The San Antonio Spurs now know which officials will be working the biggest games of their season.
The NBA announced Tuesday the 12 referees selected to officiate the 2026 NBA Finals between the Spurs and New York Knicks, giving Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and rookie Dylan Harper their first look at the officiating crew that will oversee the franchise’s first championship series appearance since 2014.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
“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,” NBA President of League Operations Byron Spruell said in a statement. “We are grateful for their unwavering dedication to the game and pursuit of excellence in their craft.”
NBA Finals Crew Set for Spurs-Knicks Championship Series
The NBA selected 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 to work the Finals.
Officials are chosen based on evaluations conducted throughout the season, including referee grades, play-calling accuracy, rankings and team ratings. Referees are also evaluated after each playoff round before advancing deeper into the postseason.
Nick Buchert, JB DeRosa, Mitchell Ervin and Justin Van Duyne were selected as alternate officials for the Finals.
For a young Spurs team led by Wembanyama, the officiating crew features some of the most experienced referees in league history alongside one official making his Finals debut.
Scott Foster Headlines Experienced Finals Group
GettyVeteran NBA referee Scott Foster stands alongside San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during a game. Foster was among the 12 officials selected to work the 2026 NBA Finals between the Spurs and New York Knicks.
No official selected for this year’s Finals has more championship experience than Scott Foster.
Foster will work his 19th NBA Finals and has officiated 26 Finals games, the most among this year’s crew.
Marc Davis ranks second among the group with 23 Finals games officiated and is making his 15th Finals appearance, matching Tony Brothers for the most Finals assignments among active officials selected this year.
James Capers will officiate his 14th NBA Finals, while Zach Zarba was selected for his 13th Finals assignment.
That veteran presence could be especially important in a championship matchup featuring one of the league’s youngest contenders in San Antonio against a Knicks team seeking its first title since 1973.
Players Ranked Zach Zarba Among NBA’s Best Officials
GettyVeteran NBA referee Zach Zarba speaks with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort during a game. Zarba, who was ranked the NBA’s top referee in the NBPA’s annual player survey, was among the officials selected to work the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.
The announcement comes less than a month after the National Basketball Players Association released findings from its annual referee survey, which collected feedback from 411 players across all 30 teams.
The survey revealed that players place a premium on communication, consistency and accuracy when evaluating officials.
According to the NBPA, Zarba finished as the league’s highest-rated referee and was the only official ranked among the top 12 by every NBA team.
Several officials selected for the Finals landed in the NBPA’s Tier 1 category, including Blair, Brothers, Capers, Davis, Kirkland, Tiven, Williams, Wright and Zarba.
Grant Williams, the NBPA’s first vice president, previously emphasized that players value officials who communicate effectively and maintain consistency throughout games.
“As long as you’re calling a game consistently, guys are willing to adapt,” Williams said during the union’s State of the Game roundtable discussion.
Curtis Blair Earns First NBA Finals Assignment
GettyReferee Curtis Blair will make his NBA Finals debut.
One of the biggest individual milestones belongs to Blair.
The veteran referee will make his NBA Finals debut after previously serving as an alternate official in 2021 and 2022.
Blair’s selection also aligns with player feedback. He was one of the officials placed in the NBPA’s top tier of referees heading into the postseason.
Meanwhile, Foster’s inclusion drew attention after the longtime referee was placed in the NBPA’s Tier 2 category despite his extensive Finals experience and status as one of the league’s most recognizable officials.
The NBA will announce individual referee assignments for each Finals game on the morning of game day.
With Wembanyama preparing for the first NBA Finals appearance of his career and the Spurs chasing their first championship since the Tim Duncan era, the league’s top officiating crew will now take center stage alongside one of basketball’s brightest young contenders.
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