"As of the 2006-07 NBA season, Crawford has worked more playoff (266) and NBA Finals games (38) than any other active referee in the league[2] and appeared in the Finals every year between 1986 and 2006...."
NBA referee career
Airline ticket income investigation
In 1998, Crawford was one of eight NBA referees charged with filing false income tax returns after an Internal Revenue Service investigation found that cash was being pocketed by referees when airline tickets provided by the league were downgraded. At the conclusion of a four year investigation, Crawford pleaded guilty on July 1, 1998[5] to falsely stating income of $82,500 from 1991 to 1993[6] and resigned from the NBA effective immediately. He was reinstated by NBA commissioner David Stern in 1999 and did not miss a game due to the players' lockout that started the 1998–99 NBA season.[7] Games officiated milestone
On April 15, 2007, Crawford ejected San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan for supposedly laughing at Crawford from his seat on the bench during a game against the Dallas Mavericks. Duncan also supposedly insulted Crawford with an expletive.[7] Duncan alleges that Crawford asked if he wanted to fight.[8] On April 17, Crawford was suspended for the remainder of the 2006-07 season and the 2007 Playoffs as a result of this altercation, ending his 21 consecutive Finals appearances. The league also fined Duncan $25,000 for verbal abuse of an official and warned that a repeat incident in the future would result in an ejection. Commissioner David Stern said Crawford's actions "failed to meet the standards of professionalism and game management we expect of NBA referees."[7] Crawford met with league officials on July 30 to discuss his future in the NBA but no resolution was reached.[9] On September 17, 2007, the NBA announced Crawford's reinstatement. Commissioner Stern met with Crawford and stated, "Based on my meeting with Joey Crawford, his commitment to an ongoing counseling program and a favorable professional evaluation that was performed at my direction, I am satisfied that Joey understands the standards of game management and professionalism the NBA expects from him and that he will be able to conduct himself in accordance with those standards."[10]
He's Stern's little henchman. In that last "meeting" I'm sure Stern told him that he must listen to him and give calls to the Stern's team. What b1tchez
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A little info about Crawford
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