Richard W. Bavetta, renowned referee for his longevity in the NBA, has settled with his wife, Paulette Maimone-Bavetta, on their ranch in Ocala, Florida, after retirement at 74.
Born on December 10, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York, he began his career in 1975, maintaining an unbroken streak of officiating every assigned game.
Bavetta served for an extraordinary 39 seasons in the NBA, retiring in 2014.
He holds the NBA record for the most games officiated, with an impressive total of 2,635 consecutive regular-season games.
Dick Bavetta and Paulette Maimone-Bavetta Are Proud Parents Of Two Children
Dick Bavetta married his long-term girlfriend, Paulette Bavetta, in an intimate ceremony.
The couple have two daughters, Christine and Michele Bavetta. Christine works in finance and resides in Manhattan, New York.
Whereas his daughter Michele and her husband John live in Brewster, New York. They have two children: Brendan and Sydney.
Both daughters have largely stayed out of the public eye, maintaining private lives away from the spotlight of their father’s illustrious career in the NBA.
Paulette also maintains a private life, with limited public information about her personal endeavors.
The couple has two pet cats, as Paulette posted on her Facebook story.
Paulette also has an Instagram account under the handle @maimonebavetta.
In January 2007, during a game in Sacramento, Charles Barkley jokingly claimed during commentary with Marv Albert that he could beat NBA referee Dick Bavetta in a race.
Paulette was seen interacting warmly with Charles Barkley before Dick’s charity race against him, highlighting her engagement with his professional life.
Although Charles and Dick exchanged playful banter, Bavetta didn’t take the comment seriously at first.
However, after officiating a game in Houston that February, Bavetta received a call from an NBA official instructing him to head to Las Vegas.
There, he was set to compete against Barkley in a race as part of All-Star Saturday festivities.
Despite a determined effort that included a dive at the finish line, Bavetta narrowly lost to Barkley. Unfortunately, the dive left Bavetta with an abrasion on his right knee.
Beyond His NBA legacy, Dick Bavetta is Known For His Philanthropy!
Dick Bavetta is deeply committed to charitable work. Since 1986, he has established and funded the Lady Bavetta Scholarships in honor of his daughters, Christine and Michele.
These scholarships are awarded to high school minority students based on financial need.
Additionally, since 1992, he has volunteered with the Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch, supporting children and teens with special medical needs.
Bavetta is also involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and serves as the Upstate New York Regional Director for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.
Moreover, the Barkley/Bavetta challenge event raised $75,000 for the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Clubs of America, with $50,000 donated by the NBA and $25,000 by TNT.
Across his philanthropic endeavors, Bavetta has consistently prioritized helping children in need. His charitable work has left a lasting impact on the lives of many young people.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- On April 12, 2013, in Washington, he officiated his milestone 2,600th consecutive game as an NBA referee.
- On October 14, 2002, he received the National Pro-Am Lifetime Achievement Award.
- He was honored with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
- In 2016, he was awarded the Jerry Colangelo Award at the Athletes in Action All-Star Breakfast, an annual event held during NBA All-Star Weekend.
