Debunking the Lies in the Tim Donaghy NBA Betting Scandal | The Bill Simmons Podcast 

If Brett farve and Stan van gundy had a kid, it would grow up and look like this guest

The real story here is that up until he was caught, Donaghy had the reputation of being one of the better officials in the league. In other words, the officiating in the NBA was so bad and inconsistent, Donaghy's fixing of games went unnoticed for years and it only became an issue when the lines moved. Maybe if the league hadn't officiating debacles like the 2002 Kings Lakers series, it would have been much easier to spot.

"Confirmation bias on steroids" When people really want to believe a story there is nothing you can do to stop them.

The Mavs Heat 2006 Finals was despicable. That shit was absolutely rigged.

Way more of this kind of stuff, please. This is what I miss most from his Grantland podcasts, great expert guests who have all the knowledge about a topic. I checked out a few years ago when the pod became just him and his buddies (even though I do like House)

The NBA acts like they had a single corrupt ref, as if an honest ref wouldn’t immediately realize their peer making questionable calls. I wish we would’ve foundout what percentage of the league’s refs were associated with Tim’s actions.

this 30 min conversation is better than both the Netflix doc and most of the Whistleblower pod lol

to think nba referees don't treat "stars" different than "role players" is ridiculous. As such, games are influenced.

David Stern was the master at things occurring under his tenure that looked suspicious but yet never being in a position that you could prove that it happened or that he was involved.

Back in the 80's the timekeeper for Piston's home games was fired because 19 of 20 games hit the over. Basketball has been corrupt for a long time.

There's no better tool to spread misinformation than a netflix documentary.

Thank you for sharing, Bill. Would love to hear more stories and guests like this!

Just ordered Sean Patrick Griffin's book after watching this! Awesome segment, it is disappointing that the Netflix doc/show is so flawed.

Robbed my Kings of a chip. That 2002 series was the worst reffed series of my lifetime.

Wait a minute, Bill Simmons is accusing Netflix of making a documentary with bad research and inaccuracies and passing it as facts? The same guy that produced The Andre The Giant crapfest?

That 76ers/Bucks and of course Kings/Lakers series infuriated me. I knew something was just not right and it made me not want to watch the NBA anymore. The Bucks and Kings were absolutely hosed.

NBA refs are all crooks, I hardly ever watch the NBA. Always get too mad at all the bad calls. Especially because it's always bad calls

Scott Foster still being an NBA ref proves that he has dirt on the NBA and that the NBA (at least in the Stern years, if not now) fixes series.

fascinating stuff! great work Bill

The cold hard