Earl Strom
Earl Strom, known as Yogi, stood at the center of a basketball court in 1965 with his hand wrapped in a cast. He had broken that hand punching a fan during an altercation the night before. Yet he still officiated the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. The score was tied 110 to 109 with five seconds remaining when John Havlicek tipped the inbound pass from Hal Greer. Radio announcer Johnny Most shouted Havlicek stole the ball over and over again while Strom watched the clock tick down. His signature whistle technique involved a specific tune: tweet-pause-tweet-tweet. He would point directly at the offending player after blowing the whistle. This flair became his trademark throughout twenty-nine years in the National Basketball Association.
the 15th of December 1927 marked the birth of Earl Strom in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. His parents Max and Bessie were Orthodox Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Austria-Hungary. Max worked as a foreman at a local bakery where young Earl grew up as the youngest of seven children. Five boys and two girls filled the kosher household. High school brought athletic competition for Strom who played football, baseball, and basketball. Bobby Shantz attended the same high school and later became an American League MVP pitcher. After finishing high school in 1945, Strom joined the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He returned to attend Pierce Junior College in Philadelphia and graduated in 1951. A semi-professional game led him to officiating when a referee told him he had a good mouth on him. Strom then officiated high school games for nine years before moving to college conferences.
Strom entered the NBA with the start of the 1957-58 season after accepting an invitation from Jocko Collins. He learned from officials like Mendy Rudolph, Norm Drucker, and Sid Borgia. By his third season, Strom ascended to the top of the ladder by being assigned playoff games. The following year, Strom and Rudolph made history by officiating the entire 1961 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks. No other pair has worked an entire series together since that time resulted from teams refusing other officials. Strom refereed Wilt Chamberlain's first NBA game against Bill Russell in 1959 and called their last matchup ten years later. Joey Crawford once paired with Strom where Crawford ejected a coach two minutes into the game. Strom berated Crawford during halftime telling him to have smart guts like himself.
August 1969 brought a salary contract offer over eighty-two games for sixteen thousand dollars from Commissioner Walter Kennedy. Strom listened to what the American Basketball Association had to offer in the bidding war. The NBA lacked pension plans or family hospitalization which mattered greatly to Strom and his family. John Vanak, Norm Drucker, Joe Gushue, and Strom met with acting ABA Commissioner Jim Gardner in summer 1969. They accepted demands for twenty-five thousand dollars per year plus a signing bonus and health insurance. Strom soon became disenchanted with the lack of big name superstars and arenas compared to the NBA. A fan attacked Strom after he confronted profanity during a 1970 Texas Chaparrals versus Denver Rockets game. Strom threw two punches before police took the fan away. He was fined two hundred fifty dollars by the league for that incident.
Twenty-four regular referees went on strike during the 1977 NBA Playoffs while Strom and Richie Powers stayed out. Strom honored his contract feeling it remained valid through the season. Referees sought collective bargaining rights and arbitration clauses to lessen owner power. Playoff salaries increased from one hundred fifty dollars to seven hundred fifty dollars for final rounds. During the strike, Strom officiated a playoff game between Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets in Denver. He received a death threat at halftime phoned into McNichols Arena. The union eventually won recognition as a bargaining agent after fifteen days and two rounds of play. Strom's decision not to join the strike set him apart from nearly all colleagues who walked off the floor.
the 12th of June 1990 marked Strom's final game as Game 4 of the NBA Finals between Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers. He correctly waved off Danny Young's half-court heave that would have sent the game into overtime. USA Today polled coaches and players in 1989-90 finding Strom the league's top official with eighty-three votes. His wife Yvonne found grammatical errors in his column for Reading Eagle before doctors discovered a malignant brain tumor. Surgery began January 1994 but Strom could not overcome the cancer effects. He died the 10th of July 1994. Posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, Strom left behind a legacy of twenty thousand six hundred seventy-five games officiated over twenty-nine years. Only Dick Bavetta and Jake O'Donnell have worked more games since then.
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Common questions
When was Earl Strom born and where did he grow up?
Earl Strom was born on the 15th of December 1927 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He grew up as the youngest of seven children in a kosher household with parents Max and Bessie who were Orthodox Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Austria-Hungary.
What happened to Earl Strom during the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals in 1965?
Earl Strom officiated the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers despite having broken his hand punching a fan the night before. His signature whistle technique involved a specific tune described as tweet-pause-tweet-tweet while he pointed directly at offending players.
Why did Earl Strom leave the NBA for the American Basketball Association in 1969?
Earl Strom joined the American Basketball Association after accepting a contract offer over eighty-two games for sixteen thousand dollars due to the lack of pension plans or family hospitalization in the NBA. He received demands for twenty-five thousand dollars per year plus health insurance but soon became disenchanted with the lack of big name superstars and arenas compared to the NBA.
How did Earl Strom respond to the 1977 NBA Playoffs referee strike?
Earl Strom stayed out of the 1977 NBA Playoffs strike alongside Richie Powers because he honored his contract which remained valid through the season. During the strike he officiated a playoff game between Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets in Denver where he received a death threat phoned into McNichols Arena at halftime.
When did Earl Strom die and what was his final game?
Earl Strom died on the 10th of July 1994 after surgery began in January 1994 failed to overcome cancer effects from a malignant brain tumor. His final game occurred on the 12th of June 1990 as Game 4 of the NBA Finals between Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers.