Secaucus, NJ — “I think they know the referee,” Steve Javie muttered with a bitter smile, especially to anyone. “It’s even more difficult in slow motion.”
“They” can be anyone, from furious fans to confused television stations, and sometimes to Havier, who has been an NBA board member for 25 years. He was sitting in the corner of the dark control room of the League’s Replay Center, lined with three monitors showing every possible angle of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. A large flat-screen monitor came up and a key light was placed over his shoulder.
The space had the unique atmosphere of the spacecraft enterprise bridge, except that only a few staff and Javie were on board. Since the 2012 NBA Finals, it’s Javie’s job to help viewers of ESPN and ABC broadcasts understand why they make decisions and explain if he agrees. He called the control room where he shared his views “the biggest sports bar without a bar”.
“Blocking / charging is always difficult,” 67-year-old Havier told Mike following a charge call to Jayson Tatum in Boston, contacting ESPN’s broadcast team Mike Breen, live announcers and analysts. I did. Jeff Van Gundy And Mark Jackson.
Havier had a stable voice of a nonsense but friendly military general.
He grew up and lives outside Philadelphia. His father, Stan Javie, was an NFL board member, and his godfather, John Stevens, was a Major League Baseball referee. Javie was selected to take charge of the 15 NBA Finals. This is usually reserved for the best performing referees for regular season and playoff accuracy. He worked at the NBA until 2011, when knee problems forced him to retire. Since then, he has provided official in-broadcast insights on ESPN and ABC. When he started, it was still seen as a rare innovation for sports broadcasting. Javie’s friend and former NFL referee Mike Pereira started practicing network broadcasting by doing the NFL. Previous year’s game And it received a positive review.
“I never dreamed of something like this,” Hubby said, admitting that Pereira had opened the door for him. Joe Borgia, who retired from the NBA’s refereeing division in 2020, also explains Turner Sports.
In the first half of Javy’s career, he was known for his hot temper. Havier described his style as “aggressive” early in his career.he Drained hoop, Washington Brett mascot, 1991, inspiring the crowd from his point of view.The game included several other exits, and the hoop went last after the mascot raised his arm and invited him. A crowd ridiculing the referee..
“He had a good reputation when he first entered the league of being a young official who provided a lot of skill,” Breen said. “And usually when the staff first started, they worked their way before they started distributing the technique left and right. But that was how confident and fearless he was when he started. It just shows. “
In about a decade or so of his career, at least from his story, Havier has become mellow. One formative interaction he remembered was interacting with former security guard Brian Shaw, who was playing for Orlando Magic in the mid-1990s. Javie appreciated some of the techniques for the players and felt like a foul.
“Brian Shaw was walking by me and I hit another guy with a technical foul,” Hubby said. “And I go,’What do you know, it must be the full moon tonight.’ He looks at me. He goes,” Yeah, you’re a werewolf. “Yes. I also had to give him a technical foul, which was a good line. “
Monty McCutchen, senior vice president of NBA referee training and a former longtime colleague of Javie’s, challenged the perception that Javie has a temper. He said that the sign of his temper was out of control of his emotions.
“I’ve never seen Steve runaway,” McCutchen said.
Javie’s ESPN career began with a few “Sports Center” hits. He said he had no media training. At first, he became nervous about commenting on his former colleague.
“”These were his friends and his colleagues he had worked with for years, and now he probably had to guess the phone once or twice, “Breen said. “It’s difficult for a man.”
Professional empathy for officials is essential for the former referee on television, as the crowd, coaches and players offer almost nothing.
“They think they can:” See how they missed it. How do you ruin it? “Jaby said. “I talked to the producer. I’m always official and I talk as official. I know what it’s like to play big games. I know what it’s like to be in a bad position. I know what it means to call at the end of the game. I can’t sleep at night.. “
Now, Javier says: And I think that’s what ESPN wants. They are seeking my opinion. “
Each year, Javie plays about 40 games, including playoffs and the NBA Finals. During the Bucks match against the Celtics, Javy scribbled notes on a notepad lined up in front of him. They are reminders about the rules. The pages are filled with barely understandable handwritten notes such as “no clear path” and “serious foul criteria”. Javie also used the machine in front of her to scroll the game back and forth and watch the replays.
And there was a moment when Javie was needed. He heard a voice saying, “They may go to Havier here.” Then he immediately sat straight, turned in his chair, headed for the light behind him, and looked directly at the camera.
In this postseason, players, coaches and executives have complained about the perception of injustice in taking positions and being rewarded on the flop.Milwaukee General Manager Jon Horst Made a fuss About the lack of Bucks’ call to Boston while Celtics director Ime Udoka complains For the opposite reason..
This is known in sports terms as the referee’s work. This is an attempt to convince the referee to make a more familiar call in the next game. It’s a fool’s errand, Havier said.
“They think it will help them and something like that,” Javie said. “But their weight-worthy officials don’t mind what this guy says.. “
Apart from the control room, Havier does not spend time watching basketball. He’s not a fan of sports — it’s just a business. His energy is mainly spent on spiritual effort and time with his wife, Mary Ellen Wilson. He recently became an appointed minister, the latest step in his relationship with Catholicism. Catholicism began to evolve when I met Mary Ellen at the airport counter in the late 1980s.
“I started to return to my faith while dating,” Steve said.
The journey “never ends,” he added. “And now we experience it together, it’s really a little cool.”
Faith helped Havier overcome not only his livelihood but also the moments that threatened his freedom. In 1999, Javie Federal prison ruling After he and several other referees were charged with tax evasion. Officials were accused of skipping the coach when the NBA bought a first-class ticket and didn’t report the price difference as income. NBA rules allowed ticket downgrades and acceptance of surplus cash, but prosecutors said authorities were obliged to pay taxes on the money. Only Havier fought the accusation.
“On my journey of faith, it was serious” Javie added: The two weeks in federal court weighed very heavily on me, not knowing what the outcome would be. And I couldn’t handle it. “
He started attending Mass every day, not just Sunday. And he leaned on the person closest to him.
“I said,’Mary Ellen, what if I was convicted and convicted and put in jail?’ She goes,” Then when you leave, we Pick up the shards and move on, “Steve said.
He was acquitted by a Philadelphia jury. Decades later, Javie’s life has become simpler. He spends his summer weekend on the Jersey Shore with his wife, and his former colleagues also spend the summer. He is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. But when it comes to broadcasting, Havier said he sees himself as an “exception” in terms of post-career options for civil servants. In fact, Havier said no young official approached him for advice on breaking into the field.
“In fact, I’m looking for someone to take my place when I go,” Hubby added, “as long as they want me, I’ll do it.”
