Alberta's Kallio makes officiating history in the NBA
Congratulations to Alberta’s own Matthew Kallio, who on December 16 became the first Canadian referee to be assigned an NBA game.
The Edmonton native served as umpire on the officiating crew when the Denver Nuggets hosted the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena.
Kallio has rapidly ascended the ladder of basketball officiating. He has previously worked games in the NBA G-League, the WNBA, and at multiple FIBA tournaments.
I have known Matt most of his life and always knew he had an extra level of dedication as a player, coach and official,” says Paul Sir, Executive Director of the ABA.
“His dedication to his officiating craft has systematically resulted in his advancement. Matt is where he deserves to be and that is among the very best in the world. I have no doubt that he will be a regular on the NBA stage in the near future. Matt is just that good.”
