Earl "Yogi" Strom (December 15, 1927 – July 10, 1994) was an American professional basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for three years in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Strom is credited as one of the great referees in the history of the NBA and was known for his flamboyant style and ability to control the game. Nicknamed "The Pied Piper", the assertive Strom made foul calls with his whistle by using a "tweet-pause-tweet-tweet" tune and pointing at the offending player. In addition to calling fouls with flair, he was known for ejecting players from games with style and he sometimes supported his rulings with physical force.
Over the course of his career, he officiated 2,400 professional basketball regular season games, 295 playoff games, 7 All-Star games, and 29 NBA and ABA Finals. For his extensive contributions to the game, Strom was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
Early life Strom was born December 15, 1927, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, to Orthodox Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Austria-Hungary, Max and Bessie Strom. Earl's father, Max, was a foreman at a bakery, and Earl grew up in the kosher household as the youngest of seven children comprising five boys and two girls. As a child, he became interested in athletics and competing in sports, and this interest lasted throughout his childhood and into high school. At Pottstown High School, Strom played football, baseball, and basketball. One of his classmates in high school was future major league baseball pitcher, and American League MVP, Bobby Shantz. In 1989, he was inducted into the Pottstown School District Alumni Honor Roll.
After graduating from high school in 1945, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, serving during the final months of World War II.Strom et al., 89 Returning from service, Strom attended Pierce Junior College (now Pierce College) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1951. Following school, the young Strom continued participating in sports and played for a local semi-professional basketball team in his early 20s. During a basketball game, he had an argument with a referee and the referee said "Look, you're not much of a player, and you've got a pretty good mouth on you, so why don't you think about taking up refereeing?" Following the advice of the referee, Strom decided to get into officiating. He officiated high school games for nine years as well as college games in the East Coast Athletic Conference for three years.Strom et al., 95
In 1952, he married Yvonne Trollinger, and the couple went on to have five children. Outside of officiating, Strom worked at General Electric in customer relations starting in 1956 and continued in this role through his first stint in the NBA.Strom et al., 43 He felt this "day job" provided security to his family since officiating in the NBA did not at the time.
Professional basketball officiating career National Basketball Association (1957–1969) Early years Strom became an NBA referee with the start of the 1957–58 NBA season after accepting an invitation to join the league from Jocko Collins, supervisor of officials.Strom et al., 96–97 He further developed his skills in the league by learning from other officials such as Mendy Rudolph, Norm Drucker, and Sid Borgia. Strom ascended to the top of the officiating ladder by the end of his third season in the league as he was assigned playoff games, which was uncommon for lesser experienced referees at the time.Strom et al., 114 The following year, Strom and Rudolph made NBA history when they officiated the 1961 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks. This was the only time in NBA history that the same two officials worked an entire series, which was the result of the two teams not agreeing on any other officials to use in the series.Strom et al., 115
In 1959, Strom refereed the first NBA game Wilt Chamberlain played against Bill Russell, and he called the last game they played against each other ten years later. Early in longtime referee Joey Crawford's career he was paired with Strom in a game where Crawford ejected a coach two minutes into the game. Strom berated Crawford during halftime, with "every name in the book", and told Crawford, "'I like that you have guts, but you've got to have smart guts like me.'"
Six years into his NBA career, Strom had worked every playoff game in the semi-finals and finals along with Rudolph.Strom et al., 127 In fact, the former was assigned to any seventh and deciding game in a series during this time. He was also involved in one of the most memorable moments in NBA history during the 1965 Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. In the seventh and final game, the 76ers trailed the Celtics 110–109 with five seconds left. The 76ers had possession of the ball and attempted to inbound the pass as the Celtics' John Havlicek tipped the pass thrown by Hal Greer and preserved the Celtics victory. Celtics' radio announcer Johnny Most made his most fabled call: "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!"Strom et al., 82–83 And all this while, Strom had officiated the game in a cast as he had broken his hand while punching a fan during an altercation at a game the previous night.Strom et al., 81–82
Memorable encounter with Wilt Chamberlain In another significant moment in his officiating career, Strom was saved from an angry mob by legendary center Wilt Chamberlain during a game played in Memphis, Tennessee, in the mid-1960s. Strom had made a call that went against the St. Louis Hawks and at halftime was called a "gutless bastard" by Hawks general manager Irv Gack at the scorer's table. The fiery official asked Gack to repeat the comment as he reached across the table and grabbed Gack by the shirt. Fans started coming down from the seats while Chamberlain, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers at the time, saw what was going on. He stepped across the table, picked Strom up and said, "C'mon Earl. Let's get the hell out of here."
