[1] Bavetta attended Power Memorial Academy in New York City (the same school future NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attended) and is a 1962 graduate of St. Francis College in New York[6] and played on the schools' basketball teams.

[3] A Wall Street broker for Salomon Brothers with an MBA in finance from the New York Institute of Finance, Bavetta began officiating games between fellow brokers in the Wall Street League, played at New York's Downtown Athletic Club, and later worked high school games.

[7] He debuted December 2, 1975 at Madison Square Garden in an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.

[1] In the 1980s, he was named chief referee, who has the power to approve or overrule calls made by other officials.

[1] Bavetta's most memorable game occurred during a 1980s nationally televised contest between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics when he was forced to officiate an NBA game by himself after his partner, Jack Madden, broke his leg in a collision with Celtics guard Dennis Johnson.

[7] Bavetta said the secret to his longevity was "wearing five pairs of socks", which he claims helped keep his feet in good shape.

[1] During the 2006–07 season, Bavetta officiated a December 16, 2006 game between the New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets.

The game involved a brawl where all ten players on the court were ejected by Bavetta and his officiating crew.

He has established and financed the Lady Bavetta Scholarships since 1986 in honor of his daughters, awarded to high school minority children based on their needs.

[3][12] He has volunteered since 1992 with Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch working with children and teens with a multitude of medical special needs.

[15] Bavetta overruled Strom on a crucial last-second personal foul call against the Nets, which would have been a victory for the 76ers.

[15] His uniform was allegedly ripped and he was wearing a big welt over his eye, running to get away from Strom.