The 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs is set to begin on Wednesday at the Frost Bank Center.
It’s a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals, which the Spurs won in five games. The title victory also started the franchise’s dynasty, winning four more championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
On the other hand, the Knicks are looking to win their first title since 1973.
Fresh off announcing the 12 officials for the NBA Finals, the league has revealed the referees for Game 1.
NBA Announces Referees for Game 1 of Knicks-Spurs
GettyReferee Scott Foster #48 calls a a technical foul during the first half of the NBA game between the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors at Footprint Center on November 22, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.
According to the NBA’s official website, four referees have been assigned to take charge of Game 1 in San Antonio.
Scott Foster has been named crew chief, James Capers as referee, Sean Wright as umpire and JB DeRosa as alternate.
Foster, Capers and Wright will be on the court making calls, while DeRosa is on standby just in case one of the main referees suffer an injury or gets an illness.
GettyReferee James Capers #19 looks on during the first half of a preseason game between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center on October 18, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
Foster and Capers are Finals veterans, with 43 games in total between them. Wright will just be officiating his second Finals game, while DeRosa has yet to call the biggest series in the NBA.
With the way calls have been scrutinized this offseason, it will be interesting to see how much physicality Foster and his crew allow in Game 1.
NBA Referee Profiles of the Game 1 Crew
GettyReferee Sean Wright #4 looks on during the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Moda Center on February 24, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
Scott Foster is in his 32nd season as an NBA referee. He has 1,867 regular-season games under his belt, plus 263 playoff games, including 26 in the Finals.
Foster is notoriously known as “The Extender” on social media due to the perceived notion that if the NBA wants to “extend” a series, the veteran referee is their man.
He refereed at high school and collegiate levels before becoming a CBA referee. He was mentored by two of the best referees ever in Dan Crawford and Joey Crawford.
James Capers is in his 31st year as a league official, with 1,634 regular-season games. He has called 204 postseason games, which includes 17 in the Finals. Just like Foster, Capers was a CBA referee before moving to the NBA.
Sean Wright is currently in his 19th season as an NBA referee. He has officiated 1,065 games in the regular season and 87 games in the playoffs, including one Finals game. He was a college referee before moving to the NBA G League.
GettyReferee JB DeRosa #22 signals a foul call during the first half between the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center on March 01, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
JB DeRosa is the youngest referee of the crew at just 35 years old. He is in his ninth NBA season as an official, with 420 regular-season games on his resume. He has only called 12 playoff games in his career so far.
DeRosa and Capers are both second-generation NBA referees. Their fathers are Joe DeRosa and James Capers Sr., respectively.
Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals is scheduled for an 8:30 p.m. tip-off. It will be televised on ABC and live streamed on the ESPN App.
NBA Announces Referees For Game 1 of New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs