WEBVTT - Strive To Be The Best (w/ Violet Palmer) 0:00:01.240 --> 0:00:04.680 Hey, y'all, welcome to the Vitamin D Podcast hosted by 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:07.200 yours truly, Dan Day. I'm here to give you a 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:10.840 multi vitamin for your mind and spirit. Don't worry, it's 0:00:10.880 --> 0:00:15.440 all natural. But y'all, today I'm pondering passions. What is 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:18.200 it that intense thing that feels your heart that you 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:22.560 feel like it's natural to you as breathing. Speaking is 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:27.120 mine speaking and inspiring folks. It gives me life. Um, 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:31.080 it fuels me. It's my why. But you know I 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:34.800 following your passion text guts. It takes hard work because 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:38.000 you will get a lot of naysayers, folks trying to 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:40.520 tell you what you can and what you cannot do, 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:43.480 And honestly, you can't fall them because they can't see 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:47.440 or fuel your passion. Which leads me to my special guest, 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:52.400 Violet Palmer, the first female referee in the n b A. 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:56.440 Violet Palmer is a trollblazer whose passion is fueled by 0:00:56.480 --> 0:00:58.680 hard work. From a young age, she found a deep 0:00:58.720 --> 0:01:01.280 love for basketball, and when she was unable to pursue 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:04.040 playing ball professionally, she still found a way to get 0:01:04.080 --> 0:01:06.200 in the game, or some may actually say that the 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:10.080 game found her how fast can I learn? How good 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:13.360 can I get? How soon can I get to the 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:16.200 next season? Because I want to be better than I 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:20.960 was last. Nevertheless, violence, hard work, and passion pushed past 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:23.800 those naysayers who felt she should just go back to 0:01:23.840 --> 0:01:27.200 the kitchen, and she made history and paved the way 0:01:27.280 --> 0:01:32.399 for future female referees, not only in NBA but across 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:36.880 male dominated sports in general. If that's not inspirational, I 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:40.240 don't know what is. So I hope you enjoyed listening 0:01:40.280 --> 0:01:42.759 to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:45.720 So without further ado, it's time for your dose of 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:56.960 vitamin D vitaminy right with me and get excited about Hello. Hi, 0:01:57.280 --> 0:02:00.640 how are you doing? Are you? I'm so good. It's 0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:05.360 so good to see your face. Oh, thank you. Wait 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:09.160 a minute, Violet Palmer, May I just say happy anniversary 0:02:09.240 --> 0:02:12.560 to you? Well, thank you so much. I know twenty 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:14.800 six years somebody is still putting up with me. How 0:02:16.040 --> 0:02:19.600 my wife, I have to say congratulations to you and Tanya. 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:21.320 I saw you guys, and the grandma was like, wow, 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:24.840 that's love at its finest. Oh, thank you, thank you. 0:02:24.880 --> 0:02:28.080 I'm blessed, No, no doubt, no doubt and I'm blessed 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:29.640 to have you here right now because we've got some 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:34.560 stuff to talk about. Okay, alright, already shooting birst female 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:43.400 NBA referee, What yeah, that's me. Yeah, No, seriously, like 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:50.400 what the first Yes, you know, money don I can 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:54.160 honestly tell you that. Uh you know you're saying that now. 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:57.320 It's it's come to fruition. I think when I started, 0:02:57.440 --> 0:03:00.800 I that was never ever even a thought process, because 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:02.920 you know, when you're going through what you're going through, 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:07.000 it was about work and survival and trying to make 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:10.920 it and trying to just be the best that I 0:03:10.960 --> 0:03:15.600 could be. That I never even thought about first pioneer, 0:03:16.040 --> 0:03:20.800 barrier breaker, you go, I'm serious. I'm just being honest. 