The NBA has unveiled the 12 referees selected to officiate the 2026 NBA Finals, with veteran officials and a first-time Finals referee earning assignments for the championship series between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC, marking the first championship meeting between the Knicks and Spurs and guaranteeing the league’s eighth different champion in eight seasons.
In announcing the selections, NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell praised the officials chosen to work the league’s biggest stage.
“Being selected to work the NBA Finals is the highest honor for an NBA official, and I congratulate them on an outstanding and well-earned achievement,” Spruell said in a statement.
Curtis Blair Earns First NBA Finals Assignment
GettyReferee Curtis Blair will make his NBA Finals debut.
Among the most notable selections is Curtis Blair, who will make his NBA Finals debut after previously serving as an alternate official in 2021 and 2022.
The full list of officials assigned to the 2026 NBA Finals includes Curtis Blair, Tony Brothers, James Capers, Marc Davis, Tyler Ford, Scott Foster, John Goble, Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven, James Williams, Sean Wright and Zach Zarba.
The NBA said officials were selected based on season-long evaluations that included referee grades, rankings, play-calling accuracy and team ratings. Officials are reviewed after each playoff round before advancing deeper into the postseason.
Nick Buchert, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin and Justin Van Duyne were named alternates for the Finals.
Scott Foster Leads Group in NBA Finals Experience
GettyReferee Scott Foster calls a technical foul during an NBA game.
Veteran referee Scott Foster enters the series with the most NBA Finals experience among this year’s crew.
Foster has worked 26 NBA Finals games and will be appearing in his 19th Finals. Marc Davis ranks second among this year’s officials with 23 Finals games officiated, while Tony Brothers has worked 19 Finals contests.
Davis is making his 15th Finals appearance, matching Brothers for the most among the selected officials.
James Capers will work his 14th Finals, while Zach Zarba has been selected for his 13th NBA Finals assignment.
NBPA Survey Offers Insight Into Players’ Referee Preferences
The NBA’s selections also come weeks after the National Basketball Players Association released results from its annual referee survey, which included feedback from 411 players across all 30 NBA teams.
The NBPA recommended that only Tier 1 officials handle NBA Finals games, citing the importance of consistency, communication and accuracy.
Several referees selected by the NBA were ranked among the union’s Tier 1 officials, including Blair, Brothers, Capers, Davis, Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven, James Williams, Sean Wright and Zach Zarba.
Zarba earned perhaps the strongest endorsement from players, finishing as the highest-rated referee in the league. According to the NBPA, Zarba was the only official ranked among the top 12 referees by every NBA team.
One notable inclusion was Foster, who was placed in the NBPA’s Tier 2 category despite his extensive Finals experience. The union described Foster as one of the league’s most polarizing officials, noting that player evaluations varied widely across teams.
Referees to Be Assigned Game-by-Game
The NBA said individual referee assignments for each Finals game will be announced on game days at approximately 9 a.m. ET through the league’s officiating portal.
With the Knicks seeking their first championship since 1973 and the Spurs aiming to add another title to their storied history, the spotlight will now shift to the court as the 2026 NBA Finals begin Wednesday night.
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