NBA official Bill Spooner goes from talking to LeBron to watching softball

Dallas Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle, left, argues a no call with referee Bill Spooner, right, during a game on March 25 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Columnist

May 20, 2014 7:57 PM PT

It was a big week for NBA official Bill Spooner, a former Woodland Hills Taft football player who has risen to be one of the best in his profession.

On Sunday, he was one of the officials for the Eastern Conference final between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. But he couldn’t spend too much time hanging out with LeBron James.

He boarded a flight back to the San Fernando Valley, because on Tuesday, his daughter, Ally, a freshman soccer-softball standout at Oak Park, also had a playoff game.

I’m sure Spooner didn’t second guess the officiating. Oak Park lost its softball playoff game to Simi Valley, 4-1.

But father is proud of his daughter and got to enjoy the game. And there were no Heat or Pacer fans to heckle him.

But Laker fans . . .