Tim Donaghy: How Refs Rig the NBA

[BatManu20]

Take it with a grain of salt. Some good stuff there about protecting guys like Kobe and AI, and how the refs refs rigged games and made bets on games they officiated.

http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read (http://deadspin.com/5392067/excerpts-from-the-book-the-nba-doesnt-want-you-to-read)

[BatManu20]

"Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation. He knew how to marshal the tempo and tone of a game better than any referee in the league, by far. He also knew how to take subtle — and not so subtle — cues from the NBA front office and extend a playoff series or, worse yet, change the complexion of that series.


The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers."

[Thebesteva]

I mean you literally have Donaghy here telling you the game is rigged and we're still wondering if he's just doing so to make money. I have no doubt whether it works for my team or against them that the NBA is a slightly competitive version of WWE.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Lol spurs fans idolizing Donaghy as the crusader of truth EXCEPT for when he said that spic ref Nunez rigged a series for the spurs

[ElNono]

tbh, even Mike D'Antoni has more credibility than Donahy at this point...

[BatManu20]

tbh, even Mike D'Antoni has more credibility than Donahy at this point...

Yea which is why I said take it with a grain of salt. Although I do believe there is some truth to some of the things he's saying.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

I mean you literally have Donaghy here telling you the game is rigged and we're still wondering if he's just doing so to make money. I have no doubt whether it works for my team or against them that the NBA is a slightly competitive version of WWE.
Maybe that's because he is making money off of it and does nothing but tell people what they want to hear. I'll give him credit, identifying someone's confirmation bias and using it is a great way to make yourself appear credible.

Spurs fan asks a question on Donaghy's facebook page about Stern and small market teams? Donaghy says the refs always had it out for the Spurs because they were a small market team.

Suns fan asks a question about the 2007 WCSF on Donaghy's facebook bage? Donaghy says the refs wanted San Antonio to win and called stuff against the Suns.

Ed Rush is at the center of a Pac-12 ref scandal? Donaghy suddenly feels compelled to write a piece about Ed Rush's dishonesty.


Does it seem odd to you that Donaghy ALWAYS has the answer a disgruntled fan wants to hear even if it contradicts an answer he gave another disgruntled fan?

[DMC]

Maybe that's because he is making money off of it and does nothing but tell people what they want to hear. I'll give him credit, identifying someone's confirmation bias and using it is a great way to make yourself appear credible.

Spurs fan asks a question on Donaghy's facebook page about Stern and small market teams? Donaghy says the refs always had it out for the Spurs because they were a small market team.

Suns fan asks a question about the 2007 WCSF on Donaghy's facebook bage? Donaghy says the refs wanted San Antonio to win and called stuff against the Suns.

Ed Rush is at the center of a Pac-12 ref scandal? Donaghy suddenly feels compelled to write a piece about Ed Rush's dishonesty.


Does it seem odd to you that Donaghy ALWAYS has the answer a disgruntled fan wants to hear even if it contradicts an answer he gave another disgruntled fan?

This

People like the asshole in DoK's sig find confirmation bias niches and exploit the hell out of them. Pastors have been doing it for centuries and yet there are still a multitude of people mentally weak enough to automatically chose the most comfortable solution of all, that it's what they already believed it to be. No paradigm shift required here, just accept you were always right and that it's been cleverly disguised by the same people who will walk right into a closed door on live television.

[lefty]

Lol spurs fans idolizing Donaghy as the crusader of truth EXCEPT for when he said that spic ref Nunez rigged a series for the spurs
lol Nunez helping the Suns vs the Sonics in 1997

[Thebesteva]

Maybe that's because he is making money off of it and does nothing but tell people what they want to hear. I'll give him credit, identifying someone's confirmation bias and using it is a great way to make yourself appear credible.

Spurs fan asks a question on Donaghy's facebook page about Stern and small market teams? Donaghy says the refs always had it out for the Spurs because they were a small market team.

Suns fan asks a question about the 2007 WCSF on Donaghy's facebook bage? Donaghy says the refs wanted San Antonio to win and called stuff against the Suns.

Ed Rush is at the center of a Pac-12 ref scandal? Donaghy suddenly feels compelled to write a piece about Ed Rush's dishonesty.


