Jefferson tries hand at reffing

LAS VEGAS — Forty-twoyear-old Richard Jefferson stepped on an NBA court for the first time since he retired. But it wasn’t to play — it was to referee a Las Vegas Summer League game.

Jefferson — who spent seven seasons with the Nets, and won a 2016 title with Cleveland — refereed the second quarter of Monday night’s Knicks vs. Trail Blazers game at Thomas & Mack Arena.

“Part of the reason why I agreed to do it is because I had such a tremendous amount of respect for the officials. I understand how important they are to our game,” said Jefferson, an ESPN broadcaster. “I got texts from Monty McCutchen. I got texts from Bob Delaney. I was getting texts from Scott Foster, Zach Zarba, because I have relationships with these guys because I respect what they do in their craft.

“So for me to get the opportunity to come out here and just run around a little bit and learn, it’s intense. Anybody that wants to criticize the officials just go referee a high school game first and then you might look at it a little differently.”

Jefferson went to officiating meetings to prep for his oneoff cameo role, five sessions of an hour-and-a-half each.

And Jefferson saw the irony in his refereeing debut coming against the Knicks. He had a long history of both beating them as a player with the Nets, and of prodding their fanbase while a Nets broadcaster.

“I have no issue with the Knick fans. I understand when they see my face, I understand they can get frustrated for all the years of pain that we tormented them through,” Jefferson joked. “No, I respect the Knicks. Part of the rivalry — and it’s like Ohio State-Michigan, UCLA-USC, Duke-North Carolina — the Knicks are the team in the town. We’re the Nets, so there’s always going to be the rivalry.

“There’s always going to be that energy and I have no problem leaning into it, playing into it. Nothing but a ton of respect for everybody in the Knick organization though.”