Career
Wearing #35 throughout his 31-year career, only Dick Bavetta and Joey Crawford have had more years of National Basketball Association officiating experience than Nies. Nies officiated 2,046 regular-season games throughout his career, making him the sixth referee to do southern In addition, Nies oversaw 150 playoff games, 10 National Basketball Association Finals games, two National Basketball Association All-Star Games (1996 and 2005), and the 1987 Legends Classic.
Internationally, he was part of the referee crew that oversaw the 1994 Mexico Challenge and the 1997 McDonald"s Championship.
Nies retired from the National Basketball Association following the 2008-2009 season. Nies graduated from Saint Peter"s Preparatory School.
He led the school to a state championship in 1955, and was awarded an All-State selection. Nies then played basketball for University of Saint Mary in Kansas before graduating in 1961 with a degree in Psychology and Philosophy.
Nies then moved back to New Jersey and started refereeing high school basketball games while working as a special education teacher in the local school district.
He then officiated Eastern League games from 1971 until 1978, when he was hired by the National Basketball Association. Then-New York Knicks coach Red Holzman helped by giving the league a letter of recommendation, having been impressed by his refereeing in a game he had seen in 1970. On April 15, 2008, Nies refereed his 2000th National Basketball Association game as his homestate New Jersey Nets overcame a 20-point deficit against the Charlotte Bobcats 112–108. On April 13, 2009, he officiated his last National Basketball Association game as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder.
2000 Finals, Games 1 and 6
2001 Finals, Game 4
2002 Finals, Game 1
2003 Finals, Game 3
2004 Finals, Game 4 (Lead official)
2005 Finals, Game 2
2006 Finals, Game 3.
