BIG NBA scandal!!!

[ArtMonkDrillz]

ESPN - FBI probes allegations that NBA ref bet on games - NBA

This could be huge.

NEW YORK -- The FBI is investigating allegations that a veteran NBA referee bet on basketball games over the past two seasons, including ones in which he officiated.

According to a law enforcement official, authorities are examining whether the referee made calls to affect the point spread in games on which he or associates had wagered.

[Riggo44]

Ah man, I knew it! So that's why the Lakers couldn't beat the Suns in the playoffs for the past 2 years. :yeahright But seriously if this is true it’s pretty messed up. Refs can really change the momentum of the game. I'd say more so in Basketball then any other sport.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

This article makes it seem even worse:
NBA IN A 'FIX' | By MURRAY WEISS | Columnists | Steve Dunleavy | Andrea Peyser

July 20, 2007 -- THE FBI is investigating an NBA referee who allegedly was betting on basketball games - including ones he was officiating during the past two seasons - as part of an organized-crime probe in the Big Apple, The Post has learned.

The investigation, which began more than a year ago, is zeroing in on blockbuster allegations that the referee was making calls that affected the point spread to guarantee that he - and the hoods who had their hooks in him - cashed in on large bets.

If this is true, it completely taints every game this guy refed.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

If this is true, not only does it completely taint every game the guy reffed, but it taints the entire league, and gives a little more credit to guys like Mark Cuban when they say things about the officiating.

If this is true, the NBA will take a while to recover from this, IMO.

[dmek25]

very interesting article. any word on who the ref is?

[BDBohnzie]

Here is a link to the NY Post:
NBA IN A 'FIX' | By MURRAY WEISS | Columnists | Steve Dunleavy | Andrea Peyser

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

If this is true, not only does it completely taint every game the guy reffed, but it taints the entire league, and gives a little more credit to guys like Mark Cuban when they say things about the officiating.

If this is true, the NBA will take a while to recover from this, IMO.

I agree with you on that. I am just shocked about this. This is huge if the allegations are true.

[RobH4413]

I don't really watch the NBA all that much, but I've always felt that the refs played such a significant role in the outcome of a game.

Granted in the NFL, there is huge influence (I mean, holding practically happens every play... so it's pick which ones you want to call it on), but replay has made it not as much of a game breaker as it used to be.

NBA games are so heavily influenced by officiating that it's going to be hard to recover from this one.

This is killer. Everyone's going to be watching the refs very critically this upcoming season.

[Monkeydad]

I bet this guy reffed the Cavs/Bullets games last year. Seriously, either that or those refs had glaucoma.

[MTK]

This is a fascinating story to me. Especially when you hear how some of his numbers compare to other refs, and how his numbers compared to before the 2005 season and after.

[mredskins]

I have been a Celtics fan all my life and use too love watching the NBA. I just have had it with the league. Their dumb lottery system, officals, everyone is a wannabe rap star. IT all just gets old. I was just starting to like it again with JAmes and all but this is the nail in the coffin for me!

[70Chip]

This is a decent read:

If the NBA ref did it, here's how it happened. - By Robert Weintraub - Slate Magazine

[SmootSmack]

If it's true that the NBA was aware of his gambling problem for a couple of years now (as anonymous sources are apparently indicating) then that's a huge mark on David Stern's legacy. Either way it is.

To think that he was so focused the past couple of years on dress codes, and a new synthetic gambling when possible point shaving was happening right under his nose.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

If it's true that the NBA was aware of his gambling problem for a couple of years now (as anonymous sources are apparently indicating) then that's a huge mark on David Stern's legacy. Either way it is.

To think that he was so focused the past couple of years on dress codes, and a new synthetic gambling when possible point shaving was happening right under his nose.

No it wouldn't be. It could be in the eyes of the media and some fans, but it shouldn't be. He had a huge number of precautions in place on refs from credit checks and watching their tax returns, to background checks. It is incredibly easy for one person (which at this point we know of only the one ref involved) to affect a game if they're on the court as an official or a player. Remember the Arizona State game fixing a few years ago? One gambler and one player successfully fixed every game for their own profits in Vegas. It's impossible to prevent this if someone is intent on doing it and has a direct influence on the game. Stern did nothing wrong. I don't always agree with him and his policies, but there was nothing he could do above what he was already doing to prevent this.