Former referee Tim Donaghy, who served 15 months in federal prison for fixing NBA games, claims the NBA league office is pressuring officials to help the Brooklyn Nets win against the Toronto Raptors. Donaghy says the league office wants Brooklyn to advance for better TV ratings in the second round of the 2014 NBA playoffs, Fox Sports reports.
Donaghy believes the NBA bosses are pressuring the referees of the Nets-Raptors series to make calls that favor the Nets, all in the name of better TV ratings down the road. He made his claims during a radio interview in Canada.
"In this situation, Brooklyn would be put at an advantage," Donaghy said, via Fox Sports. "A Brooklyn-Miami matchup (in Round 2) would bring great ratings and that's what this is all about for the NBA and the league offices -- bringing in as many dollars as they can. ...
"Some of the things that the league does and continues to do puts these teams at a disadvantage -- like the Toronto Raptors -- because moving forward they won't bring in the big dollars for the league.
"It's terrible for the fans (of) Toronto. They go and support that team but really they're going to have trouble moving on based on talent and what takes place on the floor when they're really going against the refs and the league, along with the Nets."
The series is currently tied, 1-1.
In an interview with the Oregonian, Donaghy called officiating "smoke and mirrors." He watched Game 1 on Sunday between the Portland Trail Blazers and shared his thoughts with the newspaper.
"Not only was (Rockets center Dwight) Howard's sixth foul wrong, but so was his fifth foul. (Referee Scott Foster) was making up for the mistakes that (referee) Bennett Salvatore was calling," Donaghy said. "... So you have Bennett making mistakes on one end of the floor, trying too hard, and you have Foster on the other end, trying to make up for it by blowing a call."
The NBA released a statement denying Donaghy's claims and reminding the public he is a convicted felon.
