I wonder if anyone noticed anything when CCTV-5 broadcast the Magic-Bucks game today (February 7)?

Well, yes, the name is Palmer. . The only female referee in the NBA. She was also involved in the game between the Rockets and the Hornets on Sunday

She is the only female referee in the NBA. Only she dares to say NO to the big names

When Valette Palmer smiles, someone always thinks of her Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock, those are Hollywood beauties with big mouths.

Palmer also has a striking mouth, but it is not used for chattering, because it has a more important mission-whistle. Palmer is not a beauty, but she can still attract the respectful and curious eyes of countless men, because her whistle is likely to determine the fate of every big shot.

Because she is the only female referee in the NBA.

Initially,

She wanted to be a doctor

On July 20, Palmer will celebrate her 40th birthday.

At such an age, male NBA referees usually mean juniors, but Palmer already has something worth showing off. From his debut in the NBA on October 31, 1997, Palmer has entered his seventh year of law enforcement in the NBA.

Things have changed, but Palmer still clearly remembers the scene on the first day: It was a regular season match between the Grizzlies and the Mavericks at home. By the way, the Grizzlies were still called As "Vancouver Grizzlies". Before the game started, NBA Vice President Rod Thorn, who is now the president of the Nets, ran into the lounge and found Palmer who was chatting.

"Hey, Valette," Thorne said to Palmer seriously, "you know what? If it weren't for the fact that this was your first game of the game, I wouldn't be here." Before he finished speaking, Palmer responded: "That's not it. You came to Vancouver purely to have fun."

After a round of laughter, Thorne was no longer so nervous. Because he found that Palmer seemed to be more relaxed than himself. In that game, Palmer's performance was impeccable, which gave NBA executives a reassurance. By the start of this season, Palmer had officiated 330 regular season games and even made an appearance at the 2003 All-Star Weekend, establishing a firm foothold in this purely male land.

However, Palmer still admitted that he was very nervous at first. "I will never, ever forget the moment I put on the referee uniform and walked onto the field," Palmer said. "I had only one thought in my mind: 'Am I going to have to do the same job every night? 'To be honest, I was so nervous that I didn't know what to say, and I almost peed my pants!"

What's interesting is that becoming a professional referee was not Palmer's original intention. I once dreamed of becoming a doctor. However, a phone call in the summer of 1995 changed the course of her life. The caller was Wade, the head of the CBA League, who was responsible for helping the NBA train referees.

"I saw you officiating a game on TV, but I couldn't figure out if I'd seen you before or who you were, so I called you," Wade told Palmer, then he went straight to the point, "I know, you may find it a bit abrupt, but I want to tell you something. The NBA is planning to train a group of female referees. Are you interested?"

< p>Palmer soon realized that he could not refuse such a temptation.

Later,

She made Barkley apologize

9 years of experience in officiating high school games and 8 years of experience in officiating college games, but Palmer is more experienced than anyone else. Obviously, these experiences are completely different from making it to the NBA.

After participating in two referee training camps in a row, Palmer was allowed to officiate 7 more preseason games. His consistently good performance finally impressed the NBA. Of course, finding the feeling quickly is also related to Palmer's own experience: she has always been an outstanding player as a student. In her four years of high school, her team won two league championships, and Palmer was also elected MVP once. After entering Pomona University, she led the team to win two NCAA Division II championships as captain. "The reason why my level has improved so quickly must be related to my experience as a player," Palmer said bluntly.

The NBA gave Palmer the opportunity to fully demonstrate, and even more fortunately, the male referees around her also generously extended a helping hand. When Palmer made her "debut", the famous referee Oakes who worked with her told her: "I know you care about your first appearance, but you may not know that I am more excited than you because I can have The opportunity to become part of history."

However, there are still some people who are not interested in this "alien" black female referee, including the famous Charles Barkley. Not long after Palmer joined the ranks of NBA referees, Barkley once said to reporters: "This is a men's sport, and we should maintain this tradition."

Palmer was not too shy. Mindful of Buckley's "big mouth", she just completes every task with a smile. However, when she finished officiating a Rockets game in Houston and walked out of the stadium to get into her car, she ran into two men, one of whom was Barkley.

"Valette, I know I wronged you," Barkley said sincerely, "I sincerely apologize to you. Your performance has always been very good, better than both of them." Kuaiyan The fast-talking Barkley has no scruples. The "they" he refers to are the two male referees next to Palmer.

Palmer does not deny that he was lucky enough. "When I first entered the NBA, there were too few female referees in the professional league, so I felt that my opportunities at that time were very good," Palmer said, "At the beginning, I was completely a student, learning how to move and how to observe. After I mastered some skills, I found that it was not so difficult for me."

Female referees enforce the law. Can the NBA handle it easily? Anyway, people only remember: Palmer has now become a "lone seedling". Kantner, another female referee who was drafted by the NBA with her, has now been demoted to officiating in the WNBA.

Now,

She longs for respect

Palmer has a motto: Nothing is difficult in the world, as long as there is a will.

The 39-year-old is now accustomed to everything in the NBA: players who often complain, fans who shout loudly, coaches who are furious, and of course fierce and tense games. Rush, the former chairman of the NBA Referees Committee, once said to her: "Valette, your ability to 'sell' yourself is so strong that even when you make mistakes (you will be accepted). This is really amazing. "As a referee, the biggest challenge is to win enough respect, which is really the most valuable thing," Palmer said his true feelings. Once, Palmer sentenced a player for a foul, and the opponent immediately argued: "Valette, if you change the penalty, I will treat you to a guest another day." Palmer's face became more serious: "We (the referees) cannot accept the invitation. "Don't miss this foul." As soon as this sentence came out, the other players near Palmer burst into laughter.

Not long ago, Palmer served as a referee in a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors, and she worked hand in hand with the famous NBA "Killer Judge" Steve Jarvie. When the 76ers players expressed dissatisfaction with a technical foul, the referees were unmoved at all. Returning to the lounge after the game, Jarvi specifically encouraged Palmer: "What we did was absolutely accurate. Those players are special. Cunning, they are very good at making you feel guilty. You must not trust them easily. This is a very hard job we are engaged in. Even if you are 100% correct, someone may accuse you. There were some mistakes, but you have to stick to your guns."

Palmer is well aware of the pressure on his shoulders, because there are "troublesome" guys everywhere. "The fans would put up all kinds of signs, like, 'Your ponytail is too tight,' or 'Go back to the WNBA,' and they were always pointing fingers at me," Palmer said. sigh. However, Nunn, chairman of the NBA Referees Committee, has 100% trust in Palmer: "She is very popular among the referee team because she always maintains her own personality."

So, Palmer has great confidence in Palmer. Be confident about your future. "Not only am I going to be in the NBA for 15 to 20 years, but I'm going to be in the playoffs," Palmer said. "I don't think there's any problem, and that's when everyone will smile and say, 'Wow. , here comes Palmer.

'"

In fact, the NBA has now begun to allow Palmer to enjoy a "privilege": every time she goes to a city to participate in referee work, the home team will provide her with an independent locker room. Of course, this was a small request from Palmer.

“I just want a locker room,” Palmer said. “I wear men’s pants and wear men’s clothes. Shirt, you can’t let me do anything else, right? ”