Hugh Evans: NC A&T alum and former NBA referee passes away

Former longtime NBA referee and NC A&T great Hugh Evans died on Friday morning. He was 81 years old and a member of the 2022 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The news was first reported by ESPN.

Evans, a 2002 inductee into the NC A&T Sports Hall of Fame, played men’s basketball for the Aggies from 1959-63 under legendary head coach Cal Irvin. He scored 585 points in 72 games. The Aggies went 63-22 (.741) during Evans’ time at NC A&T.

After graduating from North Carolina A&T, Hugh Evans served as an NBA referee for 28 consecutive years (1973-2001), tallying over 1,900 regular-season games, 170 playoff games, 35 NBA Finals games and four NBA All-Star Games.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be celebrated September 9-10 during this year’s Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Mass.

Following his on-court officiating career, Evans worked as the NBA Assistant Supervisor of Officials (2001-03). He is a recipient of the Each One Teach One Community Service Award. Evans is also a New York City Basketball Hall of Fame member.

Hugh Evans will join fellow Aggie Al Attles in the Naismith Hall. Attles played at NC A&T from 1956-60.

Attles played with the Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors (1960-71) before becoming one of the first African American coaches in NBA history. In 1975, he became the second African American coach in NBA history to win an NBA title.

Attles and Al Holland (baseball) are the only two student-athletes in NC A&T history to have their jersey numbers retired.