Eric Dalen is an NBA referee. Image Source: Flickr.
- Birth DateJuly 12, 1972
- Birth Name Eric N. Dalen
- Age 52
- Father's Name Neal Dalen
- Mother's Name Ellen Dalen
- Birth Place Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA
- Birth Sign Cancer
- Nationality American
- Profession NBA Referee
- Partner Kelly Dalen
- Relationship Status Married
- Children Kayla Dalen, Kate Dalen, Gavin Dalen, Parker James Dalen
For any game to run smoothly, the referee plays a great role. NBA matches too constitute several referees, and they all work under National Basketball Referee Operations. Eric Dalen is one of the NBA referees.
Despite being a constant face in the NBA matches, very little has been revealed about Dalen’s personal life. Many basketball fans are curious to know about him. Thus, in this biography, let’s know in detail about his early life, net worth, and many more.
Hails From Minnesota
Eric was born Eric N. Dalen on July 12, 1972, in Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA. He is one of the two sons of Ellen Dalen and Neal Dalen. His brother is Mark A. Dalen. Sadly, Eric Dalen’s dad has already passed away.
Talking about his education, Eric attended Minnetonka High School. After graduating, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota. However, his major has not been unveiled.
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Eric Dalen Net Worth And Career
Eric Dalen’s net worth mainly constitutes his earnings as an NBA referee. While at the university, he was a two-year football letter-winner and played tight end.
Dalen started his career as a referee at the collegiate level in the SEC. Then, for the five seasons, he worked in the NBA G League. Furthermore, the 2008 NBA G League All-Star Game and NBA G League Finals were officiated by him. After the five seasons came to an end that year, Dalen joined the NBA.
In November 2008, the Minnesota-born referee started his stint in NBA. Dalen’s most memorable assignment was his first game as a full-time staff official: Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets. Since then, he has officiated 572 regular-season games in eleven seasons.
In all these years of his professional career, Eric must have pocketed a considerable sum. As per SportsKeeda, entry-level referees in the NBA make $150,000 annually. Similarly, the senior NBA referees earn $550,000 per year. The amount received by them has drastically increased by ten times as they made around $18,000 to $80,000 per season in 1983. As he has been working as an NBA referee since 2008, Eric Dalen’s salary must be in the same range as senior NBA referees.
In December 2021, Eric and Zach Zarba did not officiate the Charlotte-Phoenix game because of the league’s health and safety protocols. Nevertheless, he has been a well-known name in the NBA. Furthermore, the referee was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame in May 2019.
Hence, Eric Dalen’s net worth must be a considerable sum from his career as a referee. He is still actively working in the NBA, so who knows, his paychecks might get doubled in the coming days.
A Loving Partner And A Doting Father Of Four
The successful referee, Eric, is happily married. He shares a blissful marital life with Kelly Dalen. But, it has not been revealed when and how the couple met. The pair got married in May 2005.
All in all, it has been many years since Eric and Kelly exchanged the vows. In all these years of being together, Eric Dalen’s wife gave birth to their four children, two daughters, and two sons.
Eric Dalen’s daughter, Kayla Dalen, is his eldest child, born in May 2004. She is a volleyball player and currently attends the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she is also pursuing biology. Eric’s other children are Gavin Dalen and Kate Dalen. Eric’s son, Parker James Dalen, is his youngest child, born in June 2013.
Eric Dalen’s children and wife are supportive of him. They all must be having a wonderful time together. Likewise, Dalen’s mom and brother must be proud of his work. As mentioned earlier, he is still active in his profession, so his earnings might increase in the coming days. We wish the NBA referee a successful career ahead.
