Tim Donaghy
From Hoopedia
Tim Donaghy (born January 7, 1967 in Havertown (Delaware County), Pennsylvania) is a former professional basketball referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 13 seasons from 1994 to 2007. During his career in the NBA, Donaghy officiated in 772 regular-season games and 20 playoff games. Donaghy resigned in early July 2007 just prior to reports that he is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for betting on games that he officiated over the prior two seasons and that he made calls affecting the point spread in those games. On August 15, 2007, he pleaded guilty to two felony charges related to providing picks to his co-conspirators.
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Personal
Donaghy attended Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He played basketball and baseball at O'Hara. As a senior he averaged 4.1 points per game for a team that went 21-7 and won All-Delaware County honors. He is one of four NBA referees who are O'Hara alumni, along with Joey Crawford, Mike Callahan, and Ed Malloy.
Following high school, Donaghy graduated from Villanova University in 1989. While at Villanova, he played on the school's basketball team.
Tim Donaghy is the son of Jerry Donaghy, a respected former college basketball referee who worked numerous NCAA tournaments. Donaghy is also a nephew of former NBA referee Bill Oakes.
Outside of officiating, Donaghy plays golf, participated in the NBA Read to Achieve program, and worked with Don Guanella school students. He currently resides in Bradenton, Florida along with his wife, Kim, and their children.
Officiating Career
Early Career
Prior to officiating in the NBA, Donaghy spent five years working Pennsylvania high school games, seven seasons in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), and was the head official for the 1993 CBA All-Star Game.
Brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills
Since joining the NBA in 1994, Donaghy's career in the league was best-known previously as one of three referees working the infamous Detroit Pistons - Indiana Pacers game at the Palace of Auburn Hills on November 19, 2004. That game ended with Pacers players fighting with Pistons fans. The Pacers-Pistons Brawl is considered one of the darkest moments in NBA history.
Rasheed Wallace Confrontation
Donaghy was also involved in another controversial incident in 2003 when he called a technical foul on Rasheed Wallace, then playing with the Portland Trail Blazers, for allegedly throwing a ball at another official during a game played at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. While Donaghy was leaving the arena, he was confronted by Wallace at the arena's loading dock. Doaghy reported that Wallace screamed obscenities at him and threatened him. The NBA suspended Wallace for seven games following their investigation. This suspension is the longest one issued by the league for an incident not involving violence or drugs.
Betting Scandal
On July 20, 2007, columnist Murray Weiss of the New York Post reported that the FBI was investigating allegations that an NBA referee bet on games and sought to control the point spread. It was later revealed that Donaghy has a gambling problem, and had bet tens of thousands of dollars on games during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 NBA seasons and had been approached by lower-level mob associates to work on a gambling scheme.
On ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Show Mike Missanelli suggested that Donaghy had gotten into debt and tried to make it up by betting on games. The league found out about the matter when the FBI stumbled upon Donaghy in the midst of a broader organized crime investigation. NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement, "We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again."