Does it seem odd to you that Donaghy ALWAYS has the answer a disgruntled fan wants to hear even if it contradicts an answer he gave another disgruntled fan?

What I've learned in life is the truth is somewhere in between both claims...I think there is a lot of truth to what he says as well as a ton of BS. I still believe the NBA is rigged.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

What I've learned in life is the truth is somewhere in between both claims...I think there is a lot of truth to what he says as well as a ton of BS. I still believe the NBA is rigged.
So what part is truth and what part is BS?


Be specific.

[baseline bum]

Donaghy's credibility is inversely proportional to the amount of time since one's last loss tbh.

[~O~]

How can you say the NBA isn't rigged when he was an official in the NBA that rigged the games. Sigh...

[Thebesteva]

How can you say the NBA isn't rigged when he was an official in the NBA that rigged the games. Sigh...

Fuckin A thank you...I swear the movie American Psycho was spot on. A serial killer admitting what he has done and people still denying it

[Uncle Drew]

How can you say the NBA isn't rigged when he was an official in the NBA that rigged the games. Sigh...

He doesn't ref anymore. If you believe its rigged then why watch?

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Fuckin A thank you...I swear the movie American Psycho was spot on. A serial killer admitting what he has done and people still denying it
That comparison is retarded. Tim Donaghy isn't merely admitting what he's done, he's saying there's a league-wide conspiracy where Stern uses the refs to ensure certain teams win and that his scandal was barely the tip of the iceberg. If anything he's trying to deflect blame from himself by implying he was just a small part of a league-wide culture.

I'll ask again, what does Donaghy say that's true, and what is BS? Be specific.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

lol Nunez helping the Suns vs the Sonics in 1997
The Suns lost to the Sonics in 1997, so apparently whatever help Nunez gave them was really shitty.

lol Algeria
lol towel headed sand monkeys

[StrengthAndHonor]

I think the fact that the Spurs have appeared in the Finals far more than any of the top 5 biggest market in the last decade (minus the Lakers) speaks volumes of how this league is not rigged.

There have been bad calls, yes, but ultimately, the best team in the league wins. There is no definitive proof that the league is rigged, or that any of the games are fixed, or that referees are incentivized in any way to make calls.

Tim's allegations should be taken with a grain of salt. He has reasons to slander the NBA. Now, if you want to argue that the referees are biased, I'll give you that. Human emotions and all, its a universal truth that these refs are not 100% professional and/nor use proper judgment in their line of work.

[~O~]

He doesn't ref anymore. If you believe its rigged then why watch?


Because I've seen teams pay through horrible officiating and win; because I love basketball; because I can't prove without reasonable doubt that the league is rigged witho.ut Tim D.

My magic had to pay through your Cleveland lebrons? Remember when mo the the bball at Dwight? Well I could go on but ill stop there

[Uncle Drew]

Because I've seen teams pay through horrible officiating and win; because I love basketball; because I can't prove without reasonable doubt that the league is rigged witho.ut Tim D.

My magic had to pay through your Cleveland lebrons? Remember when mo the the bball at Dwight? Well I could go on but ill stop there

Blown calls can go both ways. Elbows, push-offs, 3 sec etc...

[KL2]

People keep thinking its all about big vs small market and market size is a factor but what it's really about is stars vs stars.

The Nba is a star driven league, and it's why "superstars" are so protected, the nba NEEDS them. Stern made it obvious when he fined the Spurs for sitting their stars. It wasn't about the Spurs vs the Heat, it was about Parker/Manu/Duncan vs LBJ/Bosh/Wade. He was outraged because the stars weren't being put on display. Go and watch any commercial about a game and you'll hear them saying "Can Melo AND the Knicks beat Kobe AND the Lakers?

Kobe vs Lebron
Melo vs Rose
Durant vs Harden etc!



Take last years draft which was obviously rigged, the NOH suddenly became Davis and the NOH. Even the CP3 trade created lob city, created an LA rivalry, etc. The Gasol trade is another one, Kobe was NOT staying in LA after all the shit that had just happened, dude was crying like a bitch. Memphis decides to rebuild out of the blue and trade Pau, Kobe is happy again and LA is saved.

