earn large compensation packages. Their packages cover travel stipends, insurance, and retirement plans.

Not bad for somebody in a Foot Locker costume.

All salaries are from Career Trend.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: basketball; breadandcircuses; nba; referee; salary

1 posted on 03/02/2021 10:03:07 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

A racket

Like riverboat pilot companies

Refs aren’t nepotism laden though


2 posted on 03/02/2021 10:04:34 PM PST by wardaddy (P IN 1999 JIM THOMPSON WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE BUSHES ...WE WERE WRONG)
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To: SeekAndFind

Basketball is a joke. Ever tried to decipher how fowls are determined? His hand is here,there, maybe here, no wait, over there. And the second rule, impossible to be accurate. A thug league deserves this idiocy.


3 posted on 03/02/2021 10:10:15 PM PST by Fungi
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To: SeekAndFind
How much does an NBA Basketball Referee make?

Is He/She black or White?

4 posted on 03/02/2021 10:12:13 PM PST by Navy Patriot (Celebrate Decivilization)
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To: Fungi

Traveling and double dribbling?

They are a function of salary of the offenders.


5 posted on 03/02/2021 10:19:58 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: SeekAndFind

In tonight’s Suns v Lakers game they made a little extra.


6 posted on 03/02/2021 10:23:54 PM PST by Az Joe (Congress got less than it deserved on January 6th)
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To: SeekAndFind

This is one of the ten reasons I don’t follow the NBA any longer.


7 posted on 03/02/2021 10:55:08 PM PST by pepsionice
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To: SeekAndFind

An NBA referee who makes calls solely by how the rules are written would never last. Their are numerous additional considerations when making a call, or not making a call. Teams, players, ratings, etc. Money rules.


8 posted on 03/03/2021 12:05:25 AM PST by robel
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i equate pro basketball on the same level as pro wrestling....easily the stupidest game of the 4 major sports...


9 posted on 03/03/2021 12:10:33 AM PST by basalt
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To: wardaddy

Riverboat companies are nepotism laden?


10 posted on 03/03/2021 1:13:15 AM PST by Impy (George Washington did not concede to King George.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Americans love of sports is exaggerated. Professional Athletes are overrated


11 posted on 03/03/2021 3:15:48 AM PST by griswold3
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To: Fungi

If today’s national basketball entertainment league players had to play under the original rules of basketball, they couldn’t tie the shoes of great players couldn’t tie the shoes of Wes Unseld, Bill Russell, Wilt, Earl Monroe, Bob Cousy, Willis Reed, and countless others. I’ll throw in the ABA league of yesteryear too with Rick Barry and Zelmo Beaty.

Today’s players walk all the time, even on simple dribbles. “Court talk” - players who walked took his 2nd walk call of the game would get needled ...”Take a bus it’s faster”. Today’s players get praised for their “great moves”. Palm the ball - don’t get me started. If they had to dribble pursuant to the rules, these guys would get the ball swiped right out from under them - by junior high school players. Touch the backboard - technical foul. And if that isn’t enough, today’s losers had to politicize the game too. You are right, it is a joke.


12 posted on 03/03/2021 4:37:39 AM PST by Susquehanna Patriot ( )
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To: Susquehanna Patriot

Gonna add Oscar Robertson, he was my favorite


13 posted on 03/03/2021 5:08:50 AM PST by Jolla
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To: Jolla

Another great one ... we could be here all day listing them I am sure!


14 posted on 03/03/2021 5:32:32 AM PST by Susquehanna Patriot ( )
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To: Impy

Yes River Pilots associations are nothing but nepotism and a shakedown

I used to own cargo freighters in an earlier life ....

https://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/o-t-lounge/the-state-sanctioned-mafia-known-as-river-pilots-are-shaking-down-the-chemical-industry/76122586/page-4/

https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_96acb31d-7b61-5139-b313-92ab901d9d58.html


15 posted on 03/03/2021 7:52:03 AM PST by wardaddy (P IN 1999 JIM THOMPSON WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE BUSHES ...WE WERE WRONG)
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To: Fungi
Ever tried to decipher how fowls are determined?

How fowls are determined? Surely we can tell the difference among chicken, turkey, duck and goose!

16 posted on 03/03/2021 11:31:35 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I’d rather play than watch or ref, but the gym’s been off limits for almost a year, and weather hasn’t been real friendly for outdoors.


17 posted on 03/03/2021 11:35:17 AM PST by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Build the Wall Faster! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: JimRed

You are fouled out, and take your chickens with you. :)


18 posted on 03/03/2021 8:30:53 PM PST by Fungi
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To: SeekAndFind

Before or after the bribes?


19 posted on 03/03/2021 8:31:50 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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