Top 5 NBA referees of all time
The officiating of the 2021 NBA Finals has led to enticing barbershop conversations and bar debates. Scott Foster was the referee assigned to Game 3 of the 2021 NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum. Scott Foster has been linked to Chris Paul on numerous occasions, with Paul suggesting that Foster deliberately rules against his teams. Chris Paul-led teams are now 0-12 in the last 12 playoff games officiated by Scott Foster.
Before the OKC Thunder's Game 7 loss to the Houston Rockets in the 2020 NBA playoffs, Scott Foster made it a point to remind Chris Paul that he had officiated his Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs back in 2008 as well when CP3 was with the New Orleans Hornets.
Who are some of the best NBA referees of all time?
The anger towards Foster and some of the other NBA officials is well documented and it has gotten fans wondering who is the best NBA referee of all time. Some of these referees have been officiating games for decades and have had significantly longer careers than players. Let's take a look at the top five referees of all time in the NBA, not ranked in any order.
#1 Mendy Rudolph
![Mendy Rudolph [Source: Connecticut Public Radio]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/76523-16261197409198-800.jpg)
Mendy Rudolph worked in the NBA as a referee for 22 years from 1953 to 1975. In that span, he officiated 2112 games, a record he held until his retirement. He was the first official at the time to cross the 2000-game mark. Rudolph also officiated eight NBA All-Star games and was assigned to 22 consecutive NBA Finals.
In 1961, he made NBA history by officiating every game in the 1961 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks. In 1966, Mendy Rudolph was named referee-in-chief and worked alongside Dolph Schayes, who was hired as the league's supervisor of officials. He oversaw the referee's mechanics, techniques, and rule interpretations as the head of officials. Mendy Rudolph is one of the few referees to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
#2 Dick Bavetta
![Dick Bavetta [Source: Bleacher Report]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/07/24a71-16261205508420-800.jpg)
Dick Bavetta retired in 2014 at the age of 75 after an illustrous 39-year career as an NBA referee. He held his job to high standards and had never missed an assigned game since starting his career in 1975. Bavetta holds the record for most NBA games officiated with 2635 and in 2013, he officiated his 2600th consecutive NBA game. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bavetta had tons of memorable moments in the NBA. He was famous for kissing Charles Barkley and racing the latter in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. From 1990 to 2000, he regularly officiated NBA playoff games and was ranked highest in performance evaluation and was also one of the highest paid officials, earning $200,000 a year.