Legacy
| “ | If there's one official who can't be intimidated or influenced by players, coaches, and fans, it's Earl Strom. The thing I respect him for, aside from being a very good official, is that you can get hot with him one night and have a few words, yet the next time you get him working your team he's ready to start fresh. No grudges or antagonism from him. | ” |
|
—Lenny Wilkens, Hall of Fame player and coach, |
||
| “ | Earl Strom is a throwback, a reminder of the days when the refs had colorful personalities, the days when war-horses like Mendy Rudolph, Norm Drucker, and a younger Earl Strom were called the father, the son, and the holy ghost. | ” |
|
—Roy Firestone, sports commentator, |
||
| “ | Coaches, general managers, owners and players always mentioned Earl as the best. | ” |
|
—Mike Mathis, former NBA referee, |
||
| “ | Watching Strom work a game is like watching Michael Jordan work a defense. | ” |
|
—Jack McCallum, sports journalist, |
||
Strom retired having officiated 2,067 NBA games over 29 years. Currently, only referees Dick Bavetta and Jake O'Donnell have officiated more games. Strom was selected to officiate five of the nine NBA Finals that went seven games (the maximum number of games possible in a series) in 1966, 1969, 1978, 1984, and 1988, and is considered the last of an era for the "charismatic referee" type to officiate in the NBA. This is in contrast to today's officials who are said to blend into the background during a game and all bear a similar appearance and use of hand signals. During his career in the NBA, Strom was given the nickname of the "Road Ref" by Harvey Pollack, a statistician for the Philadelphia 76ers. Throughout the year, Pollack noted how many times the home or visiting team was victorious and who were the officials working the game. Strom had the highest percentage of road team victories among NBA referees at 42.9 perecent. This was the result of Strom refusing to favor the home team and letting the fans sway his decisions.
When Strom started his career in the NBA, he felt the most important aspect was to get the play right. Instead of selling a bad call, he felt that officials should admit their mistake, and get the call right. To get plays called correctly, he brought up the idea of limited use of instant replay for shots made at the end of a period ("buzzer beaters") and three-point attempts. The NBA eventually adopted the use of instant replay for end of the period field goal attempts and fouls at the start of the 2002–03 NBA season. Strom believed that referee's job was to ensure the game is played correctly, which will allow players to play their particular style. As the NBA began to evolve, Strom opposed the addition of the third official in NBA game for one season, the 1977–78 NBA season, and later in its present form since the 1988–89 NBA season. Strom felt that well-conditioned officials who are able to stay on top of the play would be able to make calls that a third official would be responsible for.
Pottstown High School created the "Earl Strom Financial Aid Scholarship", which is awarded to a member of the senior class who has been accepted by an accredited college.
Read more about this topic: Earl Strom
Famous quotes containing the word legacy:
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)