David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate games

[Aragorn]

On one hand, Tim Donaghy has been one of the most cooperative witnesses the feds have had. On the other hand, he's one of the crooks in on the fix and could be singing the blues just to save his own hide. Of course, considering how much of an "honorable and upstanding gentleman" commissioner David Stern is, I personally have no reason to doubt Donaghy.


Complete New York Daily News article

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy told the feds two refs fixed the outcome of one playoff series -- and that officials were told not to eject star players from games for fear of hurting ticket sales.

.....

Donaghy, who pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court to charges of betting on games he officiated, told FBI agents “league officials would tell referees that they should withhold calling technical fouls on certain star players because doing so hurt ticket sales and television ratings," the document said.

Donaghy claims he was told that two refs who were “company men” acting in the interest of the NBA conspired to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.

The referees allegedly ignored flagrant fouls committed by the team that needed to win. They also reportedly called "made-up fouls" against the other team which led to the ejection of two of their players. The team favored by the refs won that night and the next game to win the series.

......

Donaghy also claimed a supervising referee told refs that an unidentified NBA executive did not want them to call technical fouls on star players or boot them from the game.

Donaghy told feds the league reprimanded a referee who disobeyed that edict in January 2000 and ejected an unnamed star player from a game in the first quarter.

.....

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

Normally, I'd say he's just lying to distract people from what he did. But I believe him since he's talking about the Lakers-Kings Western Conference Finals (I knew he was before I looked up the fact that there were no other 7 game series that year).

That series was probably one of the worst called I've ever seen (especially game 6). The Kings deserved to have won that series.

 

[1001001]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

He is talking about the Lakers/Kings series in 2002.

I have no idea what's true or not, but even as a Lakers fan, I thought those last two games were pretty suspicious.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

He's referring to Game 6 of the Lakers-Kings series, and yes, I do 100 percent believe the NBA rigged that game for the Lakers to force a Game 7. That game was an abomination of officiating. My favorite was Bibby getting ELBOWED IN THE FACE by Kobe Bryant, Falling out of bounds from the impact... and getting a foul called on HIM! Right in front of the referee right in crunch time. Another reason you know the game's reffing is also indefensible and you know it is because the most common Laker fan retorts are "Kings had a chance to win game 7 and couldn't get it done" and "Game 5 was rigged for the Kings"... neither of which actually offers a defense of game 6.

Don't bother looking for clips of this on youtube though, this is one of those games the NBA selectively decides to suddenly enforce their copyright on and get taken down while ignoring all the other NBA clips *smirks*

 

[Aragorn]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

To put things in perspective, say the NFL rules were enforced the same way the NBA enforces their rules:

Peyton Manning is three yards past the line of scrimmage and completes a pass, no call.

Derek Anderson throws a pass at the line of scrimmage and gets called for being over, regardless of whether or not he actually was.

Torry Holt grabs his defender (i.e. Shawn Springs) by the facemask, throws him to the turf and kicks him. Dane Looker gets ejected from the game.

Huge underdog Buffalo is driving down the field in the final couple minutes of a playoff game and looks to be on the verge of upsetting Indianapolis. Suddenly offensive holding (which in all honestly can be called on every play) is now being called on Buffalo on every play.

 

[gblews]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

To put things in perspective, say the NFL rules were enforced the same way the NBA enforces their rules:

Peyton Manning is three yards past the line of scrimmage and completes a pass, no call.

Derek Anderson throws a pass at the line of scrimmage and gets called for being over, regardless of whether or not he actually was.

Torry Holt grabs his defender (i.e. Shawn Springs) by the facemask, throws him to the turf and kicks him. Dane Looker gets ejected from the game.

Huge underdog Buffalo is driving down the field in the final couple minutes of a playoff game and looks to be on the verge of upsetting Indianapolis. Suddenly offensive holding (which in all honestly can be called on every play) is now being called on Buffalo on every play.

You think all of this and more hasn't happened in the NFL? How long you been watching? I'm a Raiders fan so believe me I've seen some hinky reffing through the years.

 

[tomalak301]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

To put things in perspective, say the NFL rules were enforced the same way the NBA enforces their rules:

Peyton Manning is three yards past the line of scrimmage and completes a pass, no call.

Derek Anderson throws a pass at the line of scrimmage and gets called for being over, regardless of whether or not he actually was.

Torry Holt grabs his defender (i.e. Shawn Springs) by the facemask, throws him to the turf and kicks him. Dane Looker gets ejected from the game.

Huge underdog Buffalo is driving down the field in the final couple minutes of a playoff game and looks to be on the verge of upsetting Indianapolis. Suddenly offensive holding (which in all honestly can be called on every play) is now being called on Buffalo on every play.

You think all of this and more hasn't happened in the NFL? How long you been watching? I'm a Raiders fan so believe me I've seen some hinky reffing through the years.

Tuck rule anyone? I think the thing that pisses me off more about that is it pretty much started the Patriot Dynasty. If they had made the right call, I think the next several years would have been much different.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

I don't think games and playoff series are routinely fixed (otherwise the small-market San Antonio Spurs wouldn't have won so many titles, and the crowd-pleasing Phoenix Suns would have made at least one Finals appearance by now), but that Lakers-Kings Game 6 definitely was. And yes, the Dallas Mavericks have proven themselves to be gutless chokers over the last three seasons, but I wonder if the animosity between Mark Cuban and David Stern played some part in the Mavericks' loss in the '06 Finals?

