Excerpts from the Tim Donaghy book - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

fluid.forty.one · 10-29-2009, 01:58 PM

http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts...nt-you-to-read

wow

Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read
As promised earlier, here are a handful of excerpts from David Stern's favorite book, Blowing the Whistle, by Tim Donaghy.

On gambling refs:

To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn't have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees' locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal. We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice-he didn't have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour.

After the opening tip, it was hilarious as the three of us immediately focused our full attention on the intended victim, waiting for something, anything, to justify a technical foul. If the guy so much as looked at one of us and mumbled, we rang him up. Later in the referees' locker room, we would down a couple of brews, eat some chicken wings, and laugh like hell.

We had another variation of this gag simply referred to as the "first foul of the game" bet. While still in the locker room before tip-off, we would make a wager on which of us would call the game's first foul. That referee would either have to pay the ball boy or pick up the dinner tab for the other two referees. Sometimes, the ante would be $50 a guy. Like the technical foul bet, it was hilarious-only this time we were testing each other's nerves to see who had the guts to hold out the longest before calling a personal foul. There were occasions when we would hold back for two or three minutes-an eternity in an NBA game-before blowing the whistle. It didn't matter if bodies were flying all over the place; no fouls were called because no one wanted to lose the bet.

We played this little game during the regular season and summer league. After a game, all three refs would gather around the VCR and watch a replay of the game. Early in the contest, the announcers would say, "Holy cow! They're really letting them play tonight!" If they only knew...

During one particular summer game, Duke Callahan, Mark Wunderlich, and I made it to the three-minute mark in the first quarter without calling a foul. We were running up and down the court, laughing our asses off as the players got hammered with no whistles. The players were exhausted from the nonstop running when Callahan finally called the first foul because Mikki Moore of the New Jersey Nets literally tackled an opposing player right in front of him. Too bad for Callahan-he lost the bet.

I became so good at this game that if an obvious foul was committed right in front of me, I would call a travel or a three-second violation instead. Those violations are not personal fouls, so I was still in the running to win the bet. The players would look at me with disbelief on their faces as if to say, "What the hell was that?"

On star treatment:

Relationships between NBA players and referees were generally all over the board-love, hate, and everything in-between. Some players, even very good ones, were targeted by referees and the league because they were too talented for their own good. Raja Bell, formerly of the Phoenix Suns and now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, was one of those players. A defensive specialist throughout his career, Bell had a reputation for being a "star stopper." His defensive skills were so razor sharp that he could shut down a superstar, or at least make him work for his points. Kobe Bryant was often frustrated by Bell's tenacity on defense. Let's face it, no one completely shuts down a player of Kobe's caliber, but Bell could frustrate Kobe, take him out of his game, and interrupt his rhythm.

You would think that the NBA would love a guy who plays such great defense. Think again! Star stoppers hurt the promotion of marquee players. Fans don't pay high prices to see players like Raja Bell-they pay to see superstars like Kobe Bryant score 40 points. Basketball purists like to see good defense, but the NBA wants the big names to score big points.

If a player of Kobe's stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he's hurting the game.

If Kobe Bryant had two fouls in the first or second quarter and went to the bench, one referee would tell the other two, "Kobe's got two fouls. Let's make sure that if we call a foul on him, it's an obvious foul, because otherwise he's gonna go back to the bench. If he is involved in a play where a foul is called, give the foul to another player."

Similarly, when games got physically rough, we would huddle up and agree to tighten the game up. So we started calling fouls on guys who didn't really matter-"ticky-tack" or "touch" fouls where one player just touched another but didn't really impede his progress. Under regular circumstances these wouldn't be fouls, but after a skirmish we wanted to regain control. We would never call these types of fouls on superstars, just on the average players who didn't have star status. It was important to keep the stars on the floor.

Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford's grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson's team would win or at least cover the spread.

Madison Square Garden was the place to be for a marquee matchup between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks. I worked the game with Derrick Stafford and Gary Zielinski, knowing that the Knicks were a sure bet to get favorable treatment that night. Derrick Stafford had a close relationship with Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, and he despised Heat coach Pat Riley. I picked the Knicks without batting an eye and settled in for a roller-coaster ride on the court.

During pregame warm-ups, Shaquille O'Neal approached Stafford and asked him to let some air out of the ball.

