'I'm not giving Michael anything': Hall of Fame ref Joey Crawford on MJ, modern NBA and more
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INDIANAPOLIS - It was about the pizza for Joey Crawford.
Ask the long-time NBA referee and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer what he remembers from the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty of the 1990s. You know, the other thing Chicago is famous for aside from claiming the Greatest of All Time.
"Every time you went there, all I wanted was that pizza that was down the street that I can't remember what it was," Crawford said. "I used to tell the guy, ‘make sure the pizza's here,’ and I'd give him the money and the pizza would be there."
Crawford had the best seat in the house for four decades, and sometimes the target for the most discourse, in the NBA. Such is life for a referee. Crawford was one of the most well-known to everyone, Michael Jordan included.
"I know Michael," Crawford said.
Crawford was introduced as a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 before the Final Four in Indianapolis on Saturday. He was all smiles and chuckles, even with two NBA coaches on the dais with him he used to spar with.
He knows his reputation. He finds the fun in it, like when one reporter asked Crawford what his most memorable interaction with Mike D’Antoni, Doc Rivers and Amar’e Stoudemire was during his time as an NBA referee.
"Do ya go six hours?" Crawford asked with a laugh.
He could make that seven. One of the most notable referees in the modern-day NBA had plenty to dish on. He spoke on MJ, Chicago, modern-day refereeing and ref conspiracy theories.
Big picture view:
Crawford makes it clear he went to Chicago for the pizza, but he could feel how electric the city was in the Bulls' dynasty.
When he did referee the Bulls in the 1990s, he was on the court making calls during those games. Crawford made it clear there was no star whistle in the NBA.
"Of course, I know Michael," Crawford said. "I'm not giving Michael anything, Pippin anything. I'm not giving Bird anything."
Crawford’s career began in 1976. He refereed games with Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olujawan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry and any NBA star you can imagine.
He remembers when the NBA became a global phenomenon. In 1993, the league went to Germany for the McDonald's Open in Munich and sent the Phoenix Suns. Crawford was there with his wife, and was invited for a drink with Charles Barkley.
"We're sitting there having a beer, and 200 people were back like that," Crawford said. "I said, ‘wow.’ That's when I knew. We were in Germany, and this place is like all over Charles."
Then, the league enjoyed Jordan, Bryant, James and more. But, even with the stars who have come, stayed and gone, Crawford is adamant there's no star whistle.
No one phones in a call to a referee. No outside source tells a ref what to do. That theory is debunked.
"No. Doesn't happen," he said. "You're not getting that phone call."
What Crawford was known for were some demonstrative calls.
He got active, slamming his fists on his hips when announcing a blocking foul. There was a reason for that, too.
"When you're demonstrative, you missed a call or you're guessed it," Crawford said. "You're guessing. You're trying to sell it. And I did that. And as soon as I watched the tape and I went, I wasn't sure. And I tell referees now that, because I'm teaching all the time, just call the play because they're gonna figure it out that you're trying to sell this thing."
Dig deeper:
Crawford does teach referees in the modern-day NBA. That’s why he’ll say the refereeing is at a high level in the modern-day NBA.
It’s not because he’s teaching. It’s because there is teaching these days. There are camps that can teach aspiring referees what to look for and discussions that teach referees how to call this or how to call that.
The people that harp on referees don’t see that.
"Most people that complain and moan about it," Crawford said. "They don't try to learn it."
Crawford made a Hall of Fame career as a referee. It’s led to moments where sometimes the complaining is just a veil.
"Amar'e, one day he took the ball to the basket, and he misses a dunk, which wasn't often," Crawford said. "That's what he was known for. I'm looking at him, and he starts looking at me and starts screaming, and I said, nobody even touched you. He goes, ‘yeah, I know nobody touched me, but the Coach doesn't know that. If I holler at you, then he'll holler at you and not me.’"
Crawford would be lying if he said being the least-liked person in an NBA arena bothered him. Sure, but he understood it.
"It did, but it's the job," Crawford said. "When you walk out on the court, half are going to like you, half are going to hate you, and you've just got to take that particular game, go out, call the plays, do it to the best of your ability, stay in shape."
But, he earned a great reputation with coaches and players because of it.
"You knew with Joey, especially if you were away from home, you had a chance to win because he's going to call the game the way it should be called," D’Antoni said. "Whether it's home or away."