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:25.120 We're not even on my mind, none of that. It 0:03:25.320 --> 0:03:30.000 was later in my career, were after you know, establishing myself, 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:34.200 and everybody you know kept saying it, and I was like, wow, 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:39.480 you know what I did do that? I am that one. 0:03:39.840 --> 0:03:43.040 I am that Yes, so I embrace it now, Yes 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.840 I do, thank you, and I accept all of the 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:49.600 accolades and I'll take it. And you know, it's just 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:52.360 happy to be able to say something or do something 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:57.960 to help some other young student athlete just get to 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:01.280 where they want to get to. And and you know, 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.440 I just felt like your story is not only for athletes, 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:08.280 but anyone that has a dream, that's going after a 0:04:08.320 --> 0:04:12.240 passion or a purpose. That's what I said, right, I 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:16.080 don't even disagree, And I can honestly tell you that 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.760 I found my passion, no question about. Okay, So let's 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:22.800 dive in. So first we must say we met through 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:27.320 a mutual friend, Mr Timothy Snell. And actually when I 0:04:27.360 --> 0:04:30.560 was on his show Curvey Style with Timothy SNeW, I 0:04:30.600 --> 0:04:33.280 was getting I don't know if Tanya was doing my hair, 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:36.159 did she touch up my makeup? But I remember her 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:38.160 and I having like a whole dialogue. And then of 0:04:38.160 --> 0:04:41.359 course we're all hanging out and you know, just doing 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:43.000 our thing, and that I met you, and I think 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:46.200 we ran into each other a couple of times over 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:49.320 at win nail spot. No, did you rever gonna win 0:04:49.360 --> 0:04:53.360 on welsher? You know what? Probably maybe I'm winning is 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:57.480 one of your girlfriends, And I'm thinking of one. Her 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:00.680 hair is like a honey blonde in this natural and 0:05:00.720 --> 0:05:06.360 I think she used to happen right my duty duty? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:10.520 I would always see them up there. So that's how 0:05:10.560 --> 0:05:14.400 we know each other and how we met. And you know, 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.080 I'm sitting here and I was thinking about, you know, 0:05:17.200 --> 0:05:20.200 the story and how how to inspire people because a 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.719 lot of times people come about and they're not sure 0:05:22.720 --> 0:05:25.120 what their passion is, they're not sure what the purposes. 0:05:25.480 --> 0:05:28.040 They feel like maybe they can't They've got so many excuses. 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:31.279 But it's something to be said when you are one 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:34.560 that it's establishing the blueprint of it all. Thank you, 0:05:35.120 --> 0:05:38.400 because it's like, how did you fathom to imagine? We'll 0:05:38.400 --> 0:05:40.960 see when we talk about vitamin D, we talk about 0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:45.400 the inspiration that's from within. It is it is, but 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:47.080 you most of us don't know how to find it, 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:51.280 well hello, what it is? Or we don't know what 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:55.240 we could do to get it. And I think for me, 0:05:55.480 --> 0:06:00.360 I can honestly say that I did. I I've found 0:06:00.440 --> 0:06:04.240 mine pretty early. Now. I didn't know how far it 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:08.400 would take me, but I found it. And I just 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:15.480 wanted to be the best in my profession. And you 0:06:15.520 --> 0:06:19.720 know what, I can honestly say, right place, right time, 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:25.839 right gender. I took advantage of every single opportunity that 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:31.599 afforded me. Wow, that's really literally you know. But again 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:34.640 you have to kind of step out on faith and 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:37.560 and want to be, you know, just be the best 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:40.160 you can be. You know, it is a little scary too, 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:43.560 you know, because I was established in my work career 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:48.680 after graduating and got into officiating and it was I 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:52.000 enjoyed it. It was easy money, you know, it was 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:54.560 just fun for me. So let's talk about that. Let's 0:06:54.560 --> 0:06:58.279 talk about that because we think about it. You're from content, 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.560 