"Is this the game ball?" O'Neal asked. "It's too hard. C'mon, D, let a little air out of it."

Stafford then summoned one of the ball boys, asked for an air needle, and let some air out of the ball, getting a big wink and a smile from O'Neal.

On his fellow referees:

Dick Bavetta

Crawford wanted the game over quickly so he could kick back, relax, and have a beer; [Dick Bavetta] wanted it to keep going so he could hear his name on TV. He actually paid an American Airlines employee to watch all the games he worked and write down everything the TV commentators said about him. No matter how late the game was over, he'd wake her up for a full report. He loved the attention.

I remember one nightmarish game I worked with Joe Crawford and Phil Robinson. Minnesota and New Orleans were in a tight game going into the last minute, and Crawford told us to make sure that we were 100 percent sure of the call every time we blew the whistle. When play resumed, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders started yelling at us to make a call. Robinson got intimidated and blew the whistle on New Orleans. The only problem was it wasn't the right call. Tim Floyd, the Hornets' coach, went nuts. He stormed the court and kicked the ball into the top row of the stadium. Robinson had to throw him out, and Minnesota won the game.
[...]
Later that week, Ronnie Nunn told me that we could have made something up at the other end against Minnesota to even things out. He even got specific-maybe we should have considered calling a traveling violation on Kevin Garnett. Talk about the politics of the game! Of course the official statement from the league office will always read, "There is no such thing as a makeup call."

That very first time Jack and I bet on an NBA game, Dick was on the court. The team we picked lost the game, but it covered the large point spread and that's how we won the money. Because of the matchup that night, I had some notion of who might win the game, but that's not why I was confident enough to pull the trigger and pick the other team. The real reason I picked the losing team was that I was just about certain they would cover the spread, no matter how badly they played. That is where Dick Bavetta comes into the picture.

From my earliest involvement with Bavetta, I learned that he likes to keep games close, and that when a team gets down by double-digit points, he helps the players save face. He accomplishes this act of mercy by quietly, and frequently, blowing the whistle on the team that's having the better night. Team fouls suddenly become one-sided between the contestants, and the score begins to tighten up. That's the way Dick Bavetta referees a game-and everyone in the league knew it.

Fellow referee Danny Crawford attended Michael Jordan's Flight School Camp years ago and later told me that he had long conversations with other referees and NBA players about how Bavetta propped up weak teams. Danny told me that Jordan himself said that everyone in the league knew that Bavetta cheated in games and that the players and coaches just hoped he would be cheating for them on game night. Cheating? That's a very strong word to use in any sentence that includes the name Dick Bavetta. Is the conscious act of helping a team crawl back into a contest "cheating"? The credo of referees from high school to the NBA is "call them like you see them." Of course, that's a lot different than purposely calling more fouls against one team as opposed to another. Did Bavetta have a hidden agenda? Or was he the ultimate company man, making sure the NBA and its fans got a competitive game most times he was on
the court?

Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation. He knew how to marshal the tempo and tone of a game better than any referee in the league, by far. He also knew how to take subtle-and not so subtle-cues from the NBA front office and extend a playoff series or, worse yet, change the complexion of that series.

The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.

In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls-calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.

"If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that's down in the series, nobody's going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7," Bavetta stated.

As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a wild come-from-behind thriller that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta's crew, one of the most poorly officiated games of all time.

The 2002 series certainly wasn't the first or last time Bavetta weighed in on an important game. He also worked Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers. The Lakers were down by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter when Bavetta went to work. The Lakers outscored Portland 31–13 in the fourth quarter and went on to win the game and the series. It certainly didn't hurt the Lakers that they got to shoot 37 free throws compared to a paltry 16 for the Trail Blazers.

Two weeks before the 2003–04 season ended, Bavetta and I were assigned to officiate a game in Oakland. That afternoon before the tip-off, we were discussing an upcoming game on our schedule. It was the last regular-season game we were scheduled to work, pitting Denver against San Antonio. Denver had lost a game a few weeks prior because of a mistake made by the referees, a loss that could be the difference between them making or missing the playoffs. Bavetta told me Denver needed the win and that it would look bad for the staff and the league if the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game. There were still a few games left on the schedule before the end of the season, and the standings could potentially change. But on that day in Oakland, Bavetta looked at me and casually stated, "Denver will win if they need the game. That's why I'm on it."

