Officials call end to long careers

June 09, 2009|Associated Press

Three NBA officials, who have combined for 73 seasons of service to the league, have announced they will retire at the end of this season. Jim Clark, Luis Grillo, and Jack Nies all will be stepping down.

Clark officiated 21 seasons. During his career he was on the floor for 1,345 regular-season and 96 playoff games, including one contest in the finals. Clark also was a member of the crew that worked the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.

During Grillo's 21 seasons, he worked 1,171 regular-season and 41 playoff games. He was a member of the crew that worked the 2003 NBA All-Star Game and the 1993 Legends Game in Utah. Nies officiated 31 seasons. He worked 2,046 regular-season and 150 playoff games, including 10 NBA Finals games. He is one of only six NBA officials who have worked over 2,000 contests. Nies was a member of the crew that officiated the 1995 and 2005 NBA All-Star Games and the Legends game in 1987.

New job for Nash

Phoenix Suns veteran Steve Nash has landed an offseason gig as a correspondent for CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" at Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight in Orlando. His report will air on the show tomorrow night. The season ended for the two-time NBA MVP when his team failed to make the playoffs.

Mitchell back to LSU

LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to the Tigers as a fifth-year senior next season. His coach, Trent Johnson, said he met with the player yesterday morning and they faxed the appropriate paperwork to the NBA. Mitchell, coming off a year in which he averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds, believes finishing his degree is in his best interest.

Oberto on the shelf

San Antonio Spurs forward Fabricio Oberto has undergone a heart procedure and could resume strenuous exercise in about a month. The 34-year-old has been bothered by arrhythmia during the past few seasons. Last week's surgery was aimed at correcting the electrical impulses causing the atrial fibrillation . . . ABC announced that the Lakers' 101-96 overtime win over the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday earned an 8.2 fast national rating. That's down less than 4 percent from the 8.5 for last season's Game 2 between the Lakers and Celtics.