The Portland Trail Blazers have hired former NBA referee Don Vaden to a consulting role, the team announced. Vaden most recently was the director of officials for the WNBA, stepping down in December.
Blazers announce consulting agreement with former NBA ref Don Vaden, who will assist players on rules of game, point of emphasis and analyzing officiating data from NBA.
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) January 19, 2018
Prior to being with the WNBA, Vaden previously served as the Director of Officials for the NBA from 2011 to 2016. Before that, he was a referee for 15 years and retired in 2003. Blazers coach Terry Stotts says Vaden will be a valuable resource for players and coaches alike.
“He’s going to be a resource for the coaches (and) the players,” Stotts said to Mike Richman of the Oregonian. “As far as understanding some of the rules, interpretations, knowing the referees, style of refereeing, I think he’s just going to be a tremendous resource.”
Portland is not the first team in the NBA to hire a former referee. The Houston Rockets have also employed a previous referee to help consult the team on how games are officiated and what refs think about during the games. This is the first time Don Vaden has been hired by a team in this capacity. Since being with the team, Vaden has talked with Ed Davis, Zach Collins, and Damian Lillard on how to adjust their game.
