Leon Wood was a shooting guard at Cal State Fullerton, who was the 10th overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft. Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, Wood played in the NBA through 1991, playing the 76ers from 1984-86, and then moving around the league quite a bit, playing with the Washington Bullets, New Jersey Nets (twice), San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, and ending his career with the Sacramento Kings. During his NBC career Wood averaged 6.6 points/game. He then played overseas, having a brief stint with MTV 1847 Giessen in Germany. During his NBC years, Wood had also played with CAI Zaragoza in Spain during the 1988-89 season. In addition to his 1984 Olympic gold medal, he won gold at the 1983 Pan American Games.
After retiring as a player Wood starting refereeing high school games in California and quickly moved up to working college games in the Ohio Valley and Trans America Athletic conferences. He then worked summer pro-am leagues and spent three years as a ref with the CBA (Continental Basketball Association). In 1996 Wood started an NBA referee career that lasted for over 20 years, making him one of only three former NBA players to also ref in the NBA.