The deal, ratified at a meeting Thursday in Chicago, takes effect this season, replacing the final year of the existing contract, and runs through 2022.
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“The NBA takes great pride in our world-class referee program and we are pleased to extend the league’s partnership with the NBRA for another seven years,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
The contract comes not only as the league is set to reap big money from a new TV deal, but also as NBA officials are under greater scrutiny than ever before, The Associated Press noted. The league is instituting more and more instant replay in an effort to ensure the calls made during a game are correct.
According to multiple reports, the new collective bargaining agreement includes “substantial” raises for referees and the officials who staff the league’s replay center in Secaucus, N.J.
Next on the league’s negotiating calendar: 2017, when players and owners can opt out of their CBA.