you know, you'd say you play ball yourself. You're a 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:06.760 point guard, cal polly. So I'm interested to know because 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.320 you look at your life in a span thirty forty 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:12.480 years later, still being in the game. Right, Uh huh, 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.000 how would you say or when did you fall in 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:19.400 love with basketball? Oh? I was a young kid. You 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:22.720 know my mom, I can honestly say she she tried 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:24.920 her best. She you know, she put me in the 0:07:25.320 --> 0:07:27.760 in the yellow dresses and the pink dresses and then 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:30.560 and the cute shoes and you know, do my hair. 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.920 And I can literally remember God once, you know, and 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:36.560 I kind of went from that little girl and I 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:38.480 and my brother was three years younger than me, so 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:41.840 we were two peas in a pot, and all we 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:46.040 wanted to do together was be outside playing with our friends. 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:49.520 And literally I tried every single sport. I played everything, 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:53.560 and it wasn't like at that moment as a kid 0:07:53.600 --> 0:07:55.480 growing up it was just basketball. I did them all. 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:59.720 I read track in school, volleyball, um softball. I mean 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:02.400 I was a really really good softball player. Literally thought 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:04.960 I was almost thought I was a better softball player 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:08.720 and the basketball player. But my love was basketball. So 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:11.920 of course, obviously, once I got um to high school, 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:14.960 I had a really really good high school coach who 0:08:15.000 --> 0:08:18.520 took a lot of time with me and really helped 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:21.640 with as far as recruiting, because you know, in today's world, 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:25.080 for for at that time, Title nine had just kind 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:29.320 of kicked in and understanding that possibly I could get 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:32.040 a scholarship to college. Now, for those who are unfamiliar, 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:35.760 what does Title nine mean? Title nine is what what 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:40.760 came about to help women in sports? Or oh yeah, 0:08:40.800 --> 0:08:45.040 we women were not receiving scholarships. So of course, once 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:50.040 Title nine kicked in, it really provided funds for universities 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:55.720 and colleges to now allow women and for all the 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:59.839 sports and colleges to now be provided scholarships to be 0:08:59.880 --> 0:09:02.400 a of us go to school for free. So I 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:05.760 was one of those students. I went to school for free. 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:09.280 My cal Poli Pomona paid my tuition. The only thing 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:11.440 that my parents had to help me with was my books. 0:09:11.880 --> 0:09:16.840 I had housing, I had uh food state in the dorms. 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:20.319 All of that was paid for from athletics. So let 0:09:20.320 --> 0:09:22.880 me ask you this though. If they had to pass 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:26.160 something called the Title nine just so that females could 0:09:26.160 --> 0:09:30.440 get scholarships to play sports, what was it like being 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:33.800 a female coming up playing sports in general? Was it accepted? 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:39.120 It was accepted, but there wasn't you women couldn't go 0:09:39.760 --> 0:09:43.920 to different universities and have it paid for. Yeah, they were, 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:46.880 they were, you know, of course women could still play. 