Joe Gushue

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Joseph J. Gushue was a highly respected referee in the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association (NBA).^[1] He refereed in All Star Games, the ABA finals, NBA finals series, in addition to over 20 years of regular season work. He was one of four lead NBA referees who left the NBA to join the ABA, which resulted in dramatically increased salaries for referees, rejoining the NBA when the leagues merged.

Gushue was born in Port Richmond, Philadelphia and attended Northeast Catholic High School.^[2]

Gushue worked as a carpenter and refereed community games before for being spotted by Sid Borgia, who saw him refereeing a summer league game while on vacation in Wildwood, New Jersey.^[2][3] He was invited to try out for the NBA in 1961. There was one opening left, and Gushue won it over future Los Angeles Dodgers' manager Tommy Lasorda.^[4]

He was one of the many NBA referees coming out of Philadelphia, whether by actual birth or later training in Philadelphia, sharing the common trait of officiating a game in a way that they controlled the game, and the game did not control them. Gushue would become a mentor to Philadelphia born referee Jake O'Donnell, who would become a mentor to suburban Philadelphia born referee Joey Crawford (O'Donnell knowing Crawford's father Shag as they both were major league baseball umpires).^[3] Crawford explained that they did not seek praise from players or coaches for doing a good job, "'but I wanted Joe Gushue to say, Joe you're a really good ref.'"^[3]

In the 1968-1969 season, he often partnered with Ken Hudson, the only African American referee in the NBA. Gushue, along with Norm Drucker and John Vanak, mentored Hudson, and were both helpful and protective.^[5]

In 1969, when the upstart American Basketball Association was raiding the NBA for talent, Gushue, along with three other top NBA "lead" referees—John Vanak, Earl Strom, and Norm Drucker—jumped to the ABA with multi-year contracts paying much higher salaries than NBA officials received.^[1] As a result, professional officiating salaries dramatically increased.^[1]

Gushue officiated in the 1965 NBA All-Star Game, 1969 NBA All-Star Game, 1971 ABA All-Star Game, 1977 NBA Finals, the 1978 NBA Finals, 1979 NBA Finals, 1980 NBA All-Star Game and 1980 NBA Finals. In the 1978 NBA finals between the Seattle Supersonics and Washington Bullets, six "Philadelphia" referees were slotted for the series (Gushue, O'Donnell, Jack Madden, Eddie Rush, Earl Strom, and John Vanak).^[3]

He refereed game 7 of the ABA finals with John Vanak, between the Kentucky Colonels and Indiana Pacers, where a hobbled Gus Johnson entered the game after Indiana center Mel Daniels got in foul trouble, and led Indiana to the win.^[6] He also refereed the final game of the 1980 NBA finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers.^[7]

Gushue was dismissed by the NBA after the 1982 season (along with Bob Rakel and Jesse Kersey) on the basis knee surgery made him physically unable to perform. He had missed the 1982 season.^[4] When the referees settled a 1983 labor dispute with the league in December 1983, after a 100-day lockout by the league, the agreement specifically provided Gushue be allowed to work until January 14, 1984, after which a panel of five would review his case.^[8][9]

Gushue returned for the 1984 season, but needed more surgery. He retired from refereeing after the 1984 season and returned to his former profession as a union carpenter from UBC Local 1856, working until two years before his death. He died on November 12, 1996, aged 64 of heart failure, after having battled colon cancer for a year.^[4]