Posted on 07/20/2007 8:09:15 AM PDT by Freedom of Speech Wins
FBI probes allegations NBA ref bet on games he worked ESPN.com news services
Updated: July 20, 2007, 10:37 AM ET
NEW YORK -- The FBI is investigating allegations that a veteran NBA referee bet on basketball games over the past two seasons, including ones in which he officiated.
According to a law enforcement official, authorities are examining whether the referee made calls to affect the point spread in games on which he or associates had wagered.
The investigation first was reported Friday by the New York Post.
The law enforcement official, who spoke to the AP on Friday on condition of anonymity, said the referee was aware of the investigation and had made arrangements to surrender as early as next week to face charges. The official, who did not identify the referee, is familiar with the investigation but was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.
The law enforcement official said the bets involved thousands of dollars and were made on games during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons.
The NBA issued a brief statement Friday: "We have been asked by the FBI, with whom we are working closely, not to comment on this matter at this time."
The probe, which began recently, also involves allegations that the referee had connections to organized crime associates. Other arrests are expected, the official said.
The referee had a gambling problem, according to the official, and was approached by low-level mob associates through an acquaintance.
"These accusations, if true, are extremely serious and we have been in discussions with the NBA regarding this matter," Lamell McMorris, head of the NBA Referees Association, told Bloomberg News. "In light of the fact that this is an ongoing federal criminal investigation, we have nothing further to say at this time."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
It is sadder though that a NBA referee was apparently fixing games.
Can we add an s officialy to the word referee here and make it plural?
Can we add players and coaches yet too?
Lakers +13 wasn’t good that is.
Look at how often they were expelling players, probably to fix games.
More than they used to.
Games seem to have gotten more and more blatantly fixed.
Could be choreographed like professional wrestling.
Rodman probably had an easy transition into professional wrestling.
David Stern =Vince McMahon?
Stay tuned...
Was it the one where Nash got kneed in the groin? Or the one where Nash got pushed into the sidelines? Or the one where Staudemire got kicked?
I’m guessing you are a Suns fan ? :)
I don’t live in an NBA city but I do like to follow some of the players on a few non Suns/Spurs players so I purchased their TV package.
I stopped watching the NBA after the “leaving the bench” suspensions and cheap shot from Horry...... They’ve lost me as a customer..
I figured the league had already crowned who they thought was champ..
I think game 3 was the knee to the groin game. I think Game 2 was the Stoudamire play but I really can’t remember. I do remember that I had the feeling the league had decided it was going to be the Spurs as champions and I felt dirty watching the last game. I felt like I could watch pro wrestling and get less predictability.
Anything that happens to the NBA is its own doing... And I enjoy watching them sink....
Dirty league- Dirty refs- Dirty commish..
Hope the Suns do better this year- Of course, I’m just guessing your a Suns fan- I could be way off base in that assumption. Maybe you are a guilty Spurs fan?
:)
HATE THE SPURS...ewww
Love the Suns!!! :)
It’s no wonder the NBA is having it’s problems. It sucked watching the Suns vs. the Refs... ;)
Hopefully they’ll have a better season next year.
However they probably wouldn't merely have noted which way he bet it though they do things like that, they, whoever they is here, would have told him which way to fix it.
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