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:49.880 But here again we had different rules. There was not 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:52.839 there was funds, you know, there was no funding and 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.600 title When Title nine came in, it really helped with 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:59.320 the funding. And of course now we already know that 0:09:59.400 --> 0:10:04.400 it's pretty equal for young boys and young girls wanting 0:10:04.440 --> 0:10:07.200 to make it in college. Now you can go to 0:10:07.440 --> 0:10:10.680 I mean you can get a scholarship and probably basket 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:14.360 weaving if we're good at it, you know, for just 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:19.720 a good example. But all sports now provide young girls 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:24.440 and opportunity the same opportunities that men and young boys 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:28.880 are provided, women and young girls are provided, which their 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:32.440 title nine kicked in. So for me, you know, it 0:10:32.559 --> 0:10:34.760 was one of those where in high school and thinking, 0:10:35.360 --> 0:10:39.199 you know, if I can, of course get a scholarship 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:41.960 to school and my parents don't have to pay, and 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:44.720 this is what I love to do, it's a win win. 0:10:44.840 --> 0:10:47.079 I get a free education, I can play a sport 0:10:47.160 --> 0:10:50.120 that I love. And for me, I just thought there 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:53.120 was no w n B A if you once you 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:55.840 finish school, you know, if you still love the game, 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.040 you would have to go overseas and play, and of 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:00.280 course for me, I didn't want to do that. So 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:02.840 I'm thinking I graduated, it's time for me to get 0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:06.920 a job. Um kind of dibbled and dabbled in officiating 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:10.160 because because of my major in school and just being 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:14.840 an athlete, and found once I kind of got my 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:18.800 feet wet in officiating, it was over. I felt it. 0:11:18.800 --> 0:11:22.120 It was it was like a lightbulb just came on. 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:25.800 I'm like, oh my god, I love this, this is exciting, 0:11:25.920 --> 0:11:30.079 it's different, it's fun. I can, I can And initially john' 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:33.360 don I'll be honest, I just really wanted to stay 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:35.760 in shape, stay close to the game that I love, 0:11:36.360 --> 0:11:39.600 and make a little extra money. Okay. So it was insane, like, oh, 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:41.920 I want to play ball like that is the dream. 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:46.920 It was just something, okay, absolutely not had no idea 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:52.439 that officiating would afford me. I'm saying even before officiating, 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.080 because I'm thinking to the point of how you stay 0:11:55.120 --> 0:11:57.320 connected with the game for so many years, the love 0:11:57.360 --> 0:12:00.400 of just playing ball. Right, So I'm imagining you go 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:02.640 ahead and you're in the n C Double A Championship, 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:07.120 you won eighty six right, Uh huh I did did 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:10.080 you did you feel like, oh my gosh, because you 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:12.160 didn't want to go overseas that you feel depleted? Did 0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:14.200 you feel like it was over? Because I'm thinking, like, 0:12:14.240 --> 0:12:16.360 you're in the rush every time you get on the court, 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:19.120 you got the fans screaming at you, the blood is 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:23.400 pumping in your veins. To like, not that it's anything wrong, 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:26.520 but maybe going to an office job, right or perhaps 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:30.960 was that an adjustment, you know what? To be honest 0:12:31.040 --> 0:12:35.439 with you, when I um, when I of course graduated, 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:40.120 there was kind of a pause for me saying, Okay, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:42.679 now what do I do and now and of course 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:45.920 that pause being okay, it's time to go in the 0:12:45.960 --> 0:12:49.000 real world. It's time to get a job. Um. And 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:54.920 that's where the officient payment because that was like a 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:57.680 part time still can be a part of the game. 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:00.599 Still love it, still make a little part time money. 0:13:00.640 --> 0:13:04.600 And that's really where the officiating part kind of transformed 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:10.480 for me personally. Where with that transition, once you know, 0:13:11.040 --> 0:13:13.640 I knew that I love the sport and it afforded 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:17.000 me a phenomenal education which was free, which really helped 0:13:17.000 --> 0:13:19.880 my parents because of course, after talking to my parents, 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:23.640 they both said, you know what, thank you, because we 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:25.800 didn't know how we were gonna pay for your education. 