NBA Commissioner David Stern said on Tuesday an FBI probe
learned that former referee Tim Donaghy was a "rogue, isolated
criminal" who bet on games and that it appeared no other league
employees were involved.
Stern told a news conference that he was told by the FBI, which
is conducting the investigation, that Donaghy was the only referee
suspected of betting on games.
"If that understanding changes tomorrow I will inform you," said
Stern.
Stern vowed that the league would give its full cooperation and
conduct an exhaustive review of its security practices.
"This is the worst thing that can happen to a professional
sports league," said Stern, adding that any official's involvement
in gambling shatters the covenant with fans over the integrity of
the game.
"This is the worst situation I have ever experienced either as a
fan of the NBA, a lawyer for the NBA or the commissioner of the
NBA," he said, calling it "a betrayal of what we know in sports as
a sacred trust."
Stern said the investigation involved games that Donaghy, a
13-year NBA veteran, afficiated in the last two seasons. Donaghy
submitted his resignation on July 9.
The commissioner said the FBI came to him about Donaghy on June
20 and asked that the league not act on the information to
safeguard the investigation.
Stern said the NBA has had spoken with Donaghy's lawyer and
understood he was discussing a plea deal with authorities.
Word of the FBI investigation broke Friday with a report that
the referee's gambling became known during a separate investigation
of organized crime.
"It is my understanding that he is accused of betting on games
in the NBA," Stern said Tuesday about Donaghy, who he described as
"a rogue, isolated criminal".
"Including some games that he worked and others he didn't work.
I understand he will likely be accused of providing information to
others for the purpose of betting on NBA games."
The commissioner said the NBA would review Donaghy's games after
the criminal investigation is completed.
"He worked 150 games over the last two years ... we did not want
to sort of march people together and say, we are now going to
investigate Tim Donaghy ...
"But I can assure you that in the fullness of the summer and the
autumn, we will have the opportunity to review Mr. Donaghy
statistically and by video, and it will be done."
Stern said all gambling, other than off-season visits to horse
racing tracks, was forbidden for officials. He said Donaghy earned
$260,000 last season.
Asked if he was surprised by the breach, Stern said: "Yes, I'm
surprised, but I think no more surprised than the head of the FBI,
the head of the CIA, that rogue employees turn on their country in
criminal activity despite the best investigative procedures you can
possibly imagine."
Stern said the NBA routinely monitors officials, employing 30
observers to ensure one is at every game. Each game is also
reviewed on video and some are audited by a group supervisor.
Stern said the league hired additional experts this year to
audit the auditors evaluating referees.
He said he expected changes in the wake of the scandal.
"We're going to revisit everything. Everything."
(China Daily via Agencies July 26, 2007)