During his 13 years as an NBA referee, Tim Donaghy officiated nearly 800 games for the league. Now, because of his alleged gambling problem and ties to the Mafia, a dark cloud hangs over the integrity of the sport.
Donaghy is accused of betting on basketball during the past two seasons, and an FBI investigation into his misdeeds was made public on July 20. Questions about his decision-making process on the court date back several years, and his performance during the Phoenix Suns-San Antonio Spurs game on May 12 is drawing renewed scrutiny. (He also worked during the infamous Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers matchup on November 19, 2004.) If he wagered on games where his calls affected the point spread, the NBA may never recover from what could be a growing scandal.
Sports and gambling have been intertwined for decades, and David Stern has always been conscientious about its presence looming over the league. Legendary for his image-conscious ways in governing the sport, I find it ironic that the commissioner's concern about players' behavior didn't extend to the officials. Stern penalized anyone who questioned the referees' calls -- most notably Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban -- and marketed the game at the expense of alienating die-hard fans. For those reasons, his plea of ignorance about Donaghy's situation rings hollow.
Cuban wrote in his July 20 blog entry that this predicament will serve as a starting point for change. Unfortunately, the only change I see is Donaghy's actions forever tainting how I look at the game.
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