John Holden

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>JOHN HOLDEN</strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>Inducted as Technical Officer</strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <p>Commenced Referees Association at Frankston – 1960</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Has been a referees coach since 1965 – increased in intensity after retirement as an active referee</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Officiated more than 50 international games - 1970-1984</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Officiated at four Olympic Games - 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982 </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Officiated at the Men’s World Championships in the – 1978</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Officiated at six Oceania Qualification tournaments</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Officiated 89 NBL matches - 1979-1984</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Referee advisor for region -1970-1983</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Current advisor of Southern Peninsula Basketball Association</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Victorian Country Grading Officer – Responsible for developing </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>regional referees</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Frankston Referees Association</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Frankston Basketball Association</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Victorian Police Basketball Association</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Victorian Basketball Referees Association</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Life Member of Basketball Association</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Honorary Life Referee of FIBA</p>

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>John Holden</strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <p>Regular referee coaching and grading of referees from </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>First Australian Official to be invited to officiate in an international competition in . Invitation was as a result of performance at Moscow Olympics</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>John has, and still clearly contributes to basketball officiating in various capacities</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>His record as an active official will never be surpassed. Four Olympics and one World Championship is outstanding.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Nearly forty years of referee development. Coaching, and assessing referees</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>John was a volunteer at the Sydney 2000 Olympics being a wealth of experience in assisting in the management of the international referees.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>John Holden, a true basketball life member</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>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&#160; at Albert Park.&#160;</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>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?</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>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&#160; 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.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Highly approachable and likeable,&#160; 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!</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>So – Basketball Victoria, we agree. He’s a legend. And we’re keeping him!</p>