Controversies More controversies surrounded Strom when he was again involved in a historical NBA moment during the 1967 NBA All-Star Game. As one of the referees in the game, Strom was responsible for the ejection of Red Auerbach, head coach of the East All-Stars. Auerbach remains the only coach to be ejected in an All-Star Game. Nevertheless, Strom was subsequently designated crew chief in 1967 and 1968 when the league hired Dolph Schayes as supervisor of officials for the NBA.Strom et al., 125 He was put in charge of scouting crews, rating referees, and developing the skills of lesser experienced referees as well as working a schedule of games.
Departure to the American Basketball Association After more than a decade's experience in the game, Strom was offered a salary contract over 82 games for $16,000 for the first time by Commissioner Walter Kennedy in August 1969.Strom et al., 133 It was at this time that Strom became interested in listening to what the ABA, which started in 1967, had to offer in the bidding war that ensued between the two leagues over talent.Strom et al., 134–135 The NBA did not offer benefit plans such as pension, family hospitalization, and long-term disability, which were of importance to Strom and his family.
Lured by Borgia, who jumped from the NBA to the ABA to become supervisor of officials, Strom and three other officials—John Vanak, Norm Drucker, and Joe Gushue—met with acting ABA Commissioner Jim Gardner during the summer of 1969. The ABA accepted Strom's demands of a $25,000 per year salary, a $25,000 signing bonus, and a health insurance and pension plan. As the four officials left for the ABA in 1969, it brought reform to NBA referees in terms of compensation and benefits. Regular officials in the NBA were offered contracts and salaries increased significantly.Strom et al., 140–141 Additionally, medical and pension plans were provided for the officials.
American Basketball Association (1969–1972) Differences between the leagues While Strom earned more than twice as much in the ABA than the NBA, he soon became disenchanted with the ABA for the lack of big name superstars and arenas that the NBA provided. Strom had anticipated that the ABA product would be inferior to the NBA, but assumed that the increase in pay would compensate for the level of play.Strom et al., 143–144 However, he fed off the energy of the fans when officiating games and the small attendance sizes in the ABA made him feel depressed.Strom et al., 143
Controversies Controversy again did not elude Strom in the ABA. In a 1970 game between the Texas Chaparrals and Denver Rockets in Denver, Colorado, he was attacked by a fan who came onto the court after Strom confronted the fan who was using profanity.Strom et al., 154–155 Strom threw two punches before police officers took the fan away. For his involvement in the incident, Strom was fined $250 by the league.
Not long after, he was fined by the league again. Following an exhibition game that Strom officiated between the Virginia Squires and Kentucky Colonels, he told a Philadelphia reporter that he had just seen the greatest player alive, referring to Julius Erving.Strom et al., 148 While Erving was a very influential player in his era, the president of the Colonels, Mike Storen, complained that Strom was promoting players. The league fined Strom $50, but he sent $100 to Commissioner Jack Dolph saying, "The first fifty dollars is for the fine and the second fifty dollars is because I'm tellin' ya' he is the greatest."
Departure from the American Basketball Association After the conclusion of his third season in the ABA, the dissatisfied Strom contacted NBA Commissioner Walter Kennedy to discuss returning to the NBA.Strom et al., 144 Encouraged with the support of Wayne Embry and Pat Williams, general managers of the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls respectively, Strom met with Kennedy during the 1972 ABA Playoffs.Strom et al., 158–159 Kennedy informed Strom that John Nucatola, supervisor of officials, manages the staffing of officials, but Strom received a vote of confidence to come back to the NBA in the form of a handshake from the commissioner.Strom et al., 159–160
Strom met with Nucatola and discussed salary and benefits.Strom et al., 160 Strom was told by Nucatola that he would be getting a $25,000 salary and was guaranteed a job in the NBA for the start of the 1972–73 NBA season through a handshake agreement although no contract was signed. Strom was told a contract would be available to sign upon the completion of his twelve-game ABA playoff officiating schedule. Strom called the league to ask why he was not scheduled to officiate after his guaranteed schedule of games and was told by Norm Drucker, then supervisor of officials for the ABA, "You know the reason. They know you're going back [to the NBA] and they told me not to assign you any more playoff games."Strom et al., 161
Return to the National Basketball Association With his ABA career over following the playoffs in 1972, Strom contacted Nucatola to get an NBA contract signed for the 1972–73 NBA season. Nucatola told Strom to call back after the conclusion of the 1972 NBA Playoffs. Strom called Nucatola following the NBA playoffs, but was told to "wait a little longer." Strom continued to have difficulties with Nucatola over the next several months and finally sought the assistance of Richie Phillips, a Philadelphia attorney and NBA player representative.Strom et al., 162–163