It's rigged! I knew it

The NBA is fixed. Been saying it for years. Kind of like pro wrestling.

Now we have the proof. Courtesy of Tim Donaghy, disgraced former NBA ref.

"Referees A, F and G were officiating a playoff series between Teams 5 and 6 in May of 2002. It was the sixth game of a seven-game series, and a Team 5 victory that night would have ended the series. However, Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew referees A and F to be "company men," always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series. Referees A and F heavily favored Team 6. Personal fouls [resulting in obviously injured players] were ignored even when they occurred in full view of the referees. Conversely, the referees called made-up fouls on Team 5 in order to give additional free throw opportunities for Team 6. Their foul-calling also led to the ejection of two Team 5 players. The referees' favoring of Team 6 led to that team's victory that night, and Team 6 came back from behind to win that series."

Read the rest of Chris Sheridan's story here.

According to Donaghy and his attorney John F. Lauro, two referees in 2002 deliberately ignored fouls that resulted in injuries and called "made-up fouls" to give addition foul shots to one team. Even worse, Donaghy asserts that the referees did all of it because they were "company men" who "always act[ed] in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series."

The rest of Lester Munson's column here.

The NBA has always called games unfairly. Stars get preferential treatment. That's inarguable. But it's when the refs decide games and extend series for the purpose of filling league coffers with ratings and thus advertising dollars, that's when it becomes pro wrestling. You've got the face players (Kobe, KG, LeBron, Dwanye Wade, etc.) and then you've got the heels like Rasheed Wallace and others.


Donaghy and his three blind mice at work: Turns out they weren't so blind after all. The call came from David Stern's office. Extend the series. Or else

These are the biggest bombshells from Donaghy from Sheridan's story:

The document referenced other alleged improprieties that Donaghy disclosed to federal law enforcement officials. Among them:

• "Tim gave information on how top executives of the NBA sought to manipulate games using referees to boost ticket sales and television ratings," the letter reads. "He also described how nepotism played a far greater role than qualifications in a number of referee hirings."

• "Tim explained the league officials would tell referees that they should withhold calling technical fouls on certain star players because doing so would hurt ticket sales and television ratings," the letter adds. "As an example, Tim explained how there were times when a referee supervisor would tell referees that NBA Executive X did not want them to call technical fouls on star players or remove them from the game. In January 2000, Referee D went against these instructions and elected a star player in the first quarter of the game. Referee D later was privately reprimanded by the league for that ejection."

• In addition to game-altering allegations, Donaghy's letter claims that many officials carry on "relationships" with team executives, coaches and players that violate their NBA contracts. For example, it said, referees broke NBA rules by hitting up players for autographs, socializing with coaches and accepting meals and merchandise from teams.

"Tim described one referee's use of a team's practice facility to exercise and another's frequent tennis matches with a team's coach," the letter says.

• The letter also alleges that during a 2005 Rockets-Mavericks playoff series, "Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's Owner complained to NBA officials. Team 3's Owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions."

I know how David Stern, a master of spin, will play this. He'll attack Donaghy and he'll have a point. Dude is a felon. He did conspire to fix games. He does have an axe to grind since the NBA is trying to bleed a million big ones out of him.

"We welcome scrutiny here. This is something that should be scrutinized," said Stern, who called Donaghy a "singing, cooperating witness" and repeatedly referred to him as a felon as he spoke with reporters for more than eight minutes near the loading dock of the Staples Center as he arrived for Game 3 of the Finals.

But he officiated in 772 regular-season games and 20 playoff games. I think the guy knows something. And the way games are called, as even casual fans see, it definitely lends credence to what he's saying.

Besides, the NBA is gutter basketball anyway. It's a slightly better version of the And1 mix tape tour. Just dunks and 3 pointers. No fundamentals. Rules prevent proper defense.

It's little wonder that our NBA players get their asses kicked in international play on a regular basis. The stars on our U.S. team keep expecting a bailout call from friendly refs every time.