Dick Bavetta

Dick Bavetta is a former NBA referee with an incredible track record of consistency in his industry. Dick Bavetta never missed an assignment in his 39 years of basketball dedication. Dick has set numerous ironman records, which has earned him a spot among the top ten highest-paid NBA coaches.

Bavetta was also the first NBA official to call an Olympic game. He enjoys his position as a full-time NBA referee, having officiated in 27 NBA finals and over 250 lesser playoffs.

Childhood, Family, and Early Life

Dick Bavetta was born on December 10, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York City, to his parents.

Unfortunately, his parents’ names are unknown.

His father, though, is a police officer, while Dick’s mother is a housewife, according to sources.

Aside from his parents, Dick had a younger brother named Joe.

Bavetta’s sibling had a significant influence on his professional choice.

Joe, on the other hand, was confident that sports would be an excellent career choice for him.

Education

Bavetta continued his study at Power Memorial Academy in his hometown.

His classmates, it turns out, are also prominent NBA players.

He attended St. Francis College in New York and was a member of the basketball team.

Dick earned his MBA from the New York Institute of Finance and began working for the Saloman brothers as a Wall Street broker.

His main responsibility was to officiate the Wall Street League playoffs involving fellow brokers.

However, Bavetta quit his job and began working in high school games.

Dick officiated games between public and catholic high school leagues, as well as the Eastern Professional Basketball League, for many years.

Continental Basketball Association arose from Eastern Football.

Height, Weight, and Age

Dick Bavetta is 82 years old as of 2022. He is also Caucasian.

Dick stands 6 feet (183 cm) tall and weighs 156 pounds (71 kg).

He appears to be slightly underweight, but not significantly so.

Dick had a difficult time breaking into the NBA since the league prefers tall and heavy officials for personal reasons.

But once he did, Bavetta never made a mistake or forgot about his responsibilities as a referee.

Bavetta’s Zodiac sign is Saggitarius, and she was born in December.

This amusing sign is noted for qualities such as optimism, freedom, wit, fairness, truthfulness, and intellect.

Facts of Dick Bavetta

Net Worth

Dick Bavetta’s current net worth is $150,000 – $350,000, and his salary is about $60,000.

Outside of officiating games for the organization, he earns nothing. Dick is without a doubt one of the best NBA personnel.

Fights for the position of Chief Referee

Bavetta was desperate to work as an NBA referee, so he went to several regional tryouts. He was actually turned down for a job for eight years because of his size.

As Mendy Rudolph was retiring, the NBA eventually took him inside after years of trying.

Dick’s first game was between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Bavetta considered his first ten years in the NBA as difficult because he was consistently ranked worst in terms of performance among other refs. Unfortunately, it resulted in numerous technical fouls and ejections.

Dick was clearly dissatisfied by his failing career, so he determined to put in more effort. However, the referee only slept for three hours and then abandoned the rest of the game.

He also read all of the NBA rulebooks and was the first NBA referee to undergo rigorous physical training.

Bavetta has emerged as one of the organization’s greatest referees in the future as a result of his tireless efforts. Dick was appointed chief referee in 1980 and given numerous rights and powers.

He had the authority to accept or reject other referees’ calls and logs.

Most Memorable Game

The most memorable game for the New York Knicks was against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1980s. The game took an unusual turn when Bavetta was forced to officiate it on his own.

It happened after his companion injured his leg in an accident involving the Celtics’ guard.

The game also included some ugly fight scenes, with Celtics forward Larry Bird and 76ers player Julius Erving choking each other.

Dick expelled them, and he firmly believed that this game marked a turning point in his NBA career. It also helped him get international prominence.

Bavetta garnered a lot of acclaim from the NBA after his incredible talent display.

Interesting Career Turns

The dedicated official officiated many basketball playoffs on a daily basis, and the NBA ranked him first.

In 2000, the NBA praised his work and named him one of the highest-paid referees in the league, with a salary of over $200,000.

Bavetta once ruled a Utah Jazz player made a three-point basket, but the television replay revealed differently. He made a huge error by not allowing the point to count.

Dick’s health was also jeopardized when Jalen Rose unintentionally punched him in the nose during a game while attempting to fight Patrick Ewing.

Despite his significant injury, Bavetta played on and postponed his surgery till the next day. He returned the next day to oversee another game between the Atlanta Hawks and the New Jersey Nets.

The star referee also set a record by officiating the majority of games during his tenure. Dick was always on time and gave everything he had in every game.

Bavetta was also discovered to be using five pairs of socks to maintain his feet in good shape, which is rather unusual.

Everyone in the organization started nicknamed him “the Cal Ripken, Jr. of referees” because of his long tenure in the league.

Another noteworthy event in his career occurred when he and his teammates removed eleven participants from the Brawls on the floor.

Similarly, the league ultimately suspended seven players and significantly penalized both teams.

Bavetta retired from the NBA in August 2014 after 39 years of service.

The retired referee was the first NBA official to call a game in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Furthermore, NBA players were allowed to compete in the 1992 Olympics for the first time.

Bavetta is currently enjoying his retirement and does not appear to be blowing whistles in any games.

Regardless, he must be cheering on the US basketball teams from his home at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Volunteering

Richards is actively interested in charitable endeavors.

He has, for example, funded and sponsored the Lady Bavetta Scholarships in honor of his daughters since 1986.

It is given to high school marginalized students based on their needs.

Bavetta also helped at Woods Ranch, where she assisted children and teenagers with special medical needs.

He also volunteers with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, where he serves as the Upstate New York Regional Director.

Dick competed against Turner Network Television (TNT) studio analyst and former NBA great Charles Barkley for a $75,000 charitable donation during the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend.

The NBA donated $50,000 to the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Clubs of America, while TNT contributed $25,000, but they were unable to win by a razor-thin margin.

Dick’s enthusiasm and kind gesture won many hearts, even though he lost.

Personal Life

The 82 years old, Dick Bavetta is married to Paulette and leads a happy married life.

Together the lovely couple has two angel-like daughters, namely Christine and Michele.

It was Bavetta’s love for his daughters that led him to establish charity works for marginalized youngsters.

However, any other additional information cannot be found about his family.

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Social Media Presence

It is quite unfortunate and sad that Bavetta is not active on any social media platform.

It occurs to us that he likes to live a very private life.

He is a celebrity referee and sportsperson who likes living lowkey, unlike a flashy lifestyle.

Even though he is completely off the platform, he gets mentioned now and then.