Richard Jefferson spent 17 seasons in the NBA with eight different teams before retiring after the 2017-18 season. On Monday, he’ll take the court once more during the Summer League, though this time wearing a very different shirt.
Jefferson will step in to play the role of official for one quarter during the Knicks-Trail Blazers game, the league announced Monday. He will try his hand at refereeing for the second quarter, and then join ESPN2’s broadcast during halftime to discuss the experience.
Jefferson’s extensive playing experience will undoubtedly serve him well in his new role, but he also prepared for this moment by attending daily officiating meetings during this year’s summer league in Las Vegas. He’ll now put those new skills to the test in live action, albeit of the exhibition variety.
Over the course of his career, Jefferson established a reputation as being relatively mild-mannered and well-liked, traits that are part of why he’s so successful as a broadcaster. He did mix it up with officials on occasion, though, so it will be interesting to see how he interacts with players now that he’ll be on the other side of things.
