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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)— On Sunday, a notable milestone was reached by James Capers, Josh Tiven, and Sean Wright, as they stepped into an exclusive group.
The NBA appointed Capers, Tiven, and Wright as the officiating team for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, where the Oklahoma City Thunder will face off against the Indiana Pacers (8 PM ET, ABC). This marks the first Game 7 in the finals for all three officials, making them the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th referees in the league’s history to achieve this feat.
“Being chosen to officiate the NBA Finals is the highest honor for an NBA referee,” said Byron Spruell, the league’s president of operations, earlier this month when the list of 12 final officials was announced.
One would expect that officiating Game 7 would be regarded as the pinnacle of such honors.
Interestingly, Scott Foster, a veteran of two Game 7 finals and widely recognized as one of the top referees, was not selected for this crew. Had he been chosen, he would have joined an elite group—becoming the seventh referee to officiate at least three Game 7s in finals. The referees who have reached that milestone include Mendy Rudolph (six), Earl Strom (five), Sid Borgia (four), Dan Crawford (three), Joe Crawford (three), and Richie Powers (three).
During this season, the NBA had 75 full-time officials, with 36 selected to officiate the first round of the playoffs. The roster is further narrowed down before each successive playoff round, as the league’s referee operations team determines which officials will advance.
Capers is officiating his 13th finals series, Tiven is in his sixth, while Wright is making his second appearance. All three referees have already been part of these finals—Capers officiated Indiana’s victory in Game 3, and both Wright and Tiven were on duty during Oklahoma City’s triumph in Game 4.
James Williams, who officiated Games 2 and 5, has been named the alternate for Game 7. David Guthrie, responsible for Games 1 and 6, will oversee the replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, for this final matchup.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault spoke about officiating and the respect his team has for referees in a broader context on Saturday, responding to a question about how his squad has managed to limit technical fouls this season.
“The outcome and context of the game are beyond our control,” Daigneault remarked. “However, what happens on the court is within our control, which also includes the officials. We cannot dictate how they officiate the game or what warrants a whistle. We can control many other aspects of the game, and that is where our focus must remain.”
