Before the Whistle, with John Goble

What did NBA referees do before they rose through the ranks to the top of their field? How did they pay the bills while working their way up the ladder? Were they pursuing a career in a different industry before they decided to go all in?

John Goble is a veteran NBA official with 11 years under his belt. Goble’s first referee experience was officiating a 9-and-under game while he was in college. He worked his way up through the youth and high school leagues in his hometown of Miami, and eventually at around 20 years old, started officiating in the NCAA, working his way to some of the most competitive collegiate leagues in the country and officiating in the D-League (currently the G-League) at the same time.

In a Q&A with John Goble, John took us back to the years just after college…

Q: Was there another career you had in a different industry before becoming an NBA referee?

John: “When I first graduated from college, I got a job as a sales rep at a photocopier company. It was sort of a cliché because my degree was in physical education and sports management. My goal in college was to become an athletic director so I could stay involved in sports, but by that time, the officiating bug had piqued my interests. I had to find a career that gave me the flexibility to be committed to being available to work games. So I took the sales rep job selling photocopiers and eventually transitioned to selling athletic uniforms, all while refereeing college games and, D-League until I got hired in the NBA.”

Q: What was your day-to-day like at the sales job?

John: “I would have to drive 20 miles from my parent’s house, where I lived at the time, to the office. I would follow up with phone calls I had from customers in my area. I also had to check the pipeline to see what customer care visits or sales appointments I had that day. It was so analogous (to being an NBA referee) because it was still life on the road. I’m driving one way to meet with everyone and then taking off and going the other way. And then I was waiting in line to speak with office managers. Whether it was at a doctor’s office or a business. I did that for a little bit over a year, and then I transitioned to doing sales for athletic uniforms.”

Q: What advice would you give someone trying to make the career switch?

“If you do have an interest in both careers, I would say follow what you’re passionate about. If you really wanted to be an accountant or something all of your life, and that’s what you’re more passionate about, stick with that path. Everyone who ends up becoming an NBA referee is so passionate about officiating because they caught that bug, and end up drifting away from what they thought their career was going to be because they have more passion for officiating.”