JOHN HOLDEN
Inducted as Technical Officer
Commenced Referees Association at Frankston – 1960
Has been a referees coach since 1965 – increased in intensity after retirement as an active referee
Officiated more than 50 international games - 1970-1984
Officiated at four Olympic Games - 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982
Officiated at the Men’s World Championships in the – 1978
Officiated at six Oceania Qualification tournaments
Officiated 89 NBL matches - 1979-1984
Referee advisor for region -1970-1983
Current advisor of Southern Peninsula Basketball Association
Victorian Country Grading Officer – Responsible for developing
regional referees
Life Member of Frankston Referees Association
Life Member of Frankston Basketball Association
Life Member of Victorian Police Basketball Association
Life Member of Victorian Basketball Referees Association
Life Member of Basketball Association
Honorary Life Referee of FIBA
John Holden
Regular referee coaching and grading of referees from
First Australian Official to be invited to officiate in an international competition in . Invitation was as a result of performance at Moscow Olympics
John has, and still clearly contributes to basketball officiating in various capacities
His record as an active official will never be surpassed. Four Olympics and one World Championship is outstanding.
Nearly forty years of referee development. Coaching, and assessing referees
John was a volunteer at the Sydney 2000 Olympics being a wealth of experience in assisting in the management of the international referees.
John Holden, a true basketball life member
Our very own Referees Advisor, John Holden, probably the only 4 time Olympic referee on the planet, has finally been recognised as a legend with life membership by Basketball Victoria at a ceremony on Sunday May 28th at Albert Park.
The SPBA feel we may just have got the drop on BV on this one – John was inaugurated with SPBA Life Membership just over 20 years ago, and he has been serving our basketball community impeccably ever since. A teary eyed John – he does go soppy over quite a number of things- received his award with the same humble manner that he has received every other award available for referees since basketball began in this state. About time – we felt it was due….ahhh…about 20 years ago?
John has had immense success with referees from our Association, with one WNBL and three other SEABL officials graduating to the big leagues from under his initial tutelage. While he was once caught outside in his underwear during a tournament in Darwin…..that is the only dirt we have been able to dig up on him over a forty year career, and he claims innocence on that! This is a clear indicator of what a gentlemanly, even natured, reasonable man he has always been. He remembers Michael Jordan as being not particularly good in underage USA teams, and has a wealth of other entertaining lessons for any student of the game who’d like to listen. And his biggest issue at the moment is getting more referees, particularly adults, into his next school to help with the shortage of officials we are currently experiencing - no grandstanding with this man, it’s all about looking after the game.
Highly approachable and likeable, John will be happy to shake the hand and have a chat with any SPBA player or parent who would like to talk to this legend of Australian (and some would say world)basketball. Just make sure you get to him before he takes his next sojourn north as a grey nomad with his lovely, long suffering wife Mary, as he does each winter!
So – Basketball Victoria, we agree. He’s a legend. And we’re keeping him!