Zachary Zarba (born April 28, 1975) is an American
professional basketball
In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger a ...
referee in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
. He wore uniform number 58 until the 2012–2013 season, when he changed to 28, and currently wears uniform number 15. Zach has officiated 1,182 regular-season games in 19 seasons as an NBA staff official, beginning in 2004. He has also refereed 133 playoff games, including 11 NBA Finals games. Other assignments have included the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto.
Biography
Zarba was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended local public schools, graduating from
Midwood High School
Midwood High School is a high school located at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City, administered by the New York City Department of Education. It has an enrollment of 3,938 students. Its H-shaped building, with six Ionic order, Ioni ...
. Prior to joining the NBA, Zarba officiated in the NBA Development League (now the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...
) for two years, where he was part of the crew that officiated the 2003 D-League Finals. He also spent one year officiating in the CBA and two years officiating in the IBL.
Zarba has three years of collegiate officiating experience in the ACC, SEC, Colonial, ASUN, OVC and NEC Conferences. In addition, he has three years of high school officiating experience in New York.
While at New Paltz, Zarba was a member of the basketball team and was named captain his senior season. He graduated with a degree in Political Science. He currently does public and community service work for EBC High School in
Bushwick, Brooklyn
Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Williamsburg to the northwest; ...
.
Personal life
Zarba has two children with his wife, Christiane.
See also
*
List of NBA referees
References
1975 births
Living people
Basketball people from New York (state)
Continental Basketball Association referees
Midwood High School alumni
NBA referees
New Paltz Hawks men's basketball players
Sportspeople from Brooklyn
American men's basketball players
20th-century American sportsmen
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