Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson has already had an impressive career in his post-playing days, and he’s about to add another accomplishment to his long resume.
According to the NBA, Jefferson will officiate the second quarter of Monday night’s Summer League game between the New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers.
NBA Champion and 17-year NBA veteran Richard Jefferson will officiate the second quarter of tonight's New York vs. Portland game after attending daily NBA Summer League Officiating Meetings in Las Vegas.
🏀 @nyknicks vs. @trailblazers
⏰ 8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/wNKYxjvJYd— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 11, 2022
Jefferson enjoyed an incredibly successful career as a player, and it will be fascinating to see how he utilizes his immense knowledge of the game to officiate the upcoming matchup.
The former first-round pick played for eight teams during his time in the league. He spent seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets, a little more than two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and just two seasons with the Cavs.
However, it was with the Cavs that Jefferson won his sole NBA championship in 2016.
Though he was considered a very solid player early on in his career, he was already an established role player by the time he got to the Cavs. Still, his natural charisma and famous sense of humor certainly played large roles in keeping that championship team positive during a long season.
Shortly following the end of his playing career, Jefferson capitalized on that charisma and sense of humor by becoming a television personality and analyst. He currently works as an analyst for ESPN.
Though Cavs fans won’t have a dog in the fight in the game between the Knicks and Blazers, many will likely tune in just to see what Jefferson looks like as a referee.
