Former NBA player Workman seeks to return to the league - as a ref.
By PETE YOUNG
Published June 16, 2004
TAMPA - Haywoode Workman carved out an eight-year NBA career with - what else? - hard work.
Hard work on defense. Hard work in his conditioning. Hard work in practice.
The workmanlike Workman complemented scoring machine Reggie Miller in the Indiana backcourt in the mid 1990s. In 1993-94, he started 52 games as the Pacers reached the Eastern Conference final, playing stout defense and averaging 6.2 assists.
A severe knee injury early in the 1996-97 season shortened his playing career but couldn't diminish his love of the game. Looking for a way to stay connected, Workman, true to form, is taking the grinding, underappreciated - and, for a former NBA player, rare - path back to the league.
As a referee.
"All the guys who stay in the game are either coaches or analysts; I wanted to do something different," said Workman, who lives in Tampa. "I like being out on the court."
Workman, 38, last played in the NBA with Toronto in 2000. He officiated part-time in the CBA two years ago and last season in the NBDL, the NBA's developmental league. "I think this is where I can make an impact on the game," he said.
In part to provide a training ground for himself and other refs, Workman also re-established the Bay Pro-Am after a two-year hiatus. He is the president/director of the top-flight summer league, which begins this weekend at Hillsborough Community College.
"We need somewhere to practice (officiating)," Workman said. "That's kind of my whole mission. I'm not the only person that's trying to make it. We have maybe eight, 10 guys in CBA or NBDL programs that live in the central Florida area. We're giving guys a chance to play, and we're trying to make it as refs. You can use this league as an avenue to get to where you're going."
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In the summer of 2001, Workman thought his avenue was going back to an NBA roster.
He was working out with several NBA players at IMG Academies in Bradenton when he crossed paths with veteran NBA referee Bob Delaney.
"Sometimes it's hard for a player to realize he has lost a step," said Delaney, who lives near Bradenton in Lakewood Ranch. "I told Haywoode that as he looks to the twilight of his career, he might want to think about refereeing. I thought he had that kind of potential. I know he loves the game and has a passion for it."
The transition is uncommon. Leon Wood and Bernie Fryer are the only former NBA players officiating in the league.
"We always talk about "getting the player out of them,' " Delaney said. "My roommate in the minor leagues was (former NBA player) Ernie DiGregorio. During timeouts, we would talk about things such as team fouls or what to be prepared for. Ernie would talk about his playing days.
"If they're a star in (the NBA), they don't need a real job when they retire. I don't see Michael Jordan becoming an NBA ref."
Workman has a similar profile to Wood and Fryer. He did not become grossly rich or famous and is not consumed with braggadocio.
"I got paid $1-million a year for a few years; I'm in the real world now," Workman said. "I have never been outside of the box. I did something I loved to do and got paid pretty well for it. This is reality now. As a player, it's 50-50 love: at home you're loved, on the road you're hated. As a ref, you're 100 percent hated. That's just part of the job."
Workman thinks former players have a better feel for the game, but he knows he has much to learn.
"The on and off court stuff is intriguing to me," Workman said. "I bet if you told players the refs had a pregame meeting, they'd be surprised. They have a shootaround, we have a meeting."
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Workman's low profile in the Tampa area allows him to work incognito. He officiates in various leagues, including local high school games, while trying to gain as much experience as possible.
"Haywoode is a great guy and definitely one of the best refs out here," said 620 WDAE-AM sports talk host Sandy Penner, who plays in a basketball league at Harbour Island Athletic Club. "Some people know who he is, but unless you really know the NBA from the 1990s, you probably don't know him."
Workman is determined to spread the word that officiating is one of many good ways to make a living in basketball. In Indiana he had established a charitable foundation, and he wants the Bay Pro-Am to assist those who love basketball in finding careers.
"We will reach out to kids who might want to become referees, sports trainers, sports managers, and let them get experience," Workman said. "I know what it takes to be a player; it's very hard. I might ask if they've thought about refing. It might be a little easier to get where you want to go."
Workman wants to go back to the NBA and help others along the way.
"For me it's fun; I get to run up and down the court," Workman said. "I can make an impact, earn a living and give back.
"It was fun as a player while it lasted. There's no retirement age for a ref, so how long can I do it? Just like a player, you've got to be ready when opportunity knocks."
WHAT: Bay Pro-Am basketball league.
WHEN: Beginning this weekend through Aug. 15. Games are each Friday at 6 and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2, 3:30, 5; and Sunday at noon, 1:30 p.m., 3, 4:30.
WHERE: Hillsborough Community College/Dale Mabry campus.
OF NOTE: Games this Friday are moved back one hour (7 and 8:30 p.m.) and games this Saturday are moved back two hours. After Saturday's first game, which starts at 1, there will be a presentation in honor of the late Dell Holmes, the league founder. A community service award will be established in his honor.
