[7] He also officiated recreational, high school, and college basketball games, while working as a salesman, before being hired by the NBA.
[2] The cause of death is an unknown at this time, but it was reported that Garretson's health had been in decline following recent surgery and effects of illnesses.
[2] Following the news of his death, NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement, "We are saddened by the passing of Darell Garretson.
"[9] In 2000, Garretson pleaded guilty to fraud in an airline-ticket scheme involving purchasing less expensive tickets and pocketing the difference without reporting the additional income to the Internal Revenue Service.
Critics of Garretson claimed that he developed the current generation of referees into "robots" by suppressing individual personality.
[15][16] On the court, Garretson was also known to minimize the amount of communication between himself and players and coaches, which was considered an unpopular approach among members of the media.