Tim Donaghy seems prepared to take down the NBA.
The disgraced referee, who pled guilty to charges that he bet on games he officiated, now dropped a bombshell.
In a letter submitted by his lawyer, Donaghy alleges that it was in the best interest of the NBA to extend a series in 2002, between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings, to seven games. In one of the most controversial series in the past decade, L.A. eventually went on to win the series.
Donaghy also alleges that in 2005 an NBA official instructed NBA referees - who officiated a second-round series between the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets - to closely monitor Yao Ming, the Rockets center, for illegal screens.
Of the two games in question, both times each coach - Kings coach Rick Adelman in 2002 and Houston's Jeff Van Gundy in 2005 - voiced criticism about the officiating.
Interestingly enough, Van Gundy was subsequently fined $100,000 by the league.
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That seems problematic, though. It sends a message to players, coaches and fans that there's no such thing as poor officiating, to be submissive and to never question things that may warrant doubt. Arrogantly, the league's stance seems to be one of referee infallibility.
Because of this arrogance, it's no wonder conspiracy theories and skepticism are as intertwined and everlasting as Michael Jordan's legacy.
Stern, who has put his name to good use on issues of dress code and player conduct, has displayed a relative absence of Stern-ness, spending more time smugly discounting Donaghy's credibility instead of giving fans what they want: a straight answer.
Blinded by his own selfishness, Stern seems adamant about not tarnishing his legacy.
Mr. Stern, I can say, if you did happen to uncover a larger scheme as Donaghy claims, I for one, would applaud you for ridding the problem and taking the necessary steps to restore ethics back into the NBA brand.
But Stern seems satisfied with going on damage control, employing the typical political runaround, filled with a healthy diet of no answers and vague generalizations.
Damn it, Stern, listen:
Many sportswriters across the country have chimed in on the subject - and instead of calling out the commish and holding a public humiliation ceremony, they have provided solutions to this lingering problem.
Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star suggests the NBA make refs available to the press at the conclusion of the game, as to make them - or at least make them feel - accountable for the calls they made throughout the course of the game.
Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey wrote about how "chummy" NBA players and referees have become. He details how an NBA ref, Eddie Rush, arranged a telephone conversation between Michael Jordan and Karla Knafel. Knafel was Jordan's supposed mistress. If this is the nature of current player-ref relationships, that brings up the question: Should the NBA consider outsourcing officiating to an independent company?
I'm not sure if such a drastic change is necessary. However, there does need to be some sort of system with checks and balances.
But while a part of me wishes the NBA and the Feds would launch an intensive investigation, another part of me asks, "Do I really want to know the truth?" For the time being, I'm content watching "The Truth" (Paul Pierce) win his first NBA title.
