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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. 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. As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a wild come-from-behind thriller that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta's crew, one of the most poorly officiated games of all time./quote]
Donaghy book canceled over liabilityComment Email Print ShareBy By Sam AlipourESPN The MagazineArchive | ContactFormer NBA referee Tim Donaghy's tell-all book has been canceled by Triumph Books and parent company Random House, the publisher said."Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA" was slated for publication later this month. The book was to have covered Donaghy's experience as an NBA referee and the events leading up to his conviction on federal wire fraud charges.During the process of editing and vetting the manuscript, which Triumph received from Donaghy in the spring, Random House and its imprint made the joint decision to cancel the book out of "concerns over potential liability," according to an e-mail from a Triumph representative.Donaghy, 42, remains behind bars for a probation violation following his 15 month prison sentence.A New York judge sentenced Donaghy last year after the referee said he took thousands of dollars from a professional gambler in exchange for inside tips on NBA games -- including games he worked. Donaghy said he was a gambling addict.He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce in the tips-for-payoffs scheme.He was released from a federal prison in Pensacola to a halfway house in June. He was scheduled for release on Oct. 24.But Donaghy was sent back to prison in August when he was accused of violating his federal probation by not showing up for work, the U.S. Marshals Service said. His lawyer said it was all a misunderstanding.
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