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:27.880 We didn't know if we were gonna have to possibly 0:13:28.160 --> 0:13:30.480 take a second out on our home, you know, to 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.240 do whatever they had to do to help my brother 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:37.800 and I get to school. Luckily, we both received basketball scholarships, 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:42.160 which was awesome, you know, um. But after that, it's 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:46.360 where the officiating came in and where the love of 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:50.800 a different aspect of basketball came from. Because for me, 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:55.640 it was like the lightbulb came on. It was instant. 0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:59.600 I love it, I'm passionate about it. I'm gonna be 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:04.560 six as full, still not knowing how successful I was 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:07.560 gonna be, because at this point I didn't have any 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:10.600 aspirations to get in the NBA. I didn't even really care. 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:14.160 I was. I was very very happy being a collegiate 0:14:15.240 --> 0:14:19.480 women's basketball official, very very happy with that. Could have 0:14:19.680 --> 0:14:21.720 I would have been doing it to this day, right 0:14:21.880 --> 0:14:24.800 right to this day, I'm sure if the NBA hadn't 0:14:24.920 --> 0:14:28.680 knocked on my door. But again, I go back to 0:14:29.640 --> 0:14:34.000 right place, right time, right gender, because during this whole 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:37.880 collegiate you know, time frame, and I think I spent 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:43.760 eight eight years being a collegiate official and and working 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.120 my way up, and that's how I you know, I 0:14:46.160 --> 0:14:48.720 was able to work five the final fours and the 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:52.880 championship games, and and still being one of the best 0:14:52.920 --> 0:14:56.320 in the country on the college side, afforded me this 0:14:56.480 --> 0:15:00.720 opportunity to have an opportunity to re for in the NBA. 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:04.920 What what okay? Where are you? What happened? Where are 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:09.200 you when you get this inquiry? This request? This is hilarious? 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:12.720 I am I had. I was at home received the 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:16.520 phone call true story from the late Dr Aaron Wade. 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:20.480 He was Dale Garrison's assistant at the time. Dale Garrison 0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:23.880 was the head of the officials in the NBA doc Damn. 0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:27.160 Dr Wade caused me on the phone, he says, um 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:30.040 Ms Palmer. He introduced himself, told me who he was, 0:15:30.440 --> 0:15:32.520 and I'm sitting there on the hold the phone, don 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:37.280 and I go, yeah, right, someone's calling me. They worked 0:15:37.280 --> 0:15:40.680 for the NBA, you know, trying to scout women to 0:15:40.680 --> 0:15:42.480 see if they would like to be in the program. 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:44.840 I honestly thought it was a joke, so I really 0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:49.600 was like really he and he kind of chuckled because 0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:51.960 he said, you know, um, and he and he kind 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:55.040 of had this slow drawl the way he spoke, and 0:15:55.080 --> 0:16:00.280 he said, you know violent, Um, most people that when 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:04.280 I called them, they're like so excited, because of course, 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:07.200 as soon as you say NBA, everyone's like, oh my god, 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:11.760 I'm in. And he goes you you were like, uh really, 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:16.360 And of course we kind of chuckle. But he he 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:19.320 went through to explain that they were looking to train 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.120 some women. I was one of those women. Would I 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:25.760 be interested? Um. He asked me to send him a 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:28.840 couple of videotapes from my college games. He actually saw 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.080 me and he was recommended from book a Turner, which 0:16:32.120 --> 0:16:35.600 was another big time college referee at the time, and 0:16:35.720 --> 0:16:39.440 one of my mentors so received my information from him, 0:16:39.560 --> 0:16:42.680 called me explained the whole program. After I knew it 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:46.200 wasn't a joke, I of course said, of course I 0:16:46.240 --> 0:16:48.960 would be interested. It was free, didn't cost me a 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:52.200 dime other than my time. Of course I'll try it. 