Joey Crawford made the call: he's hanging up the whistle.

The boisterous, strict, and famously tempestuous Crawford announced his decision in an interview with Jack McCaffery of the Delaware County Daily Times.

"I’m done," he said.

Crawford, who's been holed up since undergoing knee surgery, plans to retire at the end of the 2015-16 playoffs, and would like to transition into an executive officiating role with the NBA.

In the meantime, the 64-year-old plans to lace them up for one last season. He's circled March 1 as his return date, and the no-nonsense No. 17 is looking to bump up his total of 50 career Finals games before he leaves the professional ranks for good.

Crawford's illustrious career - one that took him from officiating in the Catholic League, to the Eastern League, and eventually to basketball's biggest stage - was recognized with the Golden Whistle Award by the National Association of Sports Officials in 2014.

It's the highest honor for those in his field for a bona fide legend.

But Crawford will mostly be remembered for his on-court antics. Whether it's blocking a free-throw attempt, or emphatically skipping his way into a charge call, his lasting legacy will be his signature showmanship in a profession in which most refs try to go unnoticed.

Perhaps unintentionally, Crawford was always treated as something of a comedic figure - an ironic approach considering his much-reputed hatred for laughter.

As he prepares to pen the final chapter in his storybook career, Crawford's looking back at his family's unrivaled history. His father, Shag, and his brother, Jerry, were both MLB umpires. Joey was no different in upholding the family tradition.

"I have been very, very lucky," he said. "The thing that bothers me the most is that we have had a Crawford in pro sports since the '50s. My father's first year in the big leagues was '56, I was at Jerry's last game in Baltimore in 2010 and I was holding back tears, thinking, 'This is the last time a Crawford is going to be working a major league game.' It was weird.'

"It has been a good run."