You got to give it to NBA Commissioner David Stern. He has definitely cracked down in off-kilter player behavior whether it was on-court or off the court, Stern has been umm… stern that no NBA player would shame the league. Players who were involved in domestic violence raps, on-court scuffles and bar fights all had their share of suspensions. Compared to how out of control the MLB was with its own performance-enhancing drugs controversy, the NBA was running a seemingly authoritarian government. Using mp3 players was banned during shoot arounds and the players were actually required to wear formal clothes for post game press conferences.
Maybe Stern was looking at the wrong direction all along.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now questioning NBA referee Tim Donaghy for allegedly betting on games he officiated in. The FBI has yet to elaborate on its claims but they have continuously said that they will divulge their data once their investigation is complete. Donaghy has been working as a referee in the NBA for the past 13 seasons. He was also involved in officiating the controversial games between the Phoenix Suns and the eventual champions San Antonio Spurs.
Sources have noted that Donaghy has a history of gambling problems and is even said to have gone broke due to his addiction. Cleveland Cavaliers star forward Lebron James was confident that the NBA would take care of the situation. It is still not clear if any game results were affected in the process.
Donaghy was also on deck when the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons had a massive brawl in 2004. That game cost Ron Artest the rest of the season.