Still, if the League was serious about fixing the outcome of games to favor big-market teams with big-name stars, tampering with the officiating is one of the most inefficient ways to go about it. It would be a lot easier to manipulate the front offices so that the most popular stars are funneled to the cities where they'd make the most money for the League. If an upstart young team from a small market like Orlando or Milwaukee does start to make some noise to the point where they threaten to take the playoff spot of a team from a bigger market, Stern or his deputies could just pay some of that team's players to develop some "flu-like symptoms" that cause them to miss a few games. That kind of manuipulation would be very, very hard to prove, even if someone came forward.

 

[Xevious]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

Still, if the League was serious about fixing the outcome of games to favor big-market teams with big-name stars, tampering with the officiating is one of the most inefficient ways to go about it. It would be a lot easier to manipulate the front offices so that the most popular stars are funneled to the cities where they'd make the most money for the League.

Like Gasol to the Lakers? Or Garnett and Allen to the Celtics? Seriously, this season could not have gone better for the league, and it's all thanks to some unbelievable trades.

 

[Aragorn]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

Still, if the League was serious about fixing the outcome of games to favor big-market teams with big-name stars, tampering with the officiating is one of the most inefficient ways to go about it. It would be a lot easier to manipulate the front offices so that the most popular stars are funneled to the cities where they'd make the most money for the League. If an upstart young team from a small market like Orlando or Milwaukee does start to make some noise to the point where they threaten to take the playoff spot of a team from a bigger market, Stern or his deputies could just pay some of that team's players to develop some "flu-like symptoms" that cause them to miss a few games. That kind of manuipulation would be very, very hard to prove, even if someone came forward.

You mean like Chicago getting the top pick this year? There were cries of conspiracy theory way back in 1985 (the first lottery draft) when the Knicks got the top pick and were able to select Patrick Ewing.

 

[SmoothieX]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

^ The frozen envelope theory.

I normally wouldn't buy too much into officiating conspiracy, especially when it's a convicted ex-ref singing to the Feds to save his hide. I can believe refs fixing a game for personal gambling purposes but a league sanctioned fix is tougher to swallow.

But, it's the NBA we're talking about. How many times over the last 15 years or so have you heard whispers about calls being given to star players and certain teams? You hear it all the time. That's why it makes this harder to dismiss.

 

[gblews]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

I don't think games and playoff series are routinely fixed (otherwise the small-market San Antonio Spurs wouldn't have won so many titles, and the crowd-pleasing Phoenix Suns would have made at least one Finals appearance by now), but that Lakers-Kings Game 6 definitely was.

Only in the minds of whining Queens fans and the basketball challenged.

It always cracked me up that back then, teams always came into Lakers games bragging about the number of fouls they had that could used on Shaq. But when they used all those fouls and got killed from the line (as a result) and still lost, they would then turn around and claim the game was fixed. Looney toons.

The NBA game is THE hardest to officiate in all of sports. There is significant physical contact between all participants on every trip down the court. No other sport is like this except maybe boxing and then there are only two guys to watch. So, in the NBA everyone is "fouling" everyone all the time. Which ones get called? Its all judgement and that is never going to change nor should it.

But the league has a credibility problem. Granted (IMO) it is mostly among the ill informed but that doesn't matter. Its still an integrity issue whether there are legitimate grounds for it (there aren't) or not.

I think the first thing that must happen to start to regain some of the league's credibility is David Stern resigning. As great a commish as he has been, he has now become the source of the problem. His resignation would be a signal to the casual fan (and all who believe empty gestures like these really mean something) that things are changing.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

I have absolutely no love for the Kings, but I thought the 02 series game 6 was terrible. I thought back then the refs were either intentionally favoring the Lakers or were flat out incompetent.

Shaq has admitted to intentionally elbowing Dikembe Mutombo in the face in the 01 finals and not getting called for it. In that case, I let it slide because I realize that battles in the post are difficult to call, especially with a guy as big as Shaq (plus Mutombo always liked to swing his elbows after getting a rebound, so he probably fouled someone too).

The Kings-Lakers series was far, far above that. Refs called it bad and it favored the Lakers. Donaghy claims it was intentional. Whether it was or wasn't, I don't know. It certainly looked like it could be, even back then.

 

[SmoothieX]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

^ I'd pay to watch that game right now. I can't remember anything from it.

The league has had credibility issues regarding officiating and favoring teams for years. This just adds fuel to the fire, whether it's real or not.

Baseball's got steroids, football's got off the field image issues, and the NBA has credibility issues.

 

[DanCPA]

Re: David Stern's NBA: league executives used referees to manipulate g

To put things in perspective, say the NFL rules were enforced the same way the NBA enforces their rules:...

You think all of this and more hasn't happened in the NFL? How long you been watching? I'm a Raiders fan so believe me I've seen some hinky reffing through the years.

Officials do get calls wrong from time to time... Also, perhaps they were looking elsewhere and didn't notice the infraction, or saw an infraction where none existed.
Will Peyton Manning get the benefit of the doubt? Yes. He's Peyton Manning. Should he? No, but if a ref sees a call as dubious, he is not going to call it on Manning or Brady.

Officials are humans... but so long as the calls are more or less even, I won't jump on them for getting a couple of plays wrong

As for the Kings/Lakers back in 2002... That was a disgrace by the officials. Of course the league fixed that... Maybe not Stern, but someone along the chain of command that is present at all NBA playoff games should have told the officials "WHAT THE FUCK?!?", but it didn't happen because it's what the league wanted