Haywoode Workman
He made the rare leap from NBA player to respected league official, seeing the game from both sides of the whistle for decades.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American basketball player and referee·Birthday: January 23·Generation X
Biography
Haywoode Workman's basketball life is a study in reinvention. The point guard from North Carolina played professionally overseas and had a brief but notable stint in the NBA, most memorably with the Indiana Pacers in the early 1990s. He was a reliable backup known for his defensive tenacity. After his playing career ended, Workman embarked on a far more unusual second act. He transitioned to officiating, working his way up through the minor leagues to earn a spot as an NBA referee in the late 2000s. This gave him a perspective shared by almost no one else: he had competed against the league's stars and later officiated their games. His career stands as a unique bridge between the player's experience and the official's judgment, making him a respected and understanding figure on the court.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Haywoode was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Haywoode Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Haywoode's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played four seasons in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, and Milwaukee Bucks.
- Successfully transitioned to become an NBA referee, officiating regular season and playoff games.
- Played a key role for the Indiana Pacers during their 1994 playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Did You Know?
Workman is one of only a handful of former NBA players to become an NBA referee.
He played college basketball at Oral Roberts University.
After his NBA playing days, he had a long and successful career playing in top European leagues, including in Italy and Spain.
He officiated the 2021 NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta.
“I played the game, and now I officiate it with the same respect.”
