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"path": "/one-of-the-nbas-most-important-jobs-may-be-headed-toward-a-crisis",
"publishedAt": "2026-04-28T13:00:03.000Z",
"site": "https://defector.com",
"tags": [
"NBA",
"crew chiefs",
"fl",
"officiating",
"referees",
"steve javie"
],
"textContent": "Steve Javie can’t recall much from the actual game itself, but he’ll always remember what happened later that night.\n\nIt was Javie’s first NBA Finals game in 1995, always a huge deal for an up-and-coming referee. Several of his family members were in the crowd. Finals games back then started at 9:00 p.m. Eastern; Javie and his fellow refs didn’t leave the arena until the wee hours of the morning. When they returned to their hotel, crew chief Joey Crawford had a room set up with food and drinks for the crew and their families to enjoy.\n\nAfter a couple hours of celebrating his achievement, Javie couldn’t sleep. He was wired from the rush of his first time on the NBA’s biggest stage. A 7:00 a.m. flight the next morning loomed large. He mentioned it to Crawford, his longtime mentor.",
"title": "One Of The NBA’s Most Important Jobs May Be Headed Toward A Crisis"
}