I was thinking, How is Denver going to win on the road in San Antonio? At the time, the Spurs were arguably the best team in the league. Bavetta answered my question before it was asked.

"Duncan will be on the bench with three fouls within the first five minutes of the game," he calmly stated.

Bavetta went on to inform me that it wasn't the first time the NBA assigned him to a game for a specific purpose. He cited examples, including the 1993 playoff series when he put New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic on the bench with quick fouls to help Cleveland beat the Nets. He also spoke openly about the 2002 Los Angeles–Sacramento series and called himself the NBA's "go-to guy."

As it turned out, Denver didn't need the win after all; they locked up a spot in the playoffs before they got to San Antonio. In a twist of fate, it was the Spurs that ended up needing the win to have a shot at the division title, and Bavetta generously accommodated. In our pregame meeting, he talked about how important the game was to San Antonio and how meaningless it was to Denver, and that San Antonio was going to get the benefit of the calls that night. Armed with this inside information, I called Jack Concannon before the game and told him to bet the Spurs.

To no surprise, we won big. San Antonio blew Denver out of the building that evening, winning by 26 points. When Jack called me the following morning, he expressed amazement at the way an NBA game could be manipulated. Sobering, yes; amazing, no. That's how the game is played in the National Basketball Association.

In a follow-up email to the referee staff and the league office, Crawford railed about the lack of respect players had for referees and the NBA's failure to back him up. Then, in a direct shot at the league's embracing of referees like Dick Bavetta, he fired a sharp rebuke:

"I also told [Stu Jackson] that the staff is an officiating staff of Dick Bavetta's-schmoozing and sucking people's asses to get ahead. Awful, but it is reality."

Crawford also touched on the fact that he was being excluded from working the playoffs that year:

"Look on the bright side everybody, MORE playoff games for you guys and Dick, maybe you will get to be crew chief in the 7th game of the Finals, which is a travesty in itself you even being in the Finals."

Tommy Nunez

My favorite Tommy Nunez story is from the 2007 playoffs when the San Antonio Spurs were able to get past the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Of course, what many fans didn't know was that Phoenix had someone working against them behind the scenes. Nunez was the group supervisor for that playoff series, and he definitely had a rooting interest.

Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, "You would love to keep coming back here." He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.

Derrick Stafford and Jess Kersey

Of course, Stafford had some friends in the league, too. I worked a Knicks game in Madison Square Garden with him on February 26, 2007. New York shot an astounding 39 free throws that night to Miami's paltry eight. It seemed like Stafford was working for the Knicks, calling fouls on Miami like crazy. Isiah Thomas was coaching the Knicks, and after New York's four-point victory, a guy from the Knicks came to our locker room looking for Stafford, who was in the shower. He told us that Thomas sent him to retrieve Stafford's home address; apparently, Stafford had asked the coach before the game for some autographed sneakers and jerseys for his kids. Suddenly, it all made sense.

Referee Jess Kersey was another one of Isiah Thomas' guys. They'd talk openly on the phone as if they had known each other since childhood. Thomas even told Kersey that he was pushing to get Ronnie Nunn removed from the supervisor's job so that Kersey and Dick Bavetta could take over. This sort of thing happened all the time, and I kept waiting for a Knicks game when Stafford, Bavetta, and Kersey were working together. It was like knowing the winning lottery numbers before the drawing!

Steve Javie

And then there was the ongoing feud between Javie and 76ers superstar Allen Iverson. The rift was so bad that Philadelphia general manager Billy King often called the league office to complain about Javie's treatment of Iverson during a game.

Iverson was eventually traded to Denver, and in his first game against his former team, he was tossed after two technicals. Afterward, Iverson implied Javie had a grudge against him, saying, "I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out. His fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn't say anything anyway. It's been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad." The league fined Iverson $25,000 for his comments, but most of the league referees thought the punishment was too lenient and were upset he wasn't suspended. As a result, we collectively decided to dispense a little justice of our own, sticking it to Iverson whenever we could.

Shortly after the Javie-Iverson incident, I worked a Jazz-Nuggets contest in Denver on January 6, 2007. During the pregame meeting, my fellow referees Bernie Fryer and Gary Zielinski agreed that we were going to strictly enforce the palming rule against Iverson. Palming the ball was something Iverson loved to do, but if he so much as came close to a palm, we were going to blow the whistle. Obviously, our actions were in direct retaliation for Iverson's rant against Javie. True to form, I immediately excused myself and made an important phone call.

