Tim Donegy: Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read

[Real World]

Some of these excerpts are fascinating. This one in particular, cuz I remember this specific game like it was yesterday. I remember telling my buddy in LA, and still do today (to which he agrees), that the refs "gave" the Lakers that game. If Donegy is telling the truth, then it looks like they really did. That 4th quarter in particular, was outright criminal in the calls being given the Lakers. I've never forgotten that 4th quarter.

The excerpts cover a lot of games, and situations, that make you wonder. Remember the Suns game a couple of years ago when Nash got creamed, and Stoudamire got suspended? How about the game 7 where the Lakers came back against the Trailblazers? Interesting stuff.

Studying under **** 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 **** 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.

Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read - Tim Donaghy - Deadspin

 

[BostonRedskin]

I heard about how this series was fixed a year or two ago. I dont know if it is true or not but that game 6 really was weird.

 

[JAYHAWKS34]

I heard about how this series was fixed a year or two ago. I dont know if it is true or not but that game 6 really was weird.

this book should come out and show how the refs mess with the tempo of games all the time

 

[IcyPatriot]

It's been going on forever ... this book needs to come out and it will come out. always hated Bevetta - POS never called it straight.

 

[BostonRedskin]

It's been going on forever ... this book needs to come out and it will come out. always hated Bevetta - POS never called it straight.

Agreed. Refs have always given certain teams and players calls in the NBA.