Ken Mauer
Encyclopedia
Ken Mauer Jr. is a professional basketball official
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA) since the 1986–87 NBA season. As of the beginning of the 2006–07 NBA season, Mauer has officiated in 1,167 regular season and 67 playoff games, including one NBA Finals
game. (In 2008, Mauer officiated an additional 2 NBA Finals games). Mauer wears uniform number 41.
in St. Paul and later attended and graduated from the University of Minnesota
in 1977. At Minnesota, Mauer played baseball
and was named an All-Big Ten
player. Mauer comes from a family heavily involved in athletics. Ken's cousin is Minnesota Twins
Catcher
, Joe Mauer
. Ken's father and four brothers were all referees, including his brother Tom Mauer, a referee in the Women's National Basketball Association
. Outside of officiating, Mauer is a guest speaker at basketball camps and clinics and charitable and social groups. Mauer's hobbies include cars
, art
, theater, movies, and traveling.
, nine years at the colligiate level, and later six years in the Continental Basketball Association
before being hired by the NBA prior to the 1986–87 season. In 1993, Mauer was selected to officiate the NBA Europe Tour in London, England.
. Mauer failed to pay taxes on $26,500 of additional income
over a three-year period. Mauer was one of two NBA referees who chose not to plea bargain
his case, believing that there was an injustice done against him. Mauer stated that he never intended to commit a criminal act, that his accountant
s signed off on his tax returns, and that he was not told of any issues. In April 2001, Mauer was sentenced to five months in jail
, five months of home detention, three years of supervised release, and 800 hours of community service. At the conclusion of the trial, Mauer said, "I'm proud that I stood up for myself. At the same time, I'm relieved that it turned out this way. This is the first decent day I've had in a year and a half. This summer is going to be hard, serving my sentence. But I'm going to turn it into a positive thing. I'm going to help the kids, I'll get into shape."
between the Dallas Mavericks
and Miami Heat
, the first Finals of his career. Mauer's first game in the championship series was Game 3.
and San Antonio Spurs
match in which Mauer called five technical fouls over the course of ten seconds. The second event occurred in a Oklahoma City Thunder
and Phoenix Suns
game in which it is reported that Mauer made derogatory remarks to point guard Zabian Dowdell
and then swiftly ejected both Dowdell and Aaron Brooks
of the Phoenix Suns.
Official (basketball)
In basketball, an official is a person who has the responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, as well as other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) since the 1986–87 NBA season. As of the beginning of the 2006–07 NBA season, Mauer has officiated in 1,167 regular season and 67 playoff games, including one NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
game. (In 2008, Mauer officiated an additional 2 NBA Finals games). Mauer wears uniform number 41.
Personal life
Mauer attended Harding Senior High SchoolHarding Senior High School (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Harding Senior High School is a public comprehensive high school located on the East Side of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school is one of six high schools in the Saint Paul Public School District and is the largest high school in the city of Saint Paul with enrollment at approximately 2400...
in St. Paul and later attended and graduated from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1977. At Minnesota, Mauer played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and was named an All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
player. Mauer comes from a family heavily involved in athletics. Ken's cousin is Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
Catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins. He is the only catcher in Major League history to win three batting titles...
. Ken's father and four brothers were all referees, including his brother Tom Mauer, a referee in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
. Outside of officiating, Mauer is a guest speaker at basketball camps and clinics and charitable and social groups. Mauer's hobbies include cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, theater, movies, and traveling.
Early career
Mauer officiated for 12 years in the state of MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, nine years at the colligiate level, and later six years in the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
before being hired by the NBA prior to the 1986–87 season. In 1993, Mauer was selected to officiate the NBA Europe Tour in London, England.
Airline ticket income investigation
In 2000, Mauer was convicted of a felony, three counts of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice for not reporting downgraded airline tickets as income to the Internal Revenue ServiceInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
. Mauer failed to pay taxes on $26,500 of additional income
over a three-year period. Mauer was one of two NBA referees who chose not to plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
his case, believing that there was an injustice done against him. Mauer stated that he never intended to commit a criminal act, that his accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
s signed off on his tax returns, and that he was not told of any issues. In April 2001, Mauer was sentenced to five months in jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
, five months of home detention, three years of supervised release, and 800 hours of community service. At the conclusion of the trial, Mauer said, "I'm proud that I stood up for myself. At the same time, I'm relieved that it turned out this way. This is the first decent day I've had in a year and a half. This summer is going to be hard, serving my sentence. But I'm going to turn it into a positive thing. I'm going to help the kids, I'll get into shape."
NBA Finals debut
Mauer was one of 12 referees selected to work the 2006 NBA Finals2006 NBA Finals
The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
between the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
and Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
, the first Finals of his career. Mauer's first game in the championship series was Game 3.
Controversial decisions
The 2010-2011 season has seen some controversial decisions made by Mauer. Of note are two incidents with the first occurring during a Minnesota TimberwolvesMinnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
and San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
match in which Mauer called five technical fouls over the course of ten seconds. The second event occurred in a Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
and Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
game in which it is reported that Mauer made derogatory remarks to point guard Zabian Dowdell
Zabian Dowdell
Zabian Dowdell is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies.-Early life:...
and then swiftly ejected both Dowdell and Aaron Brooks
Aaron Brooks (basketball)
Aaron Jamal Brooks is an American basketball player who is currently a point guard for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. He was selected 26th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft...
of the Phoenix Suns.