Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, whose career ended due to a gambling scandal, made shocking claims in a recent interview with VladTV about the NBA’s alleged manipulation of game outcomes. According to Donaghy, the NBA used to push for higher-scoring games by pressuring referees to call more fouls in favor of star players like Kobe Bryant.
“I’ll never forget when Kobe was in a playoff series with the Phoenix Suns, and I forget who the defender was, but they called him ‘The Kobe Stopper,’ or he referred to himself as ‘The Kobe Stopper,’ and they would show us video of games previously of plays that fouls weren’t called on this guy holding him or defending him too strongly, and they wanted freedom of movement because they wanted higher scores in these games,” Donaghy stated in an interview.
Donaghy, who spent 11 months in prison after the NBA found him guilty in a gambling scandal in 2007, recalled the orders given by the league during the 2006 NBA Playoffs. He specifically pointed to the Lakers-Suns series, where Kobe Bryant faced off against the “Kobe Stopper,” known to be Raja Bell. The NBA reportedly showed referees video footage of missed fouls on Bryant, emphasizing the need for “freedom of movement,” which would increase scoring.
He explained how officials were shown clips of non-calls and told to avoid such mistakes in future games, effectively programming referees to make sure that star players like Bryant could score more points. “Make sure you don’t let this happen tonight, make sure you call this when this happens,” he said, quoting what was directed to the referees.
Did the NBA actually help Kobe Bryant?
The validity of Tim Donaghy‘s claims is a complicated matter. Although Donaghy’s history of misconduct during his time in the league casts doubt on his credibility. The league evaluates referees on their performances, and according to Donaghy, better scores were given to those who followed the NBA’s rules on foul calls.
It’s interesting to note that even after the alleged help, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Lakers during the 2006 Playoffs. Kobe Bryant, while leading the NBA with an average of 35.4 points per game during that season, was limited to 27.9 points per game in the series, which does not support the narrative of biased officiating.
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy claims league pushed officials to call more fouls for star players like Kobe Bryant.
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— Complex (@Complex) November 7, 2023
The claims by Donaghy, regardless of their truth, should not overshadow Kobe Bryant’s talents and achievements. Bryant’s scoring capabilities were well-known and were not just because of his officiating.