Sticking to our pregame pledge, each of us whistled Iverson for palming in the first quarter-we all wanted in on the fun. The violations seemed to affect Iverson's rhythm and he played terribly that night, shooting 5-for-19 with five turnovers. After getting repeatedly whistled all night long, Iverson approached me in an act of submission.

"How long am I going to be punished for Javie?" he quietly inquired.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Allen," I responded.

Underdog · 10-29-2009, 02:41 PM

Wow, great(?) read!

These stories seem way too specific to be completely made up...

MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs · 10-29-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Wow, great(?) read!

These stories seem way too specific to be completely made up...

I agree he would have to be one creative mofo to have made all that up. Not that there's probably anyone here that would side with the NBA and believe them anyway.

F*** Stern.

Dirkenstien · 10-29-2009, 03:19 PM

I'd love to hear the stories about our series with the Heat. You know all kinds of crap was going on then.

Dirkadirkastan · 10-29-2009, 03:32 PM

I'm so glad the old refs are back.

mavErika · 10-29-2009, 03:35 PM

Quote:

I'd love to hear the stories about our series with the Heat. You know all kinds of crap was going on then.

...but "Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA's core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy"!

Quote:

NBA: Integrity questions taken seriously

The NBA said Thursday it will review allegations reportedly made in a tell-all book written by former referee Tim Donaghy -- a book that was pulled before publication in the last two weeks.

Among the allegations reportedly made by Donaghy in the book "Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA," Donaghy was able to bet on games based on information on the styles of officials and some of their relationships with certain players and teams.

"In 2008 Mr. Donaghy's allegations were thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office," the NBA said in a statement on Thursday. "We are reassured that the U.S. Government completed its investigation finding that the only criminal conduct was that of Mr. Donaghy.

"We take any question regarding the integrity of our game extremely seriously. At the time Mr. Donaghy's crimes came to light, we appointed Lawrence B. Pedowitz, a former Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's office of the Southern District of New York to lead a comprehensive independent review of the NBA's officiating program. Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA's core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy.

"As with all allegations concerning the integrity of our officiating program, these latest assertions by Mr. Donaghy will be turned over to Mr. Pedowitz for a complete review."

Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison last year after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce. At trial, he said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on NBA games -- including games he worked, starting in 2003.

"The National Basketball Referees Association is disappointed, but not surprised, with the actions taken by Tim Donaghy," Lloyd Pierson, a representative of the NBRA, wrote in an e-mail to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. "This continues to be the Tim that we know. He repeatedly attempts to highlight himself in the media, but the 59 NBA referees will continue to officiate games with the utmost integrity and the focus will remain on the 2009-2010 NBA Season."

The Web site Deadspin.com released what it said were excerpts of the book Wednesday night.

Also Wednesday, a representative of Triumph Books, a division of Random House Publishing, wrote in an e-mail that the company had backed away from the potential book out of "concerns over potential liability."

Pat Berdan, a senior consultant at Executive Prison Consultants and Donaghy's liaison to the book publisher, told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that the NBA "threatened that they would sue" if the book was published. An NBA spokesman denied the claim, saying the league was aware of the book but had not received or reviewed a copy.

In court papers from the 2008 case against Donaghy, prosecutors said that he gave gambling associates sensitive information, including which crews would officiate games and how the various officials and players interacted.

His actions "compromised his objectivity as a referee because of his personal financial interest in the outcome of NBA games," the government said.

Donaghy said in a court filing that the league routinely encouraged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results, while discouraging them from calling technical fouls on star players.

Donaghy was released from a federal prison in Pensacola, Fla., to a halfway house in June. He was scheduled for release on Oct. 24, but Donaghy was returned to prison in August when he was accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work, the U.S. Marshals Service said. His lawyer said it was all a misunderstanding.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4605985

dalmations202 · 10-29-2009, 04:28 PM

Donaghy will get called a liar and many other things, he will be discredited guaranteed.

Much like Jose Canseco's book -- in the end the people will eventually find out the truth. Some will believe and some will refuse to believe.

The eye test don't lie though, and NBA games have been manipulated for years.
Just like the eye test didn't lie and way too many homers were being hit in MLB.

