External links
- Biography
- Matthew Kallio at FIBA.basketball
- Matthew Kallio – Basketball-Reference.com referee profile
- Matthew Kallio at Olympedia
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 26, 1986 [1] Edmonton, Alberta, Canada [1] |
| Nationality | Canadian |
Matthew Leigh "Matt" Kallio (Edmonton, 26 September 1986) is a Canadian NBA and FIBA referee, [1] [2] who has been a licensed FIBA official since 2012. [3]
In 2021–22, he made his NBA debut as a non-staff referee and officiated 10 regular-season NBA games. [1] He was promoted to full-time NBA officiating staff ahead of the 2022–23 season, becoming the first international official at the NBA level. [4]
Kallio was born in Edmonton, Alberta, with Finnish ancestry. He attended M.E. LaZerte High School before graduating from the University of Alberta in 2008. [1]
Before entering the professional and international officiating ranks, Kallio accumulated extensive experience in Canadian collegiate basketball. He spent multiple years officiating in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) and in U Sports.[ citation needed ]
Kallio obtained his FIBA referee licence in 2012 and has served on FIBA tournaments since then. [3] He was assigned to the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. [5] He was also selected as one of the FIBA referees for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Basketball Tournament. [6]
In September 2025, he officiated the gold medal game of EuroBasket 2025 between Germany and Turkey in Tallinn.
Kallio refereed in the NBA G League for multiple seasons and also worked in the WNBA prior to joining the NBA full-time. [1] During the 2021–22 NBA season he officiated as a non-staff official before being promoted to the NBA officiating staff for the 2022–23 season. [4]
