Ex-referee still earns his stripes By STEVE HUMMER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 01/27/06 While the NBA standings offer no clue, a message of success does breathe inside Philips Arena. The messenger is there at every Hawks game, although he'd need a stepstool to high-five Zaza Pachulia. To meet Ken Hudson is to be overpowered by him. He's 66, stands 5 feet 6 on a good day, and through the force of personality tends to play a lot taller. That he is on hand at Hawks home games as a referee observer for the NBA is almost incidental to the bigger story. There is a lot more going on here than just judging the validity of Bennett Salvatore's blocking call. Hudson will spot former center Patrick Ewing, in town as a Houston Rockets assistant, and launch into a story. "The year before he was trying to make up his mind whether or not to go out early [from Georgetown], we had lunch," Hudson recalled. "I said, 'No, you don't want to go. The money will be there. You just go play. Your mother wants you to graduate.' And the rest is history [fine arts degree, 1985]." As one of the first black referees in the NBA — he signed on in 1968 for $90 a game — Hudson is a footnote in league history. There's a story behind it, of course. Living in Boston at the time, where his penchant for community involvement began, Hudson officiated Celtics scrimmages. He mentioned he'd like to try the real NBA thing. A few references from Red Auerbach and Bill Russell later, he was in the show. "In 1968, when Dr. [Martin Luther] King was shot, that was my first year refereeing," he said. "People ask me all the time, what was it like? From the players' and coaches' perspective, it was a job. They wanted to see me succeed. They weren't going to treat me any differently than any other referee, but they wanted to see me succeed. "In refereeing, you heard everything. Stuff like that never affected me. There are things I never allowed to bother me, stuff like race. That's a waste of time. Let's do something constructive and positive, that's what life is all about." His stint in the league would last but four years, but the resume didn't peak there. Hudson helped begin a neighborhood basketball league and tournament in Boston, back in the first angry days of busing. He became known as a unifying force in a divisive time, and used his position as a longtime executive at Coke (which eventually brought him to Atlanta) to spearhead a series of youth-oriented projects. To this day, he'll speak to youth groups at his church or to a classroom full of kids with the aim of instilling little lessons that might help out in the future. "They want to know about refereeing; they want to know about the job at Coca-Cola. I purposely call on people because, as I tell the kids, each experience is good for you. Stand up. Tell me your first name. What's your favorite subject? I tell kids to look me in the eye when you talk to me. As you get older, that's what's going to happen. You might as well start now," Hudson said. "I try to tell them to learn how to communicate, learn how to talk to people. Especially when I go into an integrated class. When I was in elementary school, I knew my classmates' first names. We weren't the best of friends, but if you speak to somebody by first name it automatically opens up a conversation because the person feels comfortable with you. Get to know each other. You might learn something from each other." Now, on top of everything else, he's an author. Due to come out next month is his collection of remembrances and tributes from those who have known him. It even has pictures, too. And the man has had his photo taken with more famous people than Paris Hilton. One in particular: There is Hudson on the baseline, in his ref clothes, looking on while Nate Thurmond tries to get a hook shot off over Wilt Chamberlain. It is a study in human perspective. "I've been fortunate to be in situations to meet people who allowed me to share their expertise, who were willing to assist me in doing the things I wanted to do. It was a labor of love for me to reach out and help other people," he said. The title of the book is an offshoot of a New York Times headline from an old story on Hudson. It also is a metaphorical device to get across the message of stretching possibilities. It's called: "A Tree Stump in the Valley of Redwoods." The Hawks might appreciate Hudson dropping off a few copies, while he's in the neighborhood. 资料来源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0127hudson.html --

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