Convict's betting prompted league-wide integrity investigation
USA Today Oct 3, 08 10:25 AM CDT
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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 activity and more access to referees for fans and the media, USA Today reports.
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Scandal fallout continues to batter league
USA Today Sep 23, 08 1:57 AM CDT
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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 under way.
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Disgraced NBA ref gets off lightly after lawyer's plea for leniency
Sporting News Jul 29, 08 12:37 PM CDT
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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 pleading guilty to wire fraud and other charges—couldn’t help committing those crimes, because he was a compulsive gambler.
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Says league wants to 'financially destroy'
ex-ref for singing
Associated Press Jun 24, 08 12:53 PM CDT
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A lawyer for Tim Donaghy, the NBA referee who bet on games he officiated, has accused the NBA of going after his client in retaliation for statements that detracted from the NBA Finals, AP reports. "The message from the NBA is quite clear: If you cooperate in a federal investigation against the organization, we will take you out," John Lauro writes in asking the court to reassess the $1.4 million his client has been asked to pay in restitution.
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Officials report being asked about Bavetta during Donaghy probe
ESPN Jun 13, 08 9:00 AM CDT
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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 allegations stemmed from a desire to reduce his sentence. "Guilt by association is not something that we engage in."
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OPINION
Commish can point to crooked ref, but game- fixing charge sticks
ESPN Jun 12, 08 3:38 PM CDT
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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 huge supply, writes Marc Stein for ESPN.
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Donaghy charges officials manipulated results to stretch playoff series
Los Angeles Times Jun 11, 08 2:48 AM CDT
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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 Time s reports. The allegation from Tim Donaghy came in a letter to the FBI that made broad claims of misconduct and match-fixing among NBA referees and executives.
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Disgraced ex-official warns of ties among players, coaches, refs
Associated Press May 21, 08 2:04 PM CDT
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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 reports. Donaghy's allegations came via a statement filed by his lawyer.
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League probe asked
if umpires are KKK members, wife-beaters
Associated Press Feb 1, 08 7:11 AM CST
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Major League Baseball's umpires are fighting mad, and Jesse Jackson is behind them 100%, after reports surfaced that league officials have been asking umps' neighbors questions about marijuana use, domestic violence, and potential membership in the Ku Klux Klan. "They have essentially defamed their people in their own neighborhoods," Jackson told the AP.
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Draconian gambling rules under reform
Associated Press Oct 26, 07 1:14 AM CDT
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Despite violating the NBA's stringent gambling rules, over half of the league's referees will not be punished, announced commissioner David Stern. The current rules forbid all gambling, an overly strict policy that has been improperly enforced, according to Stern; among other changes, he is likely to allow non-sports-related wagers in casinos.
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Donaghy retreats to Fla. home to await sentencing, possible other charges
New York Daily News Aug 17, 07 8:36 AM CDT
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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 felon told the Daily News.
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Former referee says he was paid for picking winners correctly
New York Times Aug 15, 07 2:00 PM CDT
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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 teams.
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Tim Donaghy charged with betting on NBA games he officiated
Associated Press Aug 15, 07 3:28 AM CDT
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The former NBA referee accused of betting on league games will plead guilty today, according to an AP source. Tim Donaghy, whose lawyer declined comment, is expected to surrender in Brooklyn's federal court today. NBA commish David Stern has called Donaghy an "isolated criminal," and says his actions have no bearing on the league's credibility.
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'Dysfunctional' ref
rules partly to blame for Donaghy fiasco
USA Today Jul 26, 07 8:03 AM CDT
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The focus on offense in NBA play, encouraging officials to call more fouls, also paves the way for the current gambling scandal, three former refs charge in USA Today . More free throws and offensive possessions can, in turn, influence the final score. Tim Donaghy, an NBA official for 13 years, resigned this month under suspicion of betting on league games.
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NBA commissioner emphasizes rogue ref was an isolated case
Associated Press Jul 25, 07 7:30 AM CDT
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A weary David Stern expressed grave disappointment yesterday in referee Tim Donaghy, who the FBI alleges bet on games he officiated. At a somber news conference without the omnipresent NBA logo behind him, the commissioner made clear his belief in Donaghy's guilt, which he likened to treason. Donaghy has not been charged.
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