Hooped Up

Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin is $38,000 poorer due to a Monday ejection. Martin was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for antics involved with his second-quarter ejection against Charlotte. He already had been assured of a $1,500 penalty for each of two technicals.

After receiving the technicals and being ejected by official Ken Mauer with 2:27 left in the first half, Martin slowly walked off the court with a big smile on his face. He mockingly clapped in an attempt to urge on the fans. And he stopped to adjust his uniform.

Martin, often penalized in his 10-year career, expressed surprise after the game in the locker room about the ejection, and said it was among the least he’d ever acted up to get tossed.

Fanhouse

When I boo a ref, I want to make sure he’s a seasoned professional thats been booed and heckled by thousands on a weekly basis for decades. To me, booing a replacment ref is kinda like yelling at kid at a cash register with a “Trainee” badge for screwing up my change. Read More »

On the day that could mark Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Lakers and Orlando Magic, the main figure in the league’s most notorious scandal will be released from a federal prison. But former referee Tim Donaghy, who once charged the league tried to take steps to set up a series to go seven games in order to generate more revenue, will not be exiting Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Fla., next Thursday at the speed of a fast break. In November 2008, while serving his 15-month sentence – that next will be followed by a period of time in a transition center – Donaghy was attacked by a fellow inmate and suffered considerable damage to his knee, according to a source who has maintained regular contact with Donaghy during his imprisonment. Had Donaghy somehow raised the ire of the other inmate to spark a whack to the knee, or was it a Nancy Kerrigan-esque hit? Donaghy could not comment for this story, said the source, who added the former referee was unsure why he was assaulted and hit “several times with a paint-rolling stick.”

Los Angeles Daily News

Ron-Ron can’t catch a break!  A few days ago in the game between the Rockets and Mavericks. Artest picked up a suspect technical foul when he ran to the aid of teammate Yao Ming as a peacemaker after a hard Josh Howard foul . Immediately after the game, the Rockets appealed the call but according to the Houston Chronicle the NBA has decided to upheld the technical foul ruling.

I call shenanigans on this one! Josh Howard hit Yao Ming like he asked him to sing the Star Spangled Banner and the ref was more concerned about Ron-Ron. 

Shenanigans!

Right from jump if you watched Game 3 of Suns – Spurs in 2006 you knew something was up. Was the game fixed or was it just terribly officiated?  It’s a thin line between bad officiating and game fixing so what what do you think?

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Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison Tuesday for setting off a gambling scandal that tarnished the reputation of the league and raised questions about the integrity of its officiating.

The sentencing in Brooklyn federal court culminated a case that hung over the league throughout the season and even into the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. League commissioner David Stern angrily denied Donaghy’s claim that corruption among referees goes beyond him.

Donaghy’s lawyer asked the judge for probation. Donaghy had faced up to 33 months in prison, but the judge gave him credit for his cooperation.

SI

A disgraced NBA referee says his fellow refs broke league rules by routinely fraternizing with players, coaches and team management.

A letter filed Tuesday in Brooklyn by a lawyer for Tim Donaghy in his federal gambling case alleges the inappropriate relationships influenced the outcomes of games. He claims one general manager in 2004 made a game-day phone call to referees to encourage them to call more personal fouls against an opponent.

The letter doesn’t name anyone involved. Donaghy’s attorney and prosecutors have declined to comment. The league has denied the scandal goes beyond Donaghy and two co-defendants.

The veteran referee pleaded guilty last year to felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games. He faces up to 33 months in prison.

AP

The NBA announced to its teams this week at its annual pre-draft camp that fines will be imposed on players starting next season for clear cases of “flopping,“ ESPN.com has learned. The league office has yet to determine exact fine amounts for offending flops and how fines might escalate for repeat offenders, but in-game arena observers and video reviewers will be instructed to report instances of theatrical flopping for potential punishment as part of postgame reports on officiating and other matters.

ESPN.com 

Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons has been fined $25,000 for his use of profanity and criticism of the officiating following last night’s game, announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. 

Wallace made his comments to the media following the Pistons’ 106-102 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of the 2008 NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Boston.

ESPN

A longtime NBA referee has an autobiography set to be released. Ho-hum? Not quite. In his old job, Bob Delaney infiltrated the mob. It’s a captivating back story.