Donaghy to name 20 refs in scandal!

[TroyMcClure]

If this is true and can be corroborated, it is devestating to the NBA. It would also explain a whole lot. The NBA has seemed fixed for a long time. 20 refs! That's crazy. I truly hope there is no meat to this, but even if it is other refs with team/player biases, star player worship or whatever, it would shame the game forever. 20 refs. Let's hope this isn't true.

[KB21]

I heard that last night, and I was wondering why there wasn't more discussion on it.

If this happens, it is a big black eye to the NBA.

[cyman3]

so thats why TIM DUNCAN got ejected...

that also explains why the Blazers/Kings could never beat the Lakers.

and why D-WADE goes to the line 30 times a game in the NBA FINALS

[Wurider05]

Donaghy is snitching out his comrades in an effort to look out for himself. I can respect that.

[Lascar78]

There's not more discussion because there's no real story. This was rumored for a day, then the next day the word was that it was bogus. There are enough stories in sports right now that people don't get all worked up over an unconfirmed rumor.

Not to mention that even in the rumor they're not saying anything related to the refereeing, just that they gambled in their off time. A ref gambling will get his @ss fired, but it's not a huge deal. A ref betting on the NBA is a much bigger deal.

And even Donaghy is apparently only being charged with providing info, not with point shaving / making bad calls. All these stories seem to be shrinking more and more.

The only real black eye here is that knowing who is refereeing the games makes a significant difference in the expected outcome of games, at least for people in the know. That's bad. But it's not nearly as bad as refs throwing games or anything like that.