ORLANDO, Fla. — With his slender build and 6-foot-5 frame, Nate Green blends in at a gym full of up-and-coming players looking to make their mark at Orlando's NBA summer league.
But the people Green is trying to impress this week won't be competing for the NBA Finals next season. They could, however, be the ones deciding if he gets to officiate it one day.
While each of the NBA's three summer league stops in Orlando, Utah and Las Vegas are more focused on recent draft picks and other players scrabbling to make rosters, it is also become a proving ground for recently hired NBA referees and those auditioning for jobs.