[Rogue]

there were a lot of game manipulation in the past years no doubt about that, but the refs have been fair enough this season, or since the lockout. You see more officiating reviews this season than any season prior, it affects the continuity but ensures the justice of the game. Even BR hasn't drawn so much criticism on officiating this season and you know he's one of the biggest conspiracists on this site

[DMC]

That comparison is retarded. Tim Donaghy isn't merely admitting what he's done, he's saying there's a league-wide conspiracy where Stern uses the refs to ensure certain teams win and that his scandal was barely the tip of the iceberg. If anything he's trying to deflect blame from himself by implying he was just a small part of a league-wide culture.

I'll ask again, what does Donaghy say that's true, and what is BS? Be specific.

He doesn't know. He's just hopping another bandwagon.

[LarryDavid]

I swear the movie American Psycho was spot on. A serial killer admitting what he has done and people still denying it

Patrick Bateman didn't kill anyone though.

[Thebesteva]

Patrick Bateman didn't kill anyone though.

Yes he did. It was not his imagination. The director and writer of the story said in an interview,"If there is one regret I have with the story is not making it any clearer to people that he actually killed those people and it wasn't his imagination. The point of the film being that we are so materialistic as people that we lose touch of whats happening right infront of us even when someone admits it."

It's not even a debate if the murders happened or not.

[HarlemHeat37]

It's possible to alter point spread results without "rigging" the win or loss outcome of the game, tbh..

Have you guys ever bet on the NBA?..NBA point spreads often come down to the wire in blowout games, tbh..all it takes is a scrub stat-padding and shooting a 3, or a ref calling a loose ball touch foul with the other team in the bonus, and the margin of victory will be 6, rather than 7, which affects the spread, but doesn't actually affect the outcome of the game..

I believe there are shady incidents involving refs affecting point spreads and over/unders, tbh, but there is no way to actually "rig" a professional sports league in America and stupidly taking the risk of killing your league, tbh:lol..

As Dok said, Donaghy just uses notorious games that were poorly officiated and pretends like he has inside information:lol..I respect his grind, tbh..

[LarryDavid]

Yes he did. It was not his imagination. The director and writer of the story said in an interview,"If there is one regret I have with the story is not making it any clearer to people that he actually killed those people and it wasn't his imagination. The point of the film being that we are so materialistic as people that we lose touch of whats happening right infront of us even when someone admits it."

It's not even a debate if the murders happened or not.

:toast Good shit. Never read that interview before. I always looked at it the other way.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Yes he did. It was not his imagination. The director and writer of the story said in an interview,"If there is one regret I have with the story is not making it any clearer to people that he actually killed those people and it wasn't his imagination. The point of the film being that we are so materialistic as people that we lose touch of whats happening right infront of us even when someone admits it."

It's not even a debate if the murders happened or not.
It's a total strawman (and a horrible one for that matter) to act like anyone is denying the fact Donaghy personally rigged games by comparing him to some guy who admitted to committing murder (and nothing beyond that).

Do you really think you're going somewhere by comparing the admission of a murder by someone who's saying he personally did it to the allegation of a widespread conspiracy by someone who's accusing countless people other than himself of being a part of it? Are you incapable of seeing why that's retarded?

Once again since you dodging the question is funny, what is Donaghy saying that's truth, and what's he saying that's BS? Be specific.

[HarlemHeat37]

And "superstar calls" are synonymous with "reputation calls"..

Kobe, Durant, Wade, etc get calls because of their reputations..when they miss a shot badly, you assume they were fouled some of the time, because they usually make those shots..basketball is a difficult sport to officiate, sometimes you need to apply reputation calls..

The "superstar calls" argument is one of the worst examples of bias from fans, though..do you guys realize that there have been many teams without superstars that have benefited from "reputation calls" that were even more advantageous than the calls that "superstars" get, tbh?..

The Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies, for example..these teams would be fucked if refs didn't allow them to play physical, aggressive ball without getting whistles, out of "reputation"..

Same for the Pistons of the 2000s, same with Thibodeau's Bulls, etc..

[Thebesteva]

:toast Good shit. Never read that interview before. I always looked at it the other way.


Agreed. I assumed the same as you, that he was imaging things and it was symbolism about a man who wants out of his boring dull life. However, when I researched if he killed people or not I actually found 1000's of fans of the movie showing the link to that interview. They said its not even a debate if he killed them, it's more of a flaw by the writers to not make it more obvious.