Strom is credited as one of the great referees in the history of the NBA[2][3] and was known for his flamboyant style and ability to control the game.

[2] Nicknamed "The Pied Piper", the assertive Strom made foul calls with his whistle by using a "tweet-pause-tweet-tweet" tune and pointing at the offending player.

[3] In addition to calling fouls with flair, he was known for ejecting players from games with style and he sometimes supported his rulings with physical force.

[8] After finishing high school in 1945, he joined the United States Coast Guard towards the end of World War II.

[2] Following school, the young Strom continued participating in sports and played for a local semi-professional basketball team in his early 20s.

[10] Outside of officiating, Strom worked at General Electric in customer relations starting in 1956 and continued in this role through his first stint in the NBA.

[3] Strom ascended to the top of the officiating ladder by the end of his third season in the league as he was assigned playoff games, which was uncommon for lesser experienced referees at the time.

[17] In another significant moment in his officiating career, Strom was saved from an angry mob by legendary center Wilt Chamberlain during a game played in Memphis, Tennessee, in the mid-1960s.

[20] Nevertheless, Strom was subsequently designated crew chief in 1967 and 1968[2] when the league hired Dolph Schayes as supervisor of officials for the NBA.

[22] It was at this time that Strom became interested in listening to what the ABA, which started in 1967, had to offer in the bidding war that ensued between the two leagues over talent.

[23] The ABA accepted Strom's demands of a $25,000 per year salary, a $25,000 signing bonus, and a health insurance and pension plan.

[6] Strom had anticipated that the ABA product would be inferior to the NBA, but assumed that the increase in pay would compensate for the level of play.

[25] However, he fed off the energy of the fans when officiating games and the small attendance sizes in the ABA made him feel depressed.

Following an exhibition game that Strom officiated between the Virginia Squires and Kentucky Colonels, he told a Philadelphia reporter that he had just seen the greatest player alive, referring to Julius Erving.

[30] Encouraged with the support of Wayne Embry and Pat Williams, general managers of the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls respectively, Strom met with Kennedy during the 1972 ABA Playoffs.

"[34] Strom continued to have difficulties with Nucatola over the next several months and finally sought the assistance of Richie Phillips, a Philadelphia attorney and NBA player representative.

[39] Since Strom had left the NBA in 1969, referees now made twice the salary and received pension, health, and insurance plans.

[41] Strom had ejected head coach Dick Motta after receiving a second technical foul for storming onto the court to argue with referee Don Murphy.

[42] During a game in 1982, Frank Layden, then head coach of the Utah Jazz, had seen enough of his team's poor performance and wanted an early exit.

[52] Bill Russell, who was coaching the SuperSonics at the time and referee Hugh Evans separated Strom and Brown from a further altercation.

[59] In the spring of 1979, Strom criticized Chicago Bulls team management, in particular president Jonathan Kovler, over the firing of head coach Larry Costello[60] after 56 games.

[61] While this incident was occurring, shortly after, Strom was involved in a shoving match with a fan and security officer following a game played in Phoenix, Arizona.

[63] In order to keep his job, Strom assured the league that there would be no animosity directed towards the Bulls and decided to discontinue writing his weekly column.

[64] The sports reporter met Strom in a hotel lobby and was later joined by Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach, John Killelea.

[65] Nearly halfway through the 1987–88 NBA season, Strom was fined $150 for reversing a field goal that San Antonio Spurs' Mike Mitchell made at the end of the half against the Indiana Pacers.

[66] Strom was concerned about making the correct call after being told by Pacers coach Jack Ramsay and referee Tommy Nuñez that Mitchell's shot attempt came after the period expired.

[67] At the same time, the Detroit Free Press conducted a survey of 500 players, coaches, general managers, broadcasters, writers, and fans to determine the best official in each professional sport.

The thing I respect him for, aside from being a very good official, is that you can get hot with him one night and have a few words, yet the next time you get him working your team he's ready to start fresh.

[79] To get plays called correctly, he brought up the idea of limited use of instant replay for shots made at the end of a period ("buzzer beaters") and three-point attempts.

[84] Pottstown High School created the "Earl Strom Financial Aid Scholarship", which is awarded to a member of the senior class who has been accepted by an accredited college.