One of college basketball’s most famous officials is hanging up his whistle.
Jim Burr will be retiring this year, opting to be a supervisor of officials in the South over reffing games in the Big East, Big Ten and ACC.
“I had a pretty good run,” Burr told the Albany Times-Union. “I decided that it was time to walk off the court. I had a couple of minor problems, just wear and tear. I’m no spring chicken. I’m getting older.”
Burr was frequently the butt of jokes by fans, but he was well-respected in the industry by coaches.
Burr reffed 16 Final Fours and seven national title games, but perhaps his most famous call came during a game between Syracuse and Georgetown back in 1990. As he gave John Thompson Jr. the first of three straight technicals in a game that eventually went to overtime and has since become one of the most infamous moments in a long and heated rivalry between the two schools. He was also one of the three officials suspended for the Big East tournament after missing a travel and an out of bounds call at the end of a first round game between St. John’s and Rutgers: