NBA referees

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NBA Star Makes 'Money' Sign at Ref, Must Pay Big Time

Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves fined $100K after his gesture

(Newser) - The NBA fined Minnesota center Rudy Gobert $100,000 on Sunday, reports the AP , two days after he implied that referee Scott Foster wasn't calling games fairly and further suggested that gambling is having a detrimental impact on the outcome of games. The fine is the maximum that the...

After NBA Star Called Him a Slur, Ref Reveals He's Gay

'I am proud to be a ref ... proud to be a gay man,' says Bill Kennedy

(Newser) - Referees are used to being called blind and stupid, and NBA refs take that heat from guys a foot or so taller than them, but in the case of Bill Kennedy it was a gay slur hurled his way in the heat of the moment that caused him to come...

Short NBA Refs? Expect More Foul Calls
 Short NBA Refs? 
 Expect More 
 Foul Calls 
study says
Nov 9, 2014 2:48 PM CST

Short NBA Refs? Expect More Foul Calls

Shortest crew calls an extra .147 fouls per game: study

(Newser) - NBA players be warned: If you've got a team of referees on the short side, you may want to keep your play extra clean. A study finds that shorter groups of refs are more likely to call fouls than are their taller counterparts, the Wall Street Journal reports. Researchers...

NBA Referee Sues Sportswriter Over Tweet

Bill Spooner Says It Questioned His Integrity

(Newser) - Another first in the world of digital-age lawsuits. An NBA referee is suing an AP sportswriter over what he calls a "derogatory" tweet issued during a game, reports Wired . The fuss began when Minnesota coach Kurt Rambis complained to referee Bill Spooner about what he thought was a lousy...

Lakers' Whining Won Game 5
 Lakers' Whining 
 Won Game 5 
OPINION
May 28, 2009 12:15 PM CDT

Lakers' Whining Won Game 5

(Newser) - The NBA fined Lakers coach Phil Jackson $50,000 for complaining about the officiating in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, but the frustrated Nuggets think it was money well spent. They got whistled 30 times in last night's Game 5, and they’re angry, reports Mark Kiszla of...

Mark Cuban Takes His Ref Gripes to Twitter

Favoritism for JR Smith? Read all about it on Mavs owner's feed

(Newser) - When Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has disagreed with referees in the past, he's tended to gripe, shout, or bellow—and pay the resulting fines. But now he's also tweeting, notes Chris Matyszczyk on Cnet.com. Cuban posted a complaint about a no-call on a Nuggets player: "how...

NBA Pros Deserve Oscars for Crying Foul

Players turn on the acting and sound effects to convince refs to give the call

(Newser) - The grunts and bellows of pro basketball players approaching the hoop has become as much a part of the game as the dribbling, the New York Times reports. Players shout to alert—or, as often, persuade—the ref that they are being fouled before they take a basket. LeBron James,...

Donaghy Was Sole Gambling Ref, NBA Finds

Convict's betting prompted league-wide integrity investigation

(Newser) - No NBA referee other than Tim Donaghy, who’s currently serving time for gambling, has been up to anything illegal in the sport, a 14-month league probe has found. But the report’s author did have some suggestions for keeping the game clean, including a hotline for tips on suspicious...

NBA Ref Starts Prison Term for Gambling

Scandal fallout continues to batter league

(Newser) - The NBA referee who admitted gambling on basketball begins his 15-month federal prison sentence today, reports USA Today. The conviction of referee Tim Donaghy, 41, has rocked the NBA, even though officials determined he didn't bet on the specific games he worked. An NBA-sponsored investigation into gambling and referees is...

Donaghy Gets 15 Months in Gambling Rap

Disgraced NBA ref gets off lightly after lawyer's plea for leniency

(Newser) - Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison today for his role in the NBA gambling scandal, the Sporting News reports, a step down from the 27-33 months recommended by federal guidelines. Donaghy’s lawyers argued that the disgraced referee—who admitted to betting on games he officiated in...

Do Feds Suspect Another Ref?
 Do Feds Suspect
 Another Ref? 
Jun 13, 2008 9:00 AM CDT

Do Feds Suspect Another Ref?

