Labor Dispute Puts Wood in NBA : Pro basketball: Former Titan star had planned to officiate games in the Continental Basketball Assn.

Leon Wood thought it would take three or four years to fulfill his dream to become an NBA referee. But his timetable has been accelerated because of the contract dispute between the referees union and the NBA owners.

With the regular referees on strike, Wood became one of the replacement officials used for exhibition games and regular-season games that started last week.

“We knew during our training . . . that something like this could happen, so we were prepared for it,” Wood said.

Wood, 33, who officiated in the summer pro league in Long Beach, said he’d be happy to receive assignments in the Continental Basketball Assn. But so far, he has worked the Vancouver-Portland game in Portland last Friday, and the Lakers-SuperSonics game Saturday in Seattle. Tuesday, he officiated the Golden State-Denver game in Oakland.

Wood finds himself in an awkward position--a former union man with the Players Assn. being a replacement official. He doesn’t know what effect this might have on future opportunities. He cannot comment on the ongoing negotiations or discuss his feelings about what is happening.

“I can’t even talk to friends who are [NBA] referees,” Wood said.

But he was asked to work the games, and decided to do so. So far, Wood said, he has not been as nervous as he might have expected to be.

“After getting the 7-8 exhibition games I had this summer [the regular-season games] have not been that big a deal,” said Wood, who played six seasons in the NBA. “I took it like it was my first game that I was getting ready to play.

“The summer work paid off. I learned a great deal over the summer. So far I’d say there have been no tough calls, nothing I had not seen before.”

Wood also was reminded last Saturday how tough an official’s work can be. He raised the ire of the Lakers when he ejected guard Nick Van Exel late in the game.

Van Exel was so mad he kept yelling at Wood before being restrained by Seattle guard Gary Payton. Afterward, Van Exel fumed about the officiating. “Two inexperienced refs. It’s already hard enough with three experienced guys [before the lockout]. You just can’t see the whole court,” he said. “The NBA needs to come up out of their pockets.”

As soon as an agreement between the referees union and the NBA is reached, Wood said he has been assigned to work college and CBA games in Florida.

“It’s been fun. What makes it fun is I love basketball, and I’m bringing a player’s knowledge--his point of view--onto the court, as opposed to another official who hasn’t played,” Wood said.

“The experiment [of refereeing] was last year in high school and pro-am, refereeing guys I had played against. Now this is reality.”