NBA hires former Obama counsel, Google exec Albert Sanders Jr. to head ref operations

By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer

The NBA has hired Albert Sanders Jr. as its new head of referee operations. He’s a Google executive and former associate counsel to President Barack Obama. Sanders starts the job Monday. He will be an executive vice president working in concert with senior vice president for referee development and training Monty McCutchen. Sanders will report to Byron Spruell, who is the NBA’s president for league operations.