Tim Donaghy Again Forces an NBA Investigation of Referees
For the second time in two years, the N.B.A. is being forced to investigate the conduct of its officiating staff because of provocative allegations made by a disgraced former referee.
In an unpublished book, the former referee Tim Donaghy accuses his former colleagues of manipulating games and allowing friendships and grudges to dictate their calls. Donaghy also charges that the N.B.A. subtly influences its officiating staff to protect star players and marquee teams.
The latest accusations come via the sports blog Deadspin, which on Wednesday posted excerpts from Donaghy’s “Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA.” They are a mix of old allegations and new stories; Donaghy made similar charges in court filings in the spring of 2008 before he was sentenced to a 15-month prison term for conspiring with gamblers. A league investigation, conducted last year by Lawrence Pedowitz, a former federal prosecutor, concluded that the charges were unfounded.
The N.B.A. announced on Thursday that it would forward Donaghy’s latest allegations to Pedowitz “for a complete review.” In its statement, the league again noted that the F.B.I. and federal prosecutors had investigated Donaghy’s claims and found no other criminal conduct.
“We take any question regarding the integrity of our game extremely seriously,” Elizabeth Ventura, the N.B.A.’s senior vice president for communications, said in the statement.
Although Pedowitz issued his report nearly 13 months ago, the N.B.A. indicated at the time that his work would continue and that any new information would be investigated.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the referees union said it was “disappointed, but not surprised” by Donaghy’s latest allegations.
“This continues to be the Tim that we know,” Lloyd Pierson, a representative for the National Basketball Referees Association, said in the statement. “He repeatedly attempts to highlight himself in the media, but the 59 N.B.A. referees will continue to officiate games with the utmost integrity and the focus will remain on the 2009-2010 N.B.A. season.”
The most salacious allegation in the book is one that Donaghy has made several times before: that referees manipulated Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals by calling more fouls on the Sacramento Kings, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to win the game and tie the series.
Donaghy, who did not work that game, alleged that the league instructed the Game 6 officiating crew to watch for certain types of calls that had been missed during the series. The calls that were flagged would benefit the Lakers, Donaghy says.
As he had before, Donaghy accused the veteran referee Dick Bavetta of consistently working to extend playoff series or otherwise predetermine the outcomes of games, presumably for the benefit of television ratings. Several other referees are accused, by name, of misconduct.
Donaghy alleged that referees occasionally made wagers on who would call the first technical foul on a particularly obnoxious player. In other cases, they might make a bet to avoid calling a foul for as long as possible at the start of a game.
Donaghy also cites instances of favoritism and grudges. He alleged that Steve Javie, one of the N.B.A.’s top referees, had a longstanding hatred for Allen Iverson, the veteran guard. Iverson was once fined for making the same accusation.
N.B.A. referees are generally not permitted to speak to the news media and were not available to address the most recent allegations.
It was unclear when or if Donaghy’s book would be published. Deadspin, citing unnamed sources, reported that Triumph Books, an imprint of Random House, had dropped the book after the N.B.A. threatened to sue.
A Random House spokesman denied the story, saying that the company’s decision was based on “a close legal review of the final manuscript” as well as “our independent evaluation of some of the author’s sources and statements.”
“Our decision is wholly our own and was made without consultation with any outside parties or individuals,” said the spokesman, Stuart Applebaum.
For the second time in two years, the N.B.A. is being forced to investigate the conduct of its officiating staff because of provocative allegations made by a disgraced former referee.
In an unpublished book, the former referee Tim Donaghy accuses his former colleagues of manipulating games and allowing friendships and grudges to dictate their calls. Donaghy also charges that the N.B.A. subtly influences its officiating staff to protect star players and marquee teams.
The latest accusations come via the sports blog Deadspin, which on Wednesday posted excerpts from Donaghy’s “Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA.” They are a mix of old allegations and new stories; Donaghy made similar charges in court filings in the spring of 2008 before he was sentenced to a 15-month prison term for conspiring with gamblers. A league investigation, conducted last year by Lawrence Pedowitz, a former federal prosecutor, concluded that the charges were unfounded.
The N.B.A. announced on Thursday that it would forward Donaghy’s latest allegations to Pedowitz “for a complete review.” In its statement, the league again noted that the F.B.I. and federal prosecutors had investigated Donaghy’s claims and found no other criminal conduct.
“We take any question regarding the integrity of our game extremely seriously,” Elizabeth Ventura, the N.B.A.’s senior vice president for communications, said in the statement.
Although Pedowitz issued his report nearly 13 months ago, the N.B.A. indicated at the time that his work would continue and that any new information would be investigated.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the referees union said it was “disappointed, but not surprised” by Donaghy’s latest allegations.
“This continues to be the Tim that we know,” Lloyd Pierson, a representative for the National Basketball Referees Association, said in the statement. “He repeatedly attempts to highlight himself in the media, but the 59 N.B.A. referees will continue to officiate games with the utmost integrity and the focus will remain on the 2009-2010 N.B.A. season.”
The most salacious allegation in the book is one that Donaghy has made several times before: that referees manipulated Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals by calling more fouls on the Sacramento Kings, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to win the game and tie the series.
Donaghy, who did not work that game, alleged that the league instructed the Game 6 officiating crew to watch for certain types of calls that had been missed during the series. The calls that were flagged would benefit the Lakers, Donaghy says.
As he had before, Donaghy accused the veteran referee Dick Bavetta of consistently working to extend playoff series or otherwise predetermine the outcomes of games, presumably for the benefit of television ratings. Several other referees are accused, by name, of misconduct.
Donaghy alleged that referees occasionally made wagers on who would call the first technical foul on a particularly obnoxious player. In other cases, they might make a bet to avoid calling a foul for as long as possible at the start of a game.
Donaghy also cites instances of favoritism and grudges. He alleged that Steve Javie, one of the N.B.A.’s top referees, had a longstanding hatred for Allen Iverson, the veteran guard. Iverson was once fined for making the same accusation.
N.B.A. referees are generally not permitted to speak to the news media and were not available to address the most recent allegations.
It was unclear when or if Donaghy’s book would be published. Deadspin, citing unnamed sources, reported that Triumph Books, an imprint of Random House, had dropped the book after the N.B.A. threatened to sue.
A Random House spokesman denied the story, saying that the company’s decision was based on “a close legal review of the final manuscript” as well as “our independent evaluation of some of the author’s sources and statements.”
“Our decision is wholly our own and was made without consultation with any outside parties or individuals,” said the spokesman, Stuart Applebaum.
Source: New York Times
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