*SPECIAL FEATURE: The following interview can be found in its entirety in the current issue, Dime #68.*
There have been many great stories to come out of the game we all adore. Personal journeys and how different players and coaches have made it to the NBA are often covered in the media, and many of those stories are truly remarkable. But the story of recently retired NBA referee Bob Delaney is a journey of a different kind. With his most recent book, Surviving the Shadows, Delaney makes it clear that his life mission is now supporting those that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You may be asking yourself, “How does this relate to Bob Delaney?” or “Was the NBA that stressful for him as an official?”
What many do not know is that before Delaney was officiating under the bright lights with the best players in the world, he was a New Jersey State Trooper. From going undercover in the mob to a refereeing in the NBA, this is a journey unlike any other.
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Dime: What drew you to becoming a law enforcement officer?
Bob Delaney: My father was a state trooper, but for quite some time I had no idea what I wanted to do. I loved baseball and basketball but was realistic about either of them taking me to the pros, but I wanted to be involved in sports. At the age of 20, I was playing ball for Jersey City State College when I learned about the State Police test being offered and that it had not been offered for two years prior. I was concerned that it may not be offered again for a few years , so I came out early like many basketball players – only for me it was for law enforcement, not pro hoops.
Dime: How were you selected to become an undercover officer?
BD: I was contacted by Lieutenant Jack Liddy with the Criminal Investigation Section of the State Police. He asked if I was interested in undercover work, and I said, “Yes, sir.” I was not on the force for that long and I had worked a union job during the summers; I had some knowhow in regards to how they work, so I was viewed as a good candidate. Project Alpha was an investigation being headed by the President’s organized task force in conjunction with the FBI and the New Jersey State Police. It was two troopers and three FBI agents with the goal being to infiltrate New Jersey organized crime operating near or on the waterfront.
Dime: Was an alternate life created for you?
BD: It was a new life. I became Robert Allen Covert, a.k.a. Bobby Covert. Robert Allen Covert was the name of a child who died at birth, which is where the name came from. We wanted to have the same first name and a similar age bracket. A cover story was created within the State Police that I had gotten involved in a crime and I was out of the picture and down in Florida. Bob Delaney disappeared, and Bobby Covert was born.
Dime: What was the journey into the criminal world like for you?
BD: It was a slow pace, as it had to be. I felt like I had cop written across my head every day. We started a trucking company, Alamo Trucking, in Jersey City. We had two partners – the Genovese and Bruno crime families – and 25 percent started being kicked back that was split between them. Each family wanted the company for themselves. We were getting billed by them for everything and anything, which had nothing to do with trucking. What the mob do is takeover businesses and bleed them dry.
Dime: Similar to the restaurant in Goodfellas that they end up burning down?
BD: Exactly like that.
Dime: Were there any moments where you were concerned for your safety and/or life?
BD: Almost everyday. What I mean is that the world I was a part of was very dangerous. There were hidden cameras in the trucking building and I was wearing a wire. The recorder was in my jock and the wire went up to my armpit. I would meet the wiseguys and be fine during the meetings, but when I would get two miles down the road, I would have to pull over to the side of the road and puke my guts out, or stop at a gas station because I had diarrhea because of the stress. I did not tell anyone that, because like most who wear uniforms, I wanted to think I could handle anything.
Dime: What was the result of your investigation?
BD: We convicted 30 members of organized crime on racketeering charges, but for me it was coming to the realization that I had gone too deep into this other world as many of the guys we arrested felt like friends. I thought the day of the raid was going to be the best day of my life, but it ended up being the worst. When we brought them in and I saw them, I was dressed in street clothes and one guy asked me what I got pinched for. Before I could answer, one of the other troopers said, “He’s with us, he is a Jersey trooper.” The immediate reaction and look I got was not one of hate, it was one of disappointment and hurt. He said, “How could you do that to me, I’m your friend.” These were people that looked at me as their friend. We are socialized not to tell on friends, it’s an unwritten rule on the playground that you don’t tell on your friends. I felt I had taken the value of trust and abused it. A feeling of guilt fell over me.
Dime: When did you know you were suffering from PTSD?
BD: Between threats on my life which created paranoia, high levels of anger and feeling very isolated, there was definitely something present, but PTSD at the time was still yet to be a diagnosis. It wasn’t until Doctor Hank Campbell said to me, “There is something going on with you,” and he diagnosed me with it. I was then connected to Joe Pistone (the real-life Donnie Brasco), and after speaking with him he knew exactly what I was going through. That was my first exposure to peer-to-peer therapy.
Dime: What was that recovery process like in terms of progress and time?
BD: Years upon years. This was not something that was addressed within law enforcement. I really wanted to connect with something that would give me peace and help me see the positive side of life again. Basketball was that thing.
Dime: How did you end up taking the referee route?
BD: I was still a trooper, so coaching consistently was not going to work, but refereeing games was a good fit as I started doing youth games on Friday nights. It quickly reminded me how special the game was – it was like the feeling of playing the game being part of the competition. I moved on to high school and then got connected to the Jersey Shore Pro League where Darell Garretson, Director of NBA Officiating, saw me and put me into the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Back then Phil Jackson was coaching up in Albany and Bill Musselman in Tampa. The game has always served me well. Basketball gave me my life back.
Dime: What was your first NBA game experience like?
BD: Very special. I was at Madison Square Garden working with Jess Kersey – only two referees on a game back then. It was very exciting. It was the beginning of my new career, and I never took it for granted. Each year I would make it a point to go to a game or two and sit in the stands when I wasn’t working, because I wanted to taste and appreciate the game. In my rookie season, I’d get to the arena early because I wanted to get out to the court and make myself very familiar with the surroundings. I’ll never forget the first time I was at the Boston Garden, the banners, the tradition, the floor, it was amazing.
Dime: What was your most memorable game as an official?
BD: There were so many, but I’ve got three for you. First, Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals when LeBron James could not be stopped in Detroit. Second, the Spurs-Suns playoff game when Steve Nash‘s nose got busted and it would not stop bleeding. There was a rule change because of that, calling for a new version of the “blood rule.” I recall Coach Popovich yelling at me to let Steve play, because he wanted to beat Phoenix at their best. Third, Larry Bird‘s last season against Portland at the Boston Garden.
Dime: You worked that game?
BD: Yes I did. (laughs) It was St. Patty’s Day Sunday in Boston and it was Bird, Chief, McHale and Reggie Lewis against that really good Blazers team that ended up in the Finals that season. Bird had a great game and the Celtics were down seven, I believe, with under a minute to go. Larry then hit that stumbling three-pointer with Drexler all over him to tie the game. Before the overtime started, Bird walked out of the huddle and right up to me, and in typical Bird fashion with no showboating said, “I should be on the line to end this fucking thing.” He did it in such a way that no one knew – he was trying to lay ground work for the O.T. He was an intense competitor.
Would you ever be able to go undercover in a situation like this?
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