1. Richard Francis Powers was an American professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1979.
10 Facts About Richie Powers
1. 2.
Richie Powers worked 25 NBA Finals games, including the triple-overtime Game 5 contest in the 1976 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics, considered "the greatest game ever played" in the NBA, as well as three All-Star Games.
3.
Richie Powers attended St John's University and played baseball under Frank McGuire.
4.
Richie Powers officiated the triple-overtime Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, which was notable for controversial moments involving Richie Powers.
5.
Mendy Rudolph and Rick Barry, color commentators for the CBS Sports telecast, were quick to note that Silas was signaling for a timeout, but Richie Powers ignored the request.
6.
Richie Powers was attacked in the same game by an irate Celtics fan on the court after making the decision to put one second back on the game clock following a made bank shot by the Celtics' John Havlicek at the end of the second overtime that put Boston up by 1.
7.
Rick Barry and play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger were quick to note on the telecast of the game that two seconds remained, but Richie Powers made the decision that only one second remained in the second overtime period after order was restored in the arena.
8.
One sportswriter in the arena reported this to the league which resulted in Richie Powers' being suspended for three weeks and fined $2,500.
9.
Richie Powers left this position, presumably after the NBA signed most of the newly formed minor league's talent.
10.
Richie Powers was a longtime member of the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, and died of a stroke in 1998 in Allentown, Pennsylvania at the age of 67.