Tyler Ford, Ben Taylor picked to work NBA Finals for the 1st time. The famed 'white jacket' awaits

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Tyler Ford, Ben Taylor picked to work NBA Finals for the 1st time. The famed 'white jacket' awaits

2025-06-04 08:04 Last Updated At：08:10

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For NBA players, the prize is the gold trophy. For NBA referees, the prize is the white jacket.

And for Tyler Ford and Ben Taylor, the jacket has arrived. Soon, so will the moment they've worked a long time for — they're going to be blowing the whistle at the NBA Finals.

Ford and Taylor were the two first-time selections on a roster of 12 referees that were announced Tuesday as those picked to work the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. The series begins Thursday in Oklahoma City.

“That jacket's really sweet and it's sort of our trophy,” Ford said. “There's a special significance to the white jacket. Everybody's who's been in the finals or aspires to do the finals recognizes that. You get one when you're an alternate because you walk out there and you take a picture and you've got to be prepared, but it's a little different when you're actually one of the 12 and you'll be working on the floor.”

Both have been alternates before, so they know what the white jacket looks like and feels like. But Taylor made sure that he'll know the difference between the ones he got as an alternate and the ones he'll get now as a full-fledged finals referee.

“I literally wrote on every one of them. I wrote ALT on the tag of every one I've got so far,” Taylor said. “It's the culmination of life's work. I got into the minor leagues at 20 or 21 years old. It's all I've ever known and it's all I've ever done. It's the pinnacle. The extreme pinnacle is Game 7 crew chief, but this is a strong step in that direction.”

Scott Foster is the most veteran of the finals referees; he was picked to work the title series for the 18th time. Tony Brothers and Marc Davis were both picked for the 14th time, James Capers for the 13th time, Zach Zarba for the 12th time and John Goble for the ninth time in his career.

David Guthrie is now an eight-time selection for the finals, while Josh Tiven was picked for the sixth time, James Williams for a fifth time and Sean Wright for a second time.

“We are grateful for these 12 individuals and their dedication to serving the game at the highest levels throughout the season,” said Byron Spruell, the NBA President for League Operations. “Being selected to work the NBA Finals is the top honor as an NBA official, and I congratulate this exceptional group on a worthy achievement.”

Courtney Kirkland and Kevin Scott were picked as alternates. Foster has officiated the most NBA Finals games among this year’s referees with 25, while Davis has worked 21 and Brothers has worked 17.

NBA Finals officials were selected based on their overall performance throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. Officials were evaluated by the NBA Referee Operations management team after each round to determine advancement in this year’s postseason, the league said.

Ford and Taylor got the calls informing them they had made it from Albert Sanders Jr., the league’s head of referee operations. Neither knew when — or if — the call was coming, and knew they had no control over the decision.

“It's a lot of mental ability to be able to say, ‘OK, can I live with the work that I’ve done and be OK with whatever comes?'” Taylor said.

If previous form holds, each of the 12 will work one of the first four games in the series as part of a standard three-person crew. If the series goes past Game 4, the NBA will continue assigning as needed from the same pool for the remainder of the matchup.

The crews for each game are typically announced around 9 a.m. Eastern on game days. For Ford, it just so happens that Game 2 is on his 40th birthday Sunday — if it works out that way — and he worked the G League Finals the year he turned 30. Whichever game he works, it'll be around his 40th birthday, so there's some neat symmetry there as far as merging a work milestone with a milestone birthday.

“This is what you work for,” Ford said. “You want to be in these moments.”

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Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.