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:55.400 So literally us been known to me. A week later, 0:16:55.440 --> 0:17:01.360 I received NBA rule books Wow, an NBA UH jersey 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:05.960 to referee in, and some whole packet telling me, and 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:09.720 I think it was a three week span or might 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:11.520 have been two weeks two to three weeks span, that 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:16.560 I would now be going to Salt Lake City, UH 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:21.639 for an NBA referee training for like eight days. And 0:17:22.520 --> 0:17:26.119 that's how it started. And I said, I'm in why not? 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:31.520 And that's literally how I received a phone call and 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.919 the opportunity, and that's kind of where everything started for me. 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:38.359 So how many of you all are there? Is it 0:17:38.520 --> 0:17:41.840 just you and d cancer? Is there a g? What 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:45.080 is this great question? It was just her and I 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:49.960 and we were in training with I think it was 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:56.880 about fifteen guys in our in our in our particular session. Um, 0:17:56.920 --> 0:17:58.359 and what they have you do is you know, like 0:17:58.400 --> 0:18:01.000 even now like in Vague and of course obviously we 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:02.600 didn't have it this summer, you know how they have 0:18:02.720 --> 0:18:06.720 that summer pro league like invents and all. So that's 0:18:06.760 --> 0:18:10.480 the same training that I actually attended. I just attended 0:18:10.520 --> 0:18:13.720 mine in Salt Lake City and I was of course, 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:15.520 which was great for me because I was able to 0:18:15.560 --> 0:18:19.480 stay home. It afforded me to go to law because 0:18:19.480 --> 0:18:22.359 we had a summer pro league here in in Long 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:25.640 Beach as well at the Pyramid. So I actually attended 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:30.520 both of those um with the same guys. So literally 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:35.400 you it was her and I and these fifteen men, 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:40.440 and we had classroom in the morning from about eight 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:44.400 thirty until about noon, and your games started. You had 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:48.160 a lunch break and you're the game started about two thirty. 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:50.399 There was four games a day, so you either worked 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:54.280 the first game, second game, third game, or fourth game. Um, 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:57.680 it was all the proteins with all their free agents, 0:18:58.040 --> 0:19:02.679 the draft picks, um, the players from overseas that are 0:19:02.720 --> 0:19:05.720 trying to get in the NBA. So everyone of course 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:10.399 obviously within this whole summer summer Pro league are trying 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:13.720 to get into the NBA as well as officials. So 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:15.639 It's like you have the officiating side and you have 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:21.080 the basketball side. And that was the opportunity. Literally walked 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:24.800 into a classroom, had no idea what to expect, um 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:28.679 met these fifteen guys, and I can honestly say that 0:19:28.720 --> 0:19:30.959 those fifteen guys are some of my best friends right 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.680 to this day. So you guys were welcomes with open arms. 0:19:35.200 --> 0:19:38.879 I wouldn't say welcome with open arms. I would say 0:19:39.200 --> 0:19:43.960 had to earn your stripes respect right. Absolutely. It wasn't. 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:46.320 It was one of those where, of course we you know, 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:50.280 everybody was polite and nice and you know, it wasn't 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:53.439 anything like that. But as far as putting in the 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:57.159 work and going on the court and refereeing and all, 0:19:57.560 --> 0:19:59.960 you had to earn the stripes. You had to learn 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:03.080 the NBA rules, who had to learn the mechanics, and 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:05.840 you had to go out every single night and prove 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:10.399 and well, I should say improve every single day, because 0:20:10.440 --> 0:20:14.000 if you didn't, you wouldn't be asked to come back. 