Officials report being asked about Bavetta during Donaghy probe

(Newser) - While questioning former NBA referees about Tim Donaghy, federal investigators also asked lots of questions about another ref named Dick Bavetta, ESPN reports. Commissioner David Stern, however, insisted the league has no concerns about the veteran official, who worked Game 1 of this year's finals. Stern again suggested that Donaghy's...

Full-Court Press Won't Fix NBA's Image Woes
Full-Court Press Won't Fix NBA's Image Woes
OPINION
Jun 12, 2008 3:38 PM CDT

Full-Court Press Won't Fix NBA's Image Woes

Commish can point to crooked ref, but game- fixing charge sticks

(Newser) - It seems unlikely NBA commissioner David Stern would ever have arranged outcomes of important games, as disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy has claimed. But whether or not the accusations are true, the league has a Shaq-sized image issue on its hands, and strategies for dealing with the tarnish aren't in...

Ousted Ref: NBA Fixed 2002 Series

Donaghy charges officials manipulated results to stretch playoff series

(Newser) - A disgraced former NBA referee claims that league officials conspired with referees to stretch the 2002 Lakers-Kings playoff series to a money-making seventh game, the Los Angeles Times reports. The allegation from Tim Donaghy came in a letter to the FBI that made broad claims of misconduct and match-fixing among...

Gambling Ref: Don't Trust NBA Game Results

Disgraced ex-official warns of ties among players, coaches, refs

(Newser) - Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy alleged yesterday that relationships among basketball officials, coaches, and players "affected the outcome of games." He may also have passed the league information about other referees with gambling problems, and about the flow of confidential information from an official to a coach, AP...

NBA Reinstates Pugilistic Ref
NBA Reinstates Pugilistic Ref
Sep 18, 2007 4:57 AM CDT

NBA Reinstates Pugilistic Ref

Veteran Crawford was suspended in April for 'improper conduct'

(Newser) - NBA commissioner David Stern reinstated referee Joey Crawford yesterday, telling ESPN that Crawford now "understands the standards of game management and professionalism the NBA expects." Stern had suspended the veteran official on April 17th after an on-court altercation with Spurs player Tim Duncan. Crawford ejected Duncan from the...

Disgraced Ref Breaks Silence, Says He's Sorry

Donaghy retreats to Fla. home to await sentencing, possible other charges

(Newser) - Tim Donaghy spoke directly to the press yesterday for the first time since the scandal surrounding the ex-NBA ref broke, but with his sentence pending and reports of possible charges in other jurisdictions swirling, he wasn't able to say much. "I'm very sorry about what happened," the confessed...

Donaghy Pleads Guilty in NBA Betting Scandal

Former referee says he was paid for picking winners correctly

(Newser) - Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy admitted to betting on games he officiated and pleaded guilty today to two gambling-related felony counts. Donaghy, who turned himself in, told a Brooklyn judge he divulged game information and his picks on NBA games to gambling associates; he was paid for correctly choosing winning...

The Ump's Not Blind (But He May Be Racist)

Baseball umpires treat same-race pitchers more kindly

(Newser) - Major League Baseball umpires call more strikes when they share a race with the pitcher, and they call more balls when they don’t. The disturbing trend mostly benefits white players, since 71% of pitchers and 87% of umps are Caucasian, Time reports. Documented race-based misjudgments only occur in 1%...

FBI Names Rogue NBA Ref
FBI Names Rogue NBA Ref
Jul 21, 2007 2:39 PM CDT

FBI Names Rogue NBA Ref

Veteran Tim Donaghy accused of mob ties, illegal bets totaling thousands of dollars

(Newser) - The FBI has officially blown the whistle on an NBA referee accused on illegal gambling. The feds are investigating claims that over the past two years veteran Tim Donaghy officiated a number of games on which he or his associates had placed bets—which might have totaled thousands of dollars....

FBI Probes Gambling Ref
FBI Probes Gambling Ref
Jul 20, 2007 8:00 PM CDT

FBI Probes Gambling Ref

Mafia-connected NBA official rigged games and earned big bucks over two seasons

(Newser) - The FBI is investigating an NBA referee accused of manipulating point spreads in games he officiated as part of a wider mob-orchestrated gambling ring, the New York Post reports. The official allegedly both reffed and placed bets on numerous games from 2005 to 2007 in a desperate attempt to pay...

20 Stories