FreshJive · 10-29-2009, 05:10 PM

I didn't need this book to tell me that Sac and Phoenix were the winners of those series. However, that makes it real easy for someone like Tim to exaggerate or completely make things up and have it look beleivable. Fill it in with real stories about ball boy bets and personal conficts between refs and players or coaches (minor things IMO), and you have conspiracy.

grp05 · 10-29-2009, 05:15 PM

I'm going to be so disappointed if this book is published without mention of the '06 Finals.

badfish22 · 10-29-2009, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grp05

I'm going to be so disappointed if this book is published without mention of the '06 Finals.

I won't be. I just want to get passed that.
And it seems like our team is finally passed that too, don't want it brought back to the spotlight.
But at the same time it would be kinda satisfying....

Jack.Kerr · 10-29-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

At the time Mr. Donaghy's crimes came to light, we appointed Lawrence B. Pedowitz, a former Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's office of the Southern District of New York to lead a comprehensive independent review of the NBA's officiating program. Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA's core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy.

So the NBA commissions a study, and surprise! ...the study fails to find fault with the NBA's system! Wow! Now THAT is credibility.

Book isn't being published. NBA has threatened to sue any publisher who does.

You're a pure sucker if you spend a dime on anything NBA-related.

dalmations202 · 10-30-2009, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack.Kerr

So the NBA commissions a study, and surprise! ...the study fails to find fault with the NBA's system! Wow! Now THAT is credibility.

Book isn't being published. NBA has threatened to sue any publisher who does.

You're a pure sucker if you spend a dime on anything NBA-related.

Commission the Fox to determine if any chickens are missing from the hen house. After all, the fox is the most qualified to know how they might get the chickens. LOL

Follow the Money $$$$$$$$

It has been manipulated since at least the Jordan years, IMO.

Dirkenstien · 10-30-2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badfish22

I won't be. I just want to get passed that.
And it seems like our team is finally passed that too, don't want it brought back to the spotlight.
But at the same time it would be kinda satisfying....

I would like to see mention of it. It would bring a bit of closure to a notion we have all held for a long time.

Remember all the Phantom Fouls?
This is only a small sample of all the crap that happened in that series. I remember Wade would get close to or more shots at the free throw line than the entire Mavs team. This series was definitely rigged.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ericfolk...36/6lX_qMS9bRY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuukM...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fydht...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZKGlHfukc4&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y8nI1PPYOk&NR=1

mavErika · 10-30-2009, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Refs have new 'no-tipping' policy

NEW YORK -- Referees are no longer allowed to tip locker room attendants, and teams were notified by the NBA that they must report any violations of that new rule to the league office, ESPN.com learned Wednesday.

The "no-tipping" policy is part of the new two-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and the referees' union, and ESPN.com obtained a league memo outlining the rule.

"The new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and National Basketball Referees Association prohibits referees from paying tips or compensation of any kind to locker room attendants or other team or arena personnel for personal services performed for referees by such personnel during games. Consequently, team and arena personnel are now prohibited from asking for or accepting tips or other compensation from referees," said the memo, which was signed by Ronald Johnson, the league's senior vice president of referee operations.

"This is an important change to the CBA," the memo states. "While we do not believe that the pre-existing practice of tipping locker room attendants has affected the integrity of the officiating in any way, it could be perceived in a negative light, and it is therefore best to eliminate this practice.

"We expect all team and arena personnel to adhere strictly to the 'no tipping' policy, and ask that you provide notice of the new rule immediately to any affected personnel. If you learn of any referee who has paid a tip or other form of compensation to a locker room attendant or other personnel in violation of the CBA, please notify one of us."

It was unclear if the policy had any connection to allegations by disgraced ex-referee Tim Donaghy. The NBA has said it will review any new allegations made in Donaghy's book.

"We agreed with the referees' union that it was a conflict of interest to have referees and team personnel exchanging money," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Chris Sheridan is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.

How could that change of the CBA have anything to do with Donaghy's book, if the nba "was aware of the book but had not received or reviewed a copy" as of yesterday?
And this is a ridicoulus rule-change, which only purpose I can see in preventing refs from little betting games like those he described in the excerpts.

