Tim Donaghy's Book Has Great Dirt on NBA Refs

Former NBA referee and infamous gambler Tim Donaghy wrote a book titled, "Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA."

It was slated for publication later this month, until the NBA threatened to sue the publisher.

The book which you will never read confirms our biggest fears, the league ordered referees to sway the outcome of certain games and playoff series.

I will warn you, it contains despicable stuff. Enough to forever taint your opinion of the NBA. 

While the book remains locked up in a warehouse, fortunately for us, some excerpts were released:

On the infamous 2002 Western Conference finals matchup between LA and Sacramento:

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.

On Denver's quest for a playoff bid in 2003-04:

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."

On star treatment:

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."

On how they repeatedly called palming on Allen Iverson as retaliation for his public rant against Steve Javie:

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.

I know, Tim Donaghy is a broke scumbag. But I find it hard to believe he could make up all the details in these stories. Be sure to check out the link to Deadspin for more excerpts.