Bob Delaney | |
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| Born | (1951-11-01)November 1, 1951 (age 74) Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | NBAreferee RetiredNew Jersey State Policestate trooper |
Robert J. Delaney (born November 1, 1951) is a former undercover New Jerseystate trooper andprofessional basketballreferee in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) who officiated from the1987–88 NBA season up until the2010–11 NBA season. He officiated more than 1,500 regular season games, 200 playoff games, nine NBA Finals, and was assigned to the 1998 and 2011 NBANBA All-Star Game. He wore the uniform number 26.
Delaney is a 1985 graduate ofNew Jersey City University with aBachelor of Science degree incriminology. He is a 2006 inductee[1] into NJCU's Athletics Hall of Fame.[2] After finishing college, Delaney joined theNew Jersey State Police. During the mid-1970s, Delaney worked as anundercover officer as part of an operation known as "Project Alpha".
While serving as a police officer, Delaney was also a high school basketball referee in New Jersey from 1972 to 1982 and later officiated in theContinental Basketball Association (CBA) for four years before being selected by scouts to officiate in the NBA, beginning in 1987.
In the early 1980s, Delaney retired as a law enforcement officer and devoted full-time to becoming a basketball referee. In 2008, he wrote about his undercover experience inCovert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob, with co-author Dave Scheiber. He completed aMaster of Arts degree inleadership fromSaint Mary's College of California.
In August 2018, Delaney was given the newly created position of Special Advisor for Officiating Development and Performance by theSoutheastern Conference. He will serve as a consultant to the officiating coordinators in each of the college conference's sports, as well as assist the men's and women's coordinators of basketball officials with training, development, and evaluation.[3]
On January 22, 2020, Delaney received the Theodore Roosevelt Award, the highest honor accorded by theNCAA.[4]
In September 2021, Delaney joined the advisory board of the international organizationAwareness 360.[5]
Delaney has received several awards and honors for his contributions to law enforcement, sports officiating, and military resilience programs. In 2011, he was presented with theU.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal by General Robert Cone for his ongoing post-trauma and resilience work with troops at Fort Hood. He received the same honor again in 2012 from General Raymond Odierno in recognition of his outreach and support for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is also a recipient of theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award (2014), theNew Jersey Bar Association’s Colonel “Sandy” Award (2025), and theNew Jersey Crime Investigators Lifetime Achievement Award (2025). In 2025, Delaney was presented with theUnited States Special Operations Command Medal by General Bryan Fenton for his ongoing contributions to Special Operations Force members and their families.
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