NEW YORK, July 5, 2021 – The NBA today announced the list of referees assigned to the NBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV. The championship series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns tips off on Tuesday, July 6 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
“Being selected to work The Finals is the top honor for an NBA official,” said Byron Spruell, NBA President, League Operations. “This group of officials has earned the right to represent the NBA by way of their outstanding work during this year’s playoffs.”
Finals officials were selected by the NBA Referee Operations management team based on their performance throughout the first three rounds of the 2021 playoffs. Officials were evaluated after each round to determine advancement in this year’s postseason.
The referees assigned to The Finals are below:
| Tony Brothers (10th Finals) | David Guthrie (4th) |
| James Capers (10th) | Courtney Kirkland (1st) |
| Marc Davis (10th) | Eric Lewis (3rd) |
| Kane Fitzgerald (3rd) | Josh Tiven (2nd) |
| Scott Foster (14th) | James Williams (1st) |
| Pat Fraher (2nd) | Sean Wright (1st) |
| John Goble (5th) | Zach Zarba (8th) |
Foster has officiated 20 Finals games, followed by Davis (14), Capers (12) and Brothers (11). The officiating roster also includes three first-time Finals referees: Courtney Kirkland, James Williams and Sean Wright. Wright was an alternate for the 2019 Finals.
NBA officials Curtis Blair and Tom Washington have been assigned as alternates for The Finals 2021.
Longtime NBA official Tony Brown has been named as an honorary referee for The Finals. Brown, a Finals official in 2020, has not officiated during the playoffs after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April.
Individual game assignments for referees are posted at NBA.com/official at approximately 9 a.m. ET each game day.