NBA reaches deal over refs lockout, says commissioner Stern

National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern speaks at a press conference before Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic in Los Angeles June 4, 2009.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The NBA has reached agreement with the league's referees on a new collective bargaining agreement, commissioner David Stern said Friday.

He added that he expected referees to officiate the opening games of the season, which start Tuesday.

The league has been using replacement officials in pre-season games after the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) rejected a contract offer.

"We are looking forward to our regular referees ratifying the agreement that we reached and being back on the court on Tuesday," Stern said in a teleconference.

The NBRA was not immediately available for comment.

Stern said he was pleased with the performance of the replacement officials, many of whom were drawn from the Development League and the WNBA.

"The replacement refs have been intensively evaluated and we think they have given us great confidence that our recruitment and development process for future NBA referees is in very good shape," he said.

"We know that we will be seeing many of the people that have been in court as future NBA referees," he added.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Ken Ferris)