Be Afraid

Game 6 of the 2002 Kings-Lakers series

Game 7 of the 1993 Suns-Sonics series

The Knicks infamous Hubert Davis Game in 1994

Dwayne Wade in games 3 & 4 of the 2006 Finals

Game 3 of the Suns-Spurs 2007 series

 

Those are just a sampling of NBA playoff games in recent years that exhibited EXTREMELY QUESTIONABLE refereeing. Officiating so bad that many casual fans such as myself can cite the specific instances. For me, the foul discrepancies in the Kings’ series and last year’s invincibility cloak the refs put on Wade are the most obvious. Bill Simmon’s tackles the potential fallout of the burgeoning Tim Donaghy scandal as only he can.

But while even the great Sports Guy is missing the more immediate danger to David Stern’s league. It isn’t the evaporation of the last ounce of trust, respect, and credibility the NBA was barely clinging to. No, the real danger right now is that this thing could EXPLODE! At this point, David Stern’s mission is to do everything in his power to ensure that it all stops with Donaghy and everything is pinned on him. But the very real possibility exists that Donaghy could name names. Of other refs, of the unwritten league policy concerning playoff officiating (i.e., call whatever you have to to boost the ratings), perhaps even of players.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. You really think Donaghy was all alone in fixing games? The problem has been pervasive for more than a decade now. The league and mainstream press have been willfully ignorant of the questions fans have been asking about the integrity of its playoff games. Donaghy is now the hook to get the press and law enforcement to look at an issue everyone has tried to avoid. My gosh, the league’s credibility is so bad that there are still concerns that the 1985 draft was rigged. If I were an NBA fan, I would be afraid, very afraid of what might be revealed. And if I were Tim Donaghy, I would be fearful…for my life.