[外電] Ex-referee still earns his stripes
Ex-referee still earns his stripes
By STEVE HUMMER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/27/06
While the NBA standings offer no clue, a message of success does
breathe inside Philips Arena. The messenger is there at every
Hawks game, although he'd need a stepstool to high-five Zaza
Pachulia.
To meet Ken Hudson is to be overpowered by him. He's 66, stands
5 feet 6 on a good day, and through the force of personality
tends to play a lot taller. That he is on hand at Hawks home
games as a referee observer for the NBA is almost incidental
to the bigger story. There is a lot more going on here than
just judging the validity of Bennett Salvatore's blocking call.
Hudson will spot former center Patrick Ewing, in town as a
Houston Rockets assistant, and launch into a story. "The year
before he was trying to make up his mind whether or not to go
out early [from Georgetown], we had lunch," Hudson recalled.
"I said, 'No, you don't want to go. The money will be there.
You just go play. Your mother wants you to graduate.' And the
rest is history [fine arts degree, 1985]."
As one of the first black referees in the NBA — he signed on
in 1968 for $90 a game — Hudson is a footnote in league history.
There's a story behind it, of course. Living in Boston at the
time, where his penchant for community involvement began, Hudson
officiated Celtics scrimmages. He mentioned he'd like to try the
real NBA thing. A few references from Red Auerbach and Bill
Russell later, he was in the show.
"In 1968, when Dr. [Martin Luther] King was shot, that was my
first year refereeing," he said. "People ask me all the time,
what was it like? From the players' and coaches' perspective,
it was a job. They wanted to see me succeed. They weren't going
to treat me any differently than any other referee, but they
wanted to see me succeed.
"In refereeing, you heard everything. Stuff like that never
affected me. There are things I never allowed to bother me,
stuff like race. That's a waste of time. Let's do something
constructive and positive, that's what life is all about."
His stint in the league would last but four years, but the
resume didn't peak there. Hudson helped begin a neighborhood
basketball league and tournament in Boston, back in the first
angry days of busing. He became known as a unifying force in a
divisive time, and used his position as a longtime executive at
Coke (which eventually brought him to Atlanta) to spearhead a
series of youth-oriented projects.
To this day, he'll speak to youth groups at his church or to a
classroom full of kids with the aim of instilling little lessons
that might help out in the future.
"They want to know about refereeing; they want to know about the
job at Coca-Cola. I purposely call on people because, as I tell
the kids, each experience is good for you. Stand up. Tell me
your first name. What's your favorite subject? I tell kids to
look me in the eye when you talk to me. As you get older, that's
what's going to happen. You might as well start now," Hudson said.
"I try to tell them to learn how to communicate, learn how to
talk to people. Especially when I go into an integrated class.
When I was in elementary school, I knew my classmates' first
names. We weren't the best of friends, but if you speak to
somebody by first name it automatically opens up a conversation
because the person feels comfortable with you. Get to know each
other. You might learn something from each other."
Now, on top of everything else, he's an author. Due to come out
next month is his collection of remembrances and tributes from
those who have known him. It even has pictures, too. And the man
has had his photo taken with more famous people than Paris Hilton.
One in particular: There is Hudson on the baseline, in his ref
clothes, looking on while Nate Thurmond tries to get a hook shot
off over Wilt Chamberlain. It is a study in human perspective.
"I've been fortunate to be in situations to meet people who
allowed me to share their expertise, who were willing to assist
me in doing the things I wanted to do. It was a labor of love
for me to reach out and help other people," he said.
The title of the book is an offshoot of a New York Times headline
from an old story on Hudson. It also is a metaphorical device to
get across the message of stretching possibilities.
It's called: "A Tree Stump in the Valley of Redwoods."
The Hawks might appreciate Hudson dropping off a few copies,
while he's in the neighborhood.
資料來源
http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0127hudson.html
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