Dan Crawford (born November 23, 1953 in Chicago, Illinois) is a professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) since the 1984–85 NBA season. Beginning with the 2006-07 NBA season, Crawford has officiated in 1,425 regular season, 191 playoff, and 18 NBA Finals games. He was also assigned to the 1994 and 2001 NBA All-Star Games. He wears the uniform number 43.
A 1976 graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, Crawford's officiating experience includes 12 years of high school basketball, eight years of collegiate officiating experience in the Missouri Valley Conference and Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, and four years in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). He now lives in Naperville, Illinois, where his son Drew Crawford played basketball at Naperville Central High School. Drew is now a starting junior guard-forward for the 2011–12 Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball team.
It has been alleged that Crawford calls a disproportionate number of fouls against the Dallas Mavericks, according to an article posted on the ESPN website. In the article, it states:
"The Mavs have a 2–16 record in playoff games officiated by Crawford, including 16 losses in the last 17 games. Dallas is 48–41 in the rest of their playoff games during the ownership tenure of Mark Cuban, who has been fined millions of dollars in the last 11 years for publicly complaining about officiating. The Mavs have been called for 2.3 fouls per game more than their opponents in playoff games officiated by Crawford, compared to a nearly even foul differential in their other playoff games since 2001. Dallas has averaged 6.8 fewer free throws than their opponents in playoff games Crawford has worked. Opponents have an edge in free throw differential in the rest of the Mavs' playoff games, but it's only by a little more than one attempt per game."
Former referee Tim Donaghy has claimed on ESPN Radio that Crawford is "proud" of the Mavericks' record under his officiating.
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