Richard Jefferson was called on to referee the 2023 Ruffles All-Star Celebrity Game in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday. Giannis Antetokounmpo, coach for Team Dwayne, was surprised to see the former official at the game.
“Richard jefferson reffin’ is the best part of this celebrity game #allstarweekend,” a Twitter user said.
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“Lol, I’m loving this Celebrity game. Richard Jefferson is a perfect ref for this one,” a second one said.
“Richard Jefferson won the night. Man had 3 jobs,” another user said.
“What a legend. Richard Jefferson is doing it all at the NBA All-Star Celebrity game. He was on the broadcast, then suited up to ref the game, and played the second half for Team Ryan. Turns out it wasn’t the Jefferson triplets,” a Twitter user said.
Two-time NBA MVP Antetokounmpo, his brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo, and Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn are coaching team Dwayne.
Richard Jefferson is a former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on ESPN. He played college basketball with the Arizona Wildcats. He retired from the game on October 13, 2018, becoming a basketball analyst.
Jefferson was born on June 21, 1980, in Los Angeles and was raised in Phoenix. He played college basketball at the University of Arizona, under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson from 1998 to 2001.
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Jefferson was drafted in the first round of the 2001 NBA draft with the 13th overall pick. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in his first season with the New Jersey Nets. He played seven seasons with the New Jersey Nets. He was a key element of their back-to-back Easter Conference Championship teams of 2002 and 2003. In 2016, he won the NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jefferson was a member of the United States national team that won a bronze medal in the 2004 summer Olympics.
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In October 2018, Jefferson joined the Yes Network as the Nets’ game and studio analyst. He also features as a basketball analyst on FS1, ESPN, and the Pac-12 Network. He dated dancer and cheerleader Kesha Nichols for five years.
