San Antonio Spurs

The 10 most Joey Crawford moments of Joey Crawford's NBA career

Published Mar. 10, 2016 2:00 p.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

The plan all along was for the 2015-16 NBA season to be Joey Crawford's last in the NBA. Unfortunately for the long-time official, his retirement tour has reached its premature end.

According to NBA.com, Crawford will be unable to return from December surgery on a meniscus tear in his right knee in time to officiate another game this season:

"You turn the page, y'know, and you think, 'It's somebody else's turn,' " Crawford told NBA.com in a phone interview Wednesday. "But you still miss it. You miss the people.

"I'm just lucky that a lot of the refs, they'll call me up. I don't know if they do it because they feel sorry for me, but they'll say, 'Can you break down a quarter for me here or a quarter there?

"I was lucky. For 35 years or so it was only like, a calf [strain] here or there. But the last two years, my 38th and 39th, it just broke down on me. What're ya gonna do? You just move on."

No official inflamed fans' passions quite like Crawford, who always seemed to be in the thick of things. Later in his career, he would explain that his high-profile antics were often a conscious decision, meant to take the focus away from tense on-court situations between the players. And there was never any doubt of Crawford's control over the game, for better or for worse.

Ask people around the league, though, and they'll say the same thing in Crawford's defense: Had he been in Auburn Hills on that fateful night, the Malice at the Palace never would have happened.

So let's celebrate the end of Crawford's career -- whatever that phrase means to you -- with 10 of the most absurd moments from his time in the NBA.

10. Making peace with the fans

It's unclear from this clip what prompted an exchange of funds between Crawford and these two fans. Maybe they had their beers spilled by a stray pass. Maybe Crawford just wanted them to shut up. Whatever the impetus, seeing an NBA official hand money to people in the stands is an unbelievable image.

9. Stealing the ball from Kevin Durant

This isn't even the funniest clip of Crawford preventing a free-throw attempt -- we'll get to that one in a second. But the look on Durant's face after Crawford takes away the ball is priceless.

8. Losing his footing and hitting the hardwood

We can't say we'd fare much better, though, if we had to run up and down the court while keeping an eye on all that's going on.

7. Shoving a player off of the floor

Who officiates the officials? Who calls fouls on those who blow the whistle?

No one. Joey Crawford does what he wants.

6. Pulling Scottie Pippen off of the floor

Throwback to when Joey Crawford would actually physically drag players off of the court https://t.co/vrALK39YaI
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) January 2, 2016

See, this is what former players mean when they say defense was so different back in the day. You were trying to stop the opposing team while the officials dragged you to the baseline. It was a man's game.

5. Getting pushed to the ground by J.J. Redick as revenge for fouling players

Given the timeline of events, Redick probably didn't have vengeance on his mind. But the end result was the same.

4. Showing off the vertical leap for a blocked shot

That's at least 10 inches higher than Shaq could jump these days.

3. Face-guarding the best shooter ever

"Hey, Steph. How's it going. Just checking to make sure you still wear No. 30. Oh, did I get my hand up as you're shooting the ball? My bad. Man, you should work on your shooting. You were wide open!"

2. Trademarking a new dance sensation