The NBA is one of the biggest leagues in sports. There have been hundreds of classic and thriller games in the National Basketball League. On the other hand, there is no shortage of controversy in the NBA. One of the most viral incidents in NBA history has to be the “Tim Donaghy Betting Scandal” that shocked the basketball world.
Everyone who has been following the NBA is aware of this incident that shook the world in 2007. Tim Donaghy, a popular NBA referee, was the mastermind behind the entire gambling saga. He joined gamblers Martino, Jack Concannon and Jimmy Battista for the scandal. Tim Donaghy and Tommy Martino planned to lie about threats they received from Bookie, Battista, which is actually fake.
Tim Donaghy’s accurate prediction for matches he officiated prompted him to place bets in some of NBA games during the 2003-2007 season. Donaghy was paid by his friends, Martino and Jimmy Battista. The NBA 2007 betting scandal reports confirmed Tim Donaghy received more than $500,000 from his friends who are also co-conspirators.
What happened after the Tim Donaghy Betting Scandal in 2007?
The New York Post broke the NBA Betting Scandal news to the world after finding information about the Scandal through the FBI who was investigating the case. The news went viral, and all three conspirators revealed the entire story to the media. Tim Donaghy also confirmed he utilized his insider knowledge to bet on games. Donaghy leaked the net to his friends for the game he officiated. His friends revealed Donaghy’s prediction on games he didn’t officiate was not true. A report from “The Stephen A. Smith Show” revealed Tim Donaghy was in debt and he placed a thousand dollars on the bet.
Tim Donaghy resigned from the league and he never officiated in games. Tim Donaghy and Battista were sentenced to 15 months in prison. Tommy Martino was jailed for a year. The NBA Scandal incident was unexpected and it reduced the ratings of NBA games for the following years. The impact of the scandal was huge for some years and fans called Tim Donaghy a disgrace to the sport.
NBA 2007 Scandal – Legacy
The NBA 2007 Betting Scandal inspired filmmakers. In 2007, the Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul documentary was broadcast on Netflix. The documentary directed by David Terry Fine is based on the 2007 NBA betting scandal and it focuses on Tim Donaghy’s story. In 2019, an American sports drama film, Inside Game, was released and it’s inspired by the 2007 NBA betting scandal incidents.
