Referee Curtis Blair makes his first appearance on the NBA Finals officiating roster.

The NBA officially announced its 12-man referee roster for this year's NBA Finals on Tuesday, with Curtis Blair among them. This marks his first Finals officiating opportunity in his 18-year career. Blair is also the only newcomer on this year's roster.

After a weekend of anxiously awaiting a response, Blair received a call from Albert Sanders Jr., the NBA's executive vice president in charge of refereeing.

"That was a very exciting moment, a very emotional moment for me, because I've been standing in front of that door for so many years," Blair said in an interview.

“This is my 18th season, and one thing I’ve learned along the way is that everyone has their own journey. Everyone has their own timetable. You just need to focus on yourself and your journey.”

Blair was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 1992 but never played a regular season game. After transitioning to refereeing, he has officiated over 1,000 NBA games since 2008.

Although Blair received a special white warm-up jacket when he served as a substitute referee in the Finals in 2021 and 2022, this time he will receive a jacket that truly belongs to the head referee.

The NBA Finals will be played between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks on Wednesday. The roster also includes current veteran referee Scott Foster, a 19th inductee, among others. The league typically announces the officiating team for each game on the morning of the match.

Image source: Internet