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Jeff Van Gundy ultimately backed off comments that a referee told him officials had targeted Yao Ming in the Houston Rockets' 2005 first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe Van Gundy was right after all.
A letter sent to the sentencing court on behalf of convicted former referee Tim Donaghy outlines just such a plan. It also alleges that referees helped alter the outcome of the controversial 2002 Game 6 playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.
Donaghy's legal team is trying to demonstrate his cooperation with a federal government investigation before he is sentenced on July 14 on felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games himself.
In other documents filed with the Brooklyn court, Donaghy's lawyers responded to the NBA's claim that he must pay $1 million in restitution to cover the cost of the league's private investigation.
The letter alleging referees altered games mentions a playoff series in 2005, and the circumstances make it apparent that it is referring to the Rockets-Mavs series.
"Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's owner complained to NBA officials," the letter said. "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."
Mavs owner Mark Cuban complained after his team lost the first two games of the series, and Dallas went on to beat Houston in seven games. Van Gundy said that a working referee had told him about the league's plan. Donaghy's letter claims that Supervisor Z contacted the coach. Van Gundy was fined $100,000.
Documents
• Tim Donaghy, right, claims that other referees were involved in altering NBA games. Read PDF
• The Donaghy legal team addresses the NBA's claim that he must pay $1 million restitution. Read PDF
Looking at box scores from the series, however, the only game in which Yao fouled out was Game 1. He did average 4.4 fouls per game in the series.
The letter also details an incident in the 2002 playoffs in which Donaghy alleges that two referees, who were known as NBA "company men," wanted to extend a series to seven games. "Team 5" could have wrapped up the series in Game 6 but saw two players foul out, lost the game and ultimately the series.
Only one series went to seven games in the 2002 playoffs: Lakers-Kings.
In Game 6, the Lakers made 34-of-40 free throws to 18-of-25 for the Kings. In the fourth quarter alone, Los Angeles hit 21-of-27 from the line while Sacramento made 7-of-9. After that game, a 106-102 Lakers win, Kings coach Rick Adelman expressed his frustration with the officiating.
"Our big guys get 20 fouls tonight and [Shaquille O'Neal] gets four? You tell me how the game went," Adelman said. "It's just the way it is. Obviously, they got the game called the way they wanted to get it called."
The Lakers went on to win the championship in 2002.
Donaghy also alleges that team executives conspired with the league to prevent star players from being called for too many fouls or being ejected. He claims that league officials told referees that doing so would "hurt ticket sales and television ratings."
According to the letter, when an official did eject a star player in the first quarter of a game in 2000, he was privately reprimanded.
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.
"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 NBA issued a statement on Tuesday from Richard Buchanan, NBA executive vice president and general counsel.
"According to Mr. Donaghy, all of his allegations have previously been made to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney, and they are clearly being disclosed now as part of his desperate attempt to lighten the sentence that will be imposed for his criminal conduct," the statement reads. "The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game and has fully cooperated with the government at every stage of its investigation. The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy's."
Lamell McMorris, head of the NBA referees union, also issued a statement:
"Tim Donaghy has had honesty and credibility issues from the get-go," the statement reads. "He is a convicted felon who has not yet been sentenced for the criminal conduct he has already admitted to. He may be willing to say anything to help his cause and he may believe these most recent allegations will help his agenda. I'm not aware of any improper conduct by any current NBA referee in the playoffs six years ago or any conspiracy by the NBA to affect the outcome of any game then or now. Frankly we're tired of Tim Donaghy's cat and mouse games."
Donaghy's attorney and federal prosecutors declined to comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday. Donaghy faces up to 33 months in prison.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
It's sad that Donaghy and others may have tainted an excellent series. All I remember is the Lakers barely getting by and myself with a huge sigh of relief when the Lakers won game 7.
We have no control over "crooked" refs, but free throw disparity happens a lot. When the opponent of a Phil Jackson coached team has many more free throws during the playoffs, he makes sure to make it a point in an interview, and all of a sudden the disparity goes the other way in the next game.
The first thing Jackson mentioned in his post-game interview after game 2 was free throws, and the lack of attempts for the Lakers. I guarantee you that the lakers get plenty more free throws in game 3.
this is soo wack. so i guess mike bibby getting that call at the end of game 5 was rigged too?
face it. donaghy is about to be sentenced in court and he is a very desperate man
you need to read before you open your mouth. it was after game 5 that they decided that they needed the series to go 7. whats also very funny is that Cuban has been right about this crap all along.
no i read that part. but if its rigged why not do it from the start? so your saying it started after game 5?
so why watch basketball then? u think the NBA who is arguably the biggest draw in the world in terms of american sports would jeopardize it all be turning it into the wwe?
no i read that part. but if its rigged why not do it from the start? so your saying it started after game 5?
so why watch basketball then? u think the NBA who is arguably the biggest draw in the world in terms of american sports would jeopardize it all be turning it into the wwe?
yep, kings are up 3-2, nba knows the kings have momentum and are likely to win game 6 and finish off the series. all you have to do is watch the mavs and heat finals to know this sh1t is rigged.
I do too. Kings deserved that series, despite me being a Laker fan.
The Kings may have been the better team that year, but not sure they deserved the series.
Regardless of the influence the refs may have had, the plays and shots still had to be made, so the Lakers were still as deserving as the Kings in my mind.
The Kings may have been the better team that year, but not sure they deserved the series.
Regardless of the influence the refs may have had, the plays and shots still had to be made, so the Lakers were still as deserving as the Kings in my mind.
Hey if they won the three games games to two, they could have easily closed it off. I think, in fact, Lakers would have probably struggled.
yep, kings are up 3-2, nba knows the kings have momentum and are likely to win game 6 and finish off the series. all you have to do is watch the mavs and heat finals to know this sh1t is rigged.
Even though it doesn't change the fact that the Kings, Dallas, and SA have all lost on suspect it's worth getting out in the open. That Dallas series was crap. I've never seen the type of fouls they called before.
If this comes out to be true(if they can prove it), then I think Stern is going to be gone or at least many top NBA execs. That's crazy.
I remember that series with Houston and Dallas. Game 7 was horrible. No calls, people fouling Ming and McGrady left and right and no calls ! I remember Ming being slapped in the face, right infront of the refs and there was no call. Yet, Ming trips over someones foot and he's called for a foul
2002 NBA Lakers vs. Kings was RIGGED. READ!
