Referee Hwang In-Tae promoted to full-time NBA referee starting in new season

Referee Hwang In-tae (44, pictured), the first South Korean to blow the whistle at a regular-season NBA game, will take to the court as a full-time NBA referee next season.

The NBA announced today the names of 74 full-time referees for the 2023-2024 season, including Hwang. "Referee Hwang has earned the right to become a full-time referee through his outstanding performance," said NBA Vice President of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutcheon.

Hwang became a Korean Basketball Association referee in 2004. He officiated in the Korean Professional Basketball League from 2008-2019, working 466 games, including the playoffs. He also officiated the women's basketball final at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In 2020, Hwang was invited by the NBA to join its referee training program and moved to the United States, where he gained experience as a referee in the NBA's lower-level G League from the 2021-2022 season. Last October, he became the first Korean referee in the NBA when he officiated a regular-season game between Houston and Phoenix. At the time, he also officiated in the G League and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), including seven NBA games on a non-commissioned basis. In the new season, Hwang will continue to officiate G League games. "It's mandatory for referees with four years of NBA experience or less," ESPN reported.

The NBA will kick off the 2023-2024 season on Jan. 25 with the opening game between Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers. 19가이드03