Darell Garretson

Early life Born in Long Point, Illinois, and later served in the U.S. Navy, stationed in San Diego, California. He also officiated recreational, high school, and college basketball games, while working as a salesman, before being hired by the NBA. Death Darell Garretson died in his sleep on April 24, 2008, at his home in Mesa, Arizona, at age 76. ==Income tax fraud==

In 2000, Garretson pleaded guilty to fraud in an airline-ticket scheme involving purchasing less expensive tickets and pocketing the difference without reporting the additional income to the Internal Revenue Service. He was sentenced to 180 days' home detention, three years of probation, and a US$5,000 fine. ==Legacy==

As a referee, Garretson was credited for creating and heading the first union for NBA referees, known as the National Association of Basketball Referees, a predecessor to the present day NBRA. The addition of the third official allowed for better coverage of the court and also provided mentoring for younger officials with two more experienced officials. Working in the NBA's front office, he also was involved with scouting prospective officials and providing instruction. Former referee and current director of officiating, Ronnie Nunn said of Garretson, "[he] was a guy who drilled into you to get plays right." As an official and supervisor in the NBA, Garretson was the target of criticism by the media and notable officials including, Jake O'Donnell, Richie Powers, and Earl Strom. Critics of Garretson claimed that he developed the current generation of referees into "robots" by suppressing individual personality. On the court, Garretson was also known to minimize the amount of communication between himself and players and coaches, which was considered an unpopular approach among members of the media. ==References==