Meet the NBA referee who took down the mob

Nov 27, 2025 • 57:00

Play Episode

Mentioned in this episode

Episode Notes

Bob Delaney isn’t just one of the most respected referees in NBA history. Before officiating over 1,700 NBA games and standing toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan, he was living a completely different life.

In this episode, Delaney breaks down his remarkable journey from undercover law enforcement on a federal organized-crime task force to the biggest stages in basketball. He shares how he infiltrated the mob, paid off real-life gangsters, lived under constant threat, and later used basketball as therapy to survive PTSD.

We dive into:

What it actually takes to referee NBA superstars
Why “superstar calls” aren’t a conspiracy
How officials manage chaos, egos, and volatile games
The untold realities of undercover work and organized crime
Why the NBA court became his path to healing

This is not a basketball interview. It’s a story about double lives, pressure, fear, control, and resilience at the highest level.

One of the most unique conversations ever on Hoop Genius.

🎧 Listen to the full Hoop Genius Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all platforms.
📺 Subscribe for new episodes 2x a week.

This podcast is brought to you by NBA2K26: https://nba.2k.com/2k26/buy/

Learn more about Bob here: https://www.nba.com/watch/video/in-case-you-didnt-know-with-nick-nanton-bob-delaney-hiding-in-plain-sight?plsrc=nba&collection=must-watch-videos