Jesse “Jess” Kersey was born on January 12, 1941, in Newport News, Virginia and died on April 22, 2017.

He was an American basketball referee.

Kersey worked for the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association.[1]

He attended Thomas Nelson Community College.

After he joined the NBA in 1973, Kersey was a highly regarded referee and officiated at the 1975 ABA All-Star Game, the NBA All-Star Games in 1983, 1987 and 2002, and the NBA Finals in 1983, 1984 and 1991.

In his 30 year career, Kersey officiated 1,911 regular season games, 189 playoff games and 18 NBA Finals games.

During July 1997, Kersey resigned from the NBA after 24 seasons as a referee after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

He returned to the NBA for the 1998–99 season and continued working games until the 2006–07 season.

He was injured after Corey Maggette collided with him, and Kersey underwent hip replacement surgery the following year, on April 10, 2007.

He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

He died cancer in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Jess Kersey passed away at 76 years old.