1. Marvin "Mendy" Rudolph was an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association for 22 years, from 1953 to 1975.
19 Facts About Mendy Rudolph
1. 2.
One of the few basketball game officials to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Rudolph was the first league referee to work 2,000 games.
3.
Mendy Rudolph was selected to referee eight NBA All-Star Games and made 22 consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
4.
Mendy Rudolph was a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2007.
5.
Mendy Rudolph's father, Harry Rudolph, was a prominent basketball referee and baseball umpire.
6.
Mendy Rudolph played basketball as a child and eventually chose the same profession as his father.
7.
At the time, Mendy Rudolph worked at WGN as an additional job outside of officiating, which was common among referees from his era.
8.
Mendy Rudolph had cashed in his $60,000 pension fund to pay debts and he still owed an additional $100,000.
9.
Mendy Rudolph was recommended by Eddie Gottlieb, coach and owner of the NBA's Philadelphia Warriors at the time, to then-NBA commissioner Maurice Podoloff, after observing Mendy Rudolph officiate an exhibition game.
10.
Mendy Rudolph officiated the 1955 NBA Finals between the Syracuse Nationals and Fort Wayne Pistons, which was notable for its actions by fans, fights between players, and attacks on referees.
11.
Mendy Rudolph, who was widely respected by his peers, coaches, and players, wrote the NBA Official's Manual and Case Book.
12.
On November 9,1975, Mendy Rudolph officially ended his career as a referee in the NBA, in which he officiated more games than any official in league history at the time.
13.
In 1976, Mendy Rudolph was featured in a Miller Brewing Company television advertisement along with then-Celtics head coach Tom Heinsohn to promote Miller Lite's "Tastes Great, Less Filling" advertising campaign.
14.
Mendy Rudolph died on July 4,1979, from a heart attack in New York City.
15.
Early in his officiating career, Joe Crawford attended games that Mendy Rudolph worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and studied his style and approach.
16.
Earl Strom credited Mendy Rudolph for being an influence on the development of his career in the NBA.
17.
Mendy Rudolph made the call regardless of the pressure, whom it involved, or where it was.
18.
Strom was an advocate to get Mendy Rudolph enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
19.
Mendy Rudolph became the thirteenth referee to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.