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:17.320 So it was either it's either used. This was like 0:20:17.320 --> 0:20:21.080 a survivor before with survivor you know, cotta sorta kinda 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:24.639 survival for officiating. In so many words, um not as 0:20:24.760 --> 0:20:29.760 dramatic as like surviving as a show, but in our way, yes, 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:33.000 it was because if you didn't perform, if you didn't 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:35.879 do well, then you wouldn't be asked back. And I 0:20:35.960 --> 0:20:40.040 actually did that for three for three summers. Wow, I 0:20:40.160 --> 0:20:45.040 actually got hired by the NBA. Wow. Yeah, I did 0:20:45.080 --> 0:20:48.440 it for three summers now and again. So here you are, 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:50.520 so at the time that you're doing the training, are 0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:53.320 you as well as officiating still in the collegiate level 0:20:53.320 --> 0:20:56.919 with the women, Yes, I am so, which was great 0:20:56.960 --> 0:21:01.359 for me. Um. I was able to in the wintertime 0:21:01.680 --> 0:21:04.320 do all my college stuff. I still had my full 0:21:04.320 --> 0:21:06.960 time job, might do all this. I'm still working for 0:21:07.040 --> 0:21:10.320 the City of Love, so I still I had my 0:21:10.359 --> 0:21:13.600 full time time. I'm officiating my college stuff. And then 0:21:13.680 --> 0:21:19.880 the summertime, I spend the entire summer training UM with 0:21:19.960 --> 0:21:22.320 for the NBA to try to be an NBA referee. 0:21:22.640 --> 0:21:25.560 So during this time it was kind of a whirlwind 0:21:25.600 --> 0:21:28.720 for me those three years. Was I had a lot 0:21:28.800 --> 0:21:33.360 going on. Um. I can honestly say, you know time 0:21:33.400 --> 0:21:39.679 you thought I was crazy, you know, And it was 0:21:39.720 --> 0:21:43.000 so funny because I remember telling her like that last year, 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:45.960 I go, you know, it's really not that bad. I 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:50.320 just you know, hopefully, you know, things will It'll change 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:54.000 because I was super busy. Um and even that last 0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:57.359 see that last summer, I threw the w n b 0:21:57.440 --> 0:22:01.200 A in there because I worked. I worked first um 0:22:01.280 --> 0:22:03.840 inaugurable season for the w n b A, so it 0:22:03.920 --> 0:22:08.400 was almost like full time job collegiate referee. Summer started, 0:22:08.840 --> 0:22:11.359 did this, did my summer pro league? The w n 0:22:11.400 --> 0:22:15.200 b A started, did did my w NBA season? And 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:21.680 luckily knock on wood October, the NBA called and said, 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:25.440 you're hired. Wait a minute, where you at. What's happening? 0:22:25.800 --> 0:22:29.120 What is going on? You know you that's a great question. 0:22:29.320 --> 0:22:34.640 I was literally in Salt Lake City. Uh, I had 0:22:34.680 --> 0:22:38.000 a exhibition game. You know how the preseason we called 0:22:38.040 --> 0:22:41.880 an exhibition season. Everybody else kind of calls it the preseason. 0:22:42.359 --> 0:22:45.639 So I was literally had a game, uh the Utah Jazz. 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:49.960 It was probably, I think my fourth exhibition game that 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:52.960 at the beginning of the season. So I was in 0:22:53.000 --> 0:22:55.640 my hotel room. Lock Thorn, he was the vice president 0:22:55.680 --> 0:22:59.280 of operations for officials at the time, called me on 0:22:59.320 --> 0:23:02.080 the phone and said, Uh, are you sitting down? I 0:23:02.080 --> 0:23:05.920 said no, I said, I was staying and literally knock 0:23:06.000 --> 0:23:09.560 on wood, what a blessing told me that the NBA 0:23:09.720 --> 0:23:14.080 was hiring me. I dropped the phone started, Oh my god, 0:23:14.119 --> 0:23:18.560 I can't believe it. Um, I was elated. I I 0:23:18.720 --> 0:23:23.639 really I pitched myself to really of course for me 0:23:23.720 --> 0:23:27.600 to to to say, this is really happening. You know, 0:23:27.840 --> 0:23:32.639 I'm really gonna get this opportunity. But again I knew it, 0:23:32.880 --> 0:23:35.080 you know, not knowing, you know how you know something's 0:23:35.119 --> 0:23:38.920 gonna happen. I just don't go in because I had 0:23:39.000 --> 0:23:42.479 done the work, I had worked hard. I was at 0:23:42.520 --> 0:23:46.280 the top of my class amongst these my guys, um, 0:23:46.920 --> 0:23:50.280 and just wasn't sure if the NBA was gonna pull 0:23:50.320 --> 0:23:53.240 the trigger. And I can honestly say that I have 0:23:53.400 --> 0:23:58.399 to thank David Stern because at the time mccare us 0:23:58.440 --> 0:24:03.640 again he's passed away. He gave me an opportunity that 0:24:03.760 --> 0:24:07.800 changed my life. Wow, changed my life literally. I took 0:24:07.840 --> 0:24:09.800 a leave of absence from my job. I didn't quit 0:24:09.920 --> 0:24:11.520 right away because I was able to take a leave 0:24:11.560 --> 0:24:14.440 of absence. So because I wasn't sure, you know how, 0:24:14.440 --> 0:24:16.560 you're just not sure. I'm like, at the at that 0:24:16.600 --> 0:24:18.080 point in time, I think I was with the City 0:24:18.119 --> 0:24:20.520