Met Basketball Writers Distinguish Bob Adams with Service Award

On Monday, April 15, the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association honored Bob Adams with a Distinguished Service Award for his long and meritorious service to college basketball.

Adams has tenured as a NCAA Division 1 Referee for 20 years. He has refereed nine NCAA Tournaments and the Nit Finals. Adams has been affiliated with seven conferences in NCAA Division 1 basketball, including the MAAC, Big East, America East, Patriot League and Ivy League, during his 20-year career.

“You never think that you would get an honor like this from the writers who covered you for the last twenty years. It is a tremendous honor that I humbly accept tonight,” emotionally expressed Adams.

Besides his refereeing career, Adams has been a Lawyer for 20 years. He is presently a Full Time Mediator and Arbitrator with National Arbitration Mediation Services in Manhattan. Adams also litigated the entire World Trade Center litigation, while Senior Vice President of Risk Management for Tishman Construction.

Adams is a 1976 graduate of Colgate University. He played point guard for the Raiders and was named All ECAC First Team his senior year. He began his refereeing career officiating high school basketball, after playing professional basketball in France for four years. Adams simultaneously refereed high school games while attending Pace University Law School and graduated 1986.

The Adams Family has been longtime residents of White Plains. Bob was accompanied to the awards ceremony by his wife Sue, daughter Kim and son Kyle. The Adams oldest child, son Ryan could not make the event, as he is an attending senior at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania.

Kyle is a senior catcher and Captain of the Tigers baseball team, who will attend Salisbury Prep School in Connecticut next September.

Kim won three Section 1 Championships under the tutelage of her mother Sue Adams, who is a former and legendary Head Coach of Girls Basketball at WPHS.

Kim is presently working for Turner Sports, after graduating from University of Pennsylvania. She will be attending graduate school at Northwestern University Madill School of Journalism in the fall. “I think my father deserves this award. It is something that he has worked hard for decades to achieve,” proclaimed Kim.

Bob’s wife Sue declared. “I think it is a great honor. Bob has been so dedicated to the sport. Referring basketball is his passion. I am proud of him.” Sue Adams is presently, a teacher at Highlands Middle School and the Boys Tennis Coach at WPHS.

Bob Adams also has another passion. He works diligently to support the initiative to have Defibrillators placed in every public place. Adams has also testified in front of Congress and has been a guest on the Today Show regarding the importance of the placement of Defibrillators.

In July 1999, a healthy Adams collapsed in Grand Central Station from Cardiac Arrest. Coincidently, with a lot of construction being done at that time in Grand Central, the Defibrillator was just brought to the site the day prior that saved the life of Bob Adams.