Sometimes the NBA isn’t only about the players. The referees also take the spotlight. No, this wasn’t referring to the issues with their officiating. There isn’t a day in the league without a head coach or a player complaining about the ref’s calls. But, it’s always a rare event when a referee steals the show and last night was one such occurrence. It was the first-year referee, Sha’Rae Mitchell, who made a LeBron James impression during a live game.

As the Lakers continued to tighten the screw since the Luka Doncic trade, they hosted the LA Clippers last night. Amid the intense match-up, the NBA world witnessed an unusual reaction from Mitchell. Around the 3-minute mark in the first quarter, Nicolas Batum deflected Jarred Vanderbilt’s bad pass, and it hit the ref in the least expected way. Guess what was her immediate reaction? Watch it for yourself.

Sha’Rae Mitchell pulled out LeBron James‘ shoulder shrug that the superstar often does after breaking through a wall of defenders and scoring a bucket. Well, that was tough. After that impromptu reaction, Mitchell turned the global attention to her side. Now that she has our attention, let’s get to know about her a bit.

Who is NBA referee Sha’Rae Mitchell that stole the highlight in the Lakers-Clippers game?

Sha’Rae Mitchell is the 15th woman NBA referee who became a full-time referee staff this season. Before officiating in her first-ever NBA season, the 39-year-old internet sensation went through a long journey in the league to get the honor. 

Upon promoting Mitchell as a full-timer, the NBA senior vice president said, “We are thrilled to welcome Intae and Sha’Rae to our full-time staff… They have excelled in their performance areas and earned the right to officiate NBA games on a regular basis.” Before the league recognized her talent and gave her the opportunity, she had punched in her officiating brilliance in the non-staff NBA official, G-League, WNBA, and even for the college circuit.

Firstly, she began her career as a G-League referee in 2018 and served there until the NBA promoted her. Even during her G-league stint, she received an opportunity to officiate NBA games in 2022. Reportedly, the shortage of refs during the pandemic prompted the league to invite Sha’Rae Mitchell to officiate the Spurs and Pistons game. 

Apart from her 5-season-long stint in G-League including playoff games, she officiated 2 seasons of WNBA, including one season of postseason assignment. Moreover, the base of the officiating comes from the junior level. Before stepping into the professional realm, she had 5 years of officiating experience in college basketball, dealing with assignments for Pac-12, West Coast, Big Sky, and Western Athletic Conference.

Was Sha’Rae Mitchell a professional basketball player? 

A report suggested that Sha’Rae Mitchell wanted to pursue her career as a broadcaster, something to do more with the words. However, the future had something different for her in the store. She is closer to the game now than behind the mic. So, it’s a good change.

Where did it all begin? Did she want to be a professional baller? Mitchell has played basketball at the collegiate level, representing UC Santa Barbara, and accumulated accolades such as All-Big West Tournament Team, and All-Big West Honorable Mention accolades. Following that, she worked in the women’s basketball coaching staff at Stanford University, UCLA, and Coastal Carolina University.

There isn’t enough detail on why she didn’t pursue her career as a professional baller. But one thing is for sure: her life revolved around the ball game. And, last night, she received the well-deserved limelight. 

There are a few rare moments when the refs steal the limelight on a live game. Let us know one such moment in the comments below.