Quote:

"We agreed with the referees' union that it was a conflict of interest to have referees and team personnel exchanging money," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

That's BS, there's only a conflict of interests if anything (like money, signed shoes, meet-and-greets for relatives...) goes from the teams and/or players in direction of the officials.

Usually Lurkin · 10-30-2009, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mavErika

And this is a ridicoulus rule-change, which only purpose I can see in preventing refs from little betting games like those he described in the excerpts.

I don't think refs will have a problem finding something to wager, if they want to!
With the NBA's approach to problem solving, they'll have to outlaw dinner, too.

iella · 11-04-2009, 04:24 PM

Tangentially related: Ex - NBA Referee Released From Jail

Quote:

Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was released from jail Wednesday after serving most of a 15 month sentence for taking bribes to provide tips on games.

MavsX · 11-11-2009, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grp05

I'm going to be so disappointed if this book is published without mention of the '06 Finals.

yes sir

dirt_dobber · 11-26-2009, 07:07 PM

Source: Donaghy associate claims 13 referees involved in NBA betting scandal

http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/sports/BO130486/

7News Sports Director Joe Amorosino is reporting the following:

BOSTON -- Only two people know all the details of the NBA's 2008 betting scandal: former NBA referee Tim Donaghy and his associate, former professional gambler Jimmy "The Sheep" Battista. Both men served time in federal prison for their roles in the gambling scheme.

A source close to Battista who says the gambler explained to him the details of the betting operation tells 7Sports that Battista says he was working with 13 referees and not just Donaghy, as the NBA has claimed.

The source says Battista showed him what the gambler claims are phone records and game notes confirming the names of all 13 referees involved.

The source also tells 7Sports that Battista claimed to have a "Big 5" of "dependable" referees and that Donaghy was the "King," delivering a winning bet in 78 percent of the games he officiated.

Battista pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transmit wagering information in connection with Donaghy and served 15 months in federal prison.

The former professional gambler is presently working on finalizing a tell-all book deal and does not plan to share more details until just before the book is released.

The 7Sports source says that on December 12, 2006, the night before the Celtics played the 76ers in Philadelphia, Battista says he met with Donaghy and a mutual high school friend.

On that night, the gambler claims they made a deal which according to Battista involved Donaghy supplying information including injury reports and referee assignments and Battista making the bets.

The source says that according to Battista, the first game the two men worked on together was the Celtics-76ers game the following night; a game Donaghy officiated and one the Celtics covered with ease.

The Celtics were 1 1/2 point favorites, but with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter, the score was tied.

The Celtics would eventually go on to win by 20 points.

bigdean5588 · 12-01-2009, 03:48 PM

Tim Donaghy's Book found a publisher

According to deadspin: http://deadspin.com/5415679/tim-dona...nd-a-publisher. Should be an interesting read.

fluid.forty.one · 03-16-2010, 03:58 PM

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book. Disturbing read.

He talks a LOT about Cuban and how the officials hate him. Bennett (or Danny Crawford, can't remember which one it is) is known to brag about the Mavs 1-15 playoff record when he's reffing. He also said that the officials in the 06 finals were openly biased towards the Heat IN Miami not necessarily to make sure they won (he mentioned though the Cuban would have a tough time winning it all) but at least to draw out the series. Enter: momentum change in game 3.

He talks a lot about that disgusting game 6 with Kings vs Lakers and how Bavetta is one of the most trusted refs by the NBA when it comes to being able to draw out a series or call a onesided game. I guess Dick was even bragging about it before the game.

Dirkadirkastan · 03-16-2010, 04:51 PM

The 1-15 record belongs to Danny Crawford. And the one win was out of reach.

rabbitproof · 03-16-2010, 06:10 PM

The NBA is like photoshop and fake breasts. They can lie to me so good.

Robillion · 03-16-2010, 06:52 PM

Im about halfway through the book right now.. I definitely recommend buying it to everyone that does not have it yet. A must read for basketball fans.

MavsX · 03-17-2010, 09:31 AM

must kill Tim Donaghy

dirt_dobber · 02-18-2011, 11:26 AM

Donaghy scandal's ringleader speaks
James "Baba" Battista refused to talk to the FBI. Out of prison, he's unloading in a new book.
ESPN Story - http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/pos...gleader-speaks

"now a preponderance of the evidence suggests Donaghy did fix games -- an assertion that is entirely in step with what gambling insiders have been saying all along."