On January 2, 2016, Crawford announced that the 2015–2016 NBA season would be his last.McCaffery, Jack Legendary NBA referee Joe Crawford to retire at end of season Delaware County Daily Times. January 4, 2016 A nagging knee injury prevented him from officiating much of the season. Crawford briefly returned in March, but on March 10, 2016, Crawford announced his retirement effective immediately, due to medical issues. Over his 39-year career, he officiated 2,561 regular-season games, 374 playoff games, and 50 NBA Finals games. The 374 playoff games is a record high for any NBA referee.
