Jesse Ray Kersey
2002 Hall of Fame Inductee

Jess Kersey was born and raised in Newport News. He graduated from Newport News High School in 1958. While there he earned All-Peninsula honors ion baseball. He attended Thomas Nelson Community College, and went on to a 20 year career with the immensely popular Fox Hill fast-pitch softball teams. He started officiating basketball while working as children's recreation director in Newport News. During the next three decades he officiated at every level, from recreation leagues to colleges. He spent eight years officiating at the high school level and seven years of collegiate officiating in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southern Conference, East Coast Athletic Conference, and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Jess is a member of the Virginia Fast Pitch Softball Hall of Fame, and was named to the 1969 All World team as a second baseman. The Peninsula Sports Club awarded him the Henry Jordan Award for his meritorious service.

He began professionally officiating with the American Basketball Association. When the league merged with the National Basketball Association in 1976, Jess became an NBA official. He officiated the 1983, 1987 and 1994 NBA All-Star Games, as well as the 1990 McDonald's Championship in Barcelona, Spain. Prior to the start of this season, he had officiated 1,606 regular season NBA games, 180 playoff games, as well as 19 NBA Finals.

Service to his community includes working with the Boys and Girls Club, the American Cancer Society, New Horizon, the Muscular Dystrophy Society, Bacon Street for troubled youths, Firefighter fund raisers, and the Youth Challenge which helps to transition people from prison life to become productive citizens.