The Sports Retorter: Maybe the NBA did have it in for the Phoenix Suns

Stories of the NBA telling their referees how to officiate certain games, what players to call fouls against and what teams they wanted to win, are as old as David Stern’s tenure as commissioner and usually reserved for conspiracy theorists. These “hardcore fans” ranted and raved in the ’80s about a rigged draft lottery that landed the Knicks Patrick Ewing and complained in the ’90s about the “Jordan Rules”. While they stood on their anti David Stern soapbox, most right-minded NBA fans laughed off their accusations as mere coincidences.

For years, I refused to believe that the game I grew up on was tainted by corruption and elaborate schemes to determine outcomes. Choosing rather to believe these fans were the same people who thought the moon landing was faked and that the government killed Kennedy. That may have changed this afternoon.

Allegations broke today that have brought me closer to changing my mind and putting on the tinfoil hat, a Steve Nash jersey and and holding a “David Stern <3 San Antonio" sign (contrary to popular belief, that's not my usual Suns-watching attire).

The allegations are part of a book that former NBA referee and current prison cuddle buddy/cellmate of (insert typical prison name here) Tim Donaghy and publishing company Random House were set to release next month. The distribution of that book, according to Deadspin.com, was squashed by Donaghy's former employer, David Stern. Although the NBA allegedly kept Random House from distributing the book, they didn't keep Deadspin from obtaining a copy of it.

In the excerpts Deadspin published, Donaghy describes an NBA where referees were told to call fouls on “star stoppers” like former Sun Raja Bell, who regularly frustrated and shutdown the league’s elite.

If a player of Kobe’s stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he’s hurting the game.

Donaghy also accuses former colleague Tommy Nunez of being biased during the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals saying, “what many fans didn’t know was that Phoenix had someone working against them behind the scenes.”

Someone working against the Suns in the series that brought us the Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw suspensions? Fans have always had a sneaking suspicion about it but, without any direct proof, chalked it up to completely bad luck and ignorant rule interpretations.

In this passage, Donaghy may have given Phoenix fans their smoking gun.

Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, “You would love to keep coming back here.” He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.

Is it time to call Oliver Stone in to direct the three-hour feature film? All we are missing is grainy film of the refs and the NBA conspiring shot on a 1960’s home video camera by a guy named Zapruder, and we’ve got an air-tight theory of the conspiracy variety.

Wait, what’s that you say? Donaghy is a jilted ex-employee who was fired for betting on games and rigging point spreads for the mob? That couldn’t affect his judgment, could it?

Just like Robert “Joe” Halderman blackmailing David Letterman and Brooke Hundley ruining Steve Phillips’ career , Donaghy is trying to settle a score. The question is, are the allegations true, or were they fabricated in an effort to make back the money he lost from fixing games?

Before we here in Phoenix grab our pitchforks and light our torches on our way to storm the NBA’s New York castle, we have to separate the truth from fiction. To do that we’d have to see the entire book and all the evidence the former ref and current inmate has to share. Currently the evidence of, “I reviewed hours of Raja Bell footage”, “The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he’s hurting the game.”, Nunez liked the Hispanic community of San Antonio, hated being home and didn’t like Robert Sarver, isn’t enough to convict the NBA of anything. The argument that the refs didn’t like Sarver isn’t enough to prove they’d rig games. Heck, half the fans of the Suns don’t like Sarver and they still pay to watch his product.

Unlike the Letterman and Philips stories, no one from the NBA will be admitting to any wrongdoing because of Donaghy. David Stern won’t spend the first ten minutes of tomorrow’s TNT Inside the NBA doing a monologue in which he admits all the past transgressions of the NBA or entering game-fixing addiction rehab.

The NBA and David Stern will continue to operate as usual and will blow off the Donaghy’s allegations as the ramblings of a corrupt ex-employee. Leaving fans to wonder if Donaghy’s personal manifesto belongs with all the crazy claims conspiracy theorists make or as something more.

I for one, am closer than ever to embracing my inner Mel Gibson and buying into the crazy (if only I could find a way to blame the Shaq deal on Stern). Everyone originally questioned the character of Jose Canseco and refused to believe his tales of syringes, bathroom stalls and MLB stars. Look how that turned out.

And Now Time For Something Completely Different

Shaq Speak

The Cleveland media got a taste of Shaq speak last night following the Cavs season opening loss to the Celtics.

“”I only took 11 shots”

Based on my Shaq media decoder ring that translates to: “It’s not my fault we lost. I didn’t get enough shots.”

Tweet of the Day

Thanks for clarifying Paul. We might have thought you were shopping there for yourself since we haven’t seen you in the NBA in years.

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Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Conspiracy, David Stern, Deadspin, NBA, Paul Shirley, Phoenix Suns, Shaq, Tim Donaghy