Danny Crawford didn’t blink when he stepped away in 2017 after 32 years as an NBA referee. Eight years later, he is one of those people — driven, fortunate, curious — who stay so busy they sometimes wonder how they found time for a job at all.

The golf bug got him and it bites now three or four times a week, usually in the western Chicago suburbs where he lives, but also in Florida or other balmy destinations when the weather turns nasty. He and his wife, Claudia, travel, including recent trips to Australia and New Zealand, followed by another to see their son, Drew, play basketball in the Israeli Premier League.

Then there are breakfasts, monthly at least, with a rotating crew of friends, 60 or 70 strong. Like Crawford, they are former players, coaches, referees and fans, from all ove

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