Ed Malloy has been among the most respected and longest-serving referees in the NBA. Over his decades-long career, he has built a reputation as a fair and authoritative on-court official.
In addition to his esteemed professional standing, Malloy has amassed a sizable net worth through his work as an NBA referee. This article will delve into Ed Malloy’s net worth, exploring how his lucrative career as an elite basketball official has financially rewarded him.
Ed Malloy’s salary and net worth
NBA referees like Malloy play a crucial role in the game, though they earn significantly less than the players. Referee salaries typically range from $250,000 to $500,000 annually, varying based on years of experience.
Rookie referees just starting in the NBA earn salaries on the lower end of that range. At the same time, seasoned veterans tend to take home pay closer to the $500,000 upper limit. This annual salary is around $3,000 to $6,100 earned per regular season game officiated.
Malloy has been an NBA referee for over 20 seasons at this point in his career. While his exact salary figures have not been publicly disclosed, given his lengthy tenure and expertise, it’s presumed that he earns towards the higher end of that $250,000 to $500,000 salary range.
The average NBA referee pay falls between $150,000 and $550,000 per year, with top earnings reaching up to $30,000 per game for the most experienced officials.
Considering his decades of on-court experience, Ed Malloy’s earnings likely land in the higher tier. As a result, it’s speculated that he has amassed a very sizeable net worth throughout his long refereeing career with the NBA, likely crossing into the seven-figure range.
Though precise salary and net worth numbers are not public, it’s clear that Malloy’s longevity as an elite and highly respected NBA referee has allowed him to earn extremely well financially over his 20+ years on the job.
Ed Malloy’s refereeing career
Malloy has had a long and distinguished career as an NBA referee for over two decades. He has officiated 1,274 regular-season games across 21 seasons on the NBA staff.
In addition to his extensive regular season experience, he has been entrusted to work 136 playoff games, further highlighting his elite status, including officiating 11 NBA Finals games at the highest level. He even refereed the 2017 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.
Before joining the NBA officiating ranks, he gained valuable experience in other top professional basketball leagues. He spent one season officiating in the NBA G League, the NBA’s official minor league organization.
He also refereed three seasons each in the WNBA, showcasing women’s professional basketball and the Continental Basketball Association, another respected pro league at the time.
Malloy’s performance in these leagues was exemplary, leading him to officiate the 2002 NBA G League Finals and the 2001 CBA Finals.
Ed Malloy was one of the 12 final officials in the 2023 finals
The NBA announced that Malloy was selected as one of the 12 officials working the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. This prestigious assignment highlights Malloy’s excellent performance throughout the 2023 NBA playoffs.
The 12 referees chosen to officiate the championship series were hand-picked by the NBA Referee Operations management team based on their performance in the first three rounds of this year’s playoffs.
After each playoff round, officials were evaluated to determine which elite officials would advance and earn a coveted spot working the NBA Finals.
For Game 1 of the Finals, which tipped off on June 1 in Denver, the officiating crew consisted of veteran referees Marc Davis, David Guthrie, and Malloy. He is among the most experienced Finals officials selected, as he will be working his 8th NBA Finals.
NBA Referee Ed Malloy comments to a pool reporter after the NYK-HOU game:https://t.co/EQDALrYqAk
Other seasoned referees include Scott Foster (16th Finals), Tony Brothers (12th), Marc Davis (12th), and Zach Zarba (10th). Rookies Kevin Scott and Courtney Kirkland were also chosen for their first Finals assignments.
In discussing the selections, Byron Spruell, the NBA’s President of League Operations, stated, “The pinnacle for an NBA official is to work the NBA Finals. This group has demonstrated through their outstanding work during the playoffs that they are worthy of being selected to officiate in the NBA Finals.”
The 12 game officials assigned to the 2023 NBA Finals list include Brothers Kirkland, Davis, Malloy, Foster, Kevin Scott, John Goble, Josh Tiven, Guthrie, James Williams, Bill Kennedy, and Zarba. NBA officials Tyler Ford and Ben Taylor were named alternates.
Ed Malloy admitted to one of the worst foul calls recently
In a postgame admission on February 12, 2024, NBA referee Malloy acknowledged that his officiating crew had incorrectly called a late-game foul during the matchup between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets.
This erroneous call ultimately decided the outcome of the game in favor of the Rockets. The game was tied at 103 with just eight seconds remaining on the clock. Coming out of a timeout, the Rockets executed a play designed to create a potential game-winning shot.
Rockets guard Jalen Green drove toward the basket for a layup attempt. Still, his shot was blocked by Knicks forward Precious Achiuwa.
The ball was deflected directly to Rockets guard Aaron Holiday, who quickly launched an acrobatic three-point attempt with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson defending him closely.
Holiday’s shot missed the mark, but to the Knicks’ disbelief, Brunson was whistled for a foul on the play.
Replays clearly showed that while Brunson made contact with Holiday after the shot was released, Holiday could still land safely and maintain a normal playing position. This incidental contact after the release is not considered a foul by the game’s rules.
However, the foul was called, and the Rockets were awarded three free throws, which they converted to secure a 105-103 victory.
In the game’s aftermath, referee Malloy admitted that his crew had mistakenly called the late foul on Brunson. He stated, “After seeing it during the postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor.”
“The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”
Brunson, likely attempting to avoid a potential fine from the league for criticizing officials, sarcastically responded to repeated questions about the play by saying, “Great call. Next question.”
