How NBA referee Marc Davis to keep up with the world best athletes

The NBA has some of the most talented athletes on the planet. Night in and night out, players like LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo pull off spectacular plays only few in the world can even imagine.

Referee Marc Davis has to keep up with all of them.

The veteran ref has worked more than 1,250 regular-season and playoff games during his 20-year career, including the NBA Finals and the All-Star Game. In his time, he's watched the sport transform from a big-man-dominated battle to a fast-paced, uptempo explosion of athleticism. Davis has had to adjust along with it.

“The pace has certainly increased a lot—as referees, we’re running four to five miles a night,” Davis tells Men’s Fitness. “It’s our job to be in the best athletic condition that we can be. Our players are just so athletic—their movements and their ability to explode with power and speed—and we have to adjust with that and how we officiate. I focus on mobility in my training; I do a lot of bodyweight squats, and I sprint in the off-season at least a couple times per week.”

As a referee—or what Davis calls the “third team” on the court—officials have much more to do than just stand around and blow a whistle. They have to keep up with the game action, call fouls in an instant, and mind what’s going on everywhere the court—not just with whatever player has the ball. Factor in loud fans in packed arenas, and incensed coaches and players trying to make their cases on calls, and you have an idea what it takes to keep up.

“The days can morph into each other,” Davis says. “We can be up until 3 a.m., finishing the game from the night before, then be on the first flight in the morning to the next city. It's a physically demanding job—traveling between time zones, different hotel rooms, and still having to perform that evening. Nobody really cares about how much sleep you got that night—you still need to call the game.”

“I attack my workout based on the amount of the time that I have, whether it’s 15, 30, or 45 minutes or longer,” Davis says. “Kettlebell work is great because you can use it for a lot of different areas, and it helps you stay mobile through your entire body. Being in shape, being physically ready, and physically able to perform at all times is a big part of being a successful official.”

Davis spoke with Men’s Fitness about how he works out to keep up with players like LeBron James, secrets about being a referee, how he finds time to train, and the loudest fans in the league.

The speed of play has really increased a lot over the last four to five years. It’s really amazing what our athletes can do. They’re so elegant in their movements, and their ability and athleticism is really being captured a lot by the way in which we officiate them.

Generally speaking, the relationships are way less contentious than the public would believe. They are not very contentious at all, actually. Are there times when they become contentious in the moment? Yes. But I've also seen the Collins twins take each other out on the court, too. So, in the competitive moment, are there sometimes where there some tension? Yes, but, generally speaking, I would be hard-pressed to come up with an individual player that I wouldn't be happy to see walking down the street.