Former 13-year NBA referee Tim Donaghy was at the center of a huge NBA gambling scandal before resigning in 2007. He served time in prison and since has been critical about NBA refs call games.
In an interview with chicagonow.com, Donaghy spoke on the 2007 San Antonio Spurs-Phoenix Suns playoff series. Take it for what you will, Donaghy talks about how another NBA referee was steering the series in San Antonio’s favor, the infamous Robert Horry hit on Steve Nash, and more
Again these are Donaghy’s words and strictly his own and not of this site. This is just for your consideration.
Donaghy on whether the 2007 Spurs-Suns series was stolen from Phoenix:
TD: I write in the book that there’s no doubt I feel the Phoenix Suns were the best team in in the league in 2007. And that whole series was officiated poorly, and I give the reasons in the book as to why I feel it was officiated poorly. And one of the reasons is that Tommy Nunez was the supervisor of officials in that series. And he had a dislike for the (Suns) owner Robert Sarver, and he enjoyed the lifestyle in San Antonio, and liked to get back in the next round of the playoffs and continue to go to San Antonio. So it was a situation that he was steering the series to San Antonio in tape sessions.
Donaghy on whether the series was gambled on by refs or if it just came down to poor officiating:
TD: People don’t realize that at that time we weren’t even betting any more because the guy who was involved in the scheme ended up going into rehab, so we were done betting at that time for about a month. So that was just a poorly officiated series from game one all the way until the last game.
Donaghy on the scuffle between Horry, Nash, Spurs and Suns:
TD: Certainly that was mishandled with the subjectivity of the league office as to whether to suspend somebody for doing what they did. Look at what happened with the Miami-Dallas game. Do you think they would have suspended all those players for a game 7? Had there been a game 7, with all those players leaving the bench area the way they did. The rule clearly states you can’t leave the bench area to get involved in an altercation, whether the time out exists or not. In all reality, I doubt they would have suspended all of those players for a game 7. and I don’t think it was handled properly with Phoenix in 2007.
Again take it for what you will Spurs fans but those are his words and what he has to say on the series. Do you think he is telling the truth or is he just sensationalizing the way the series went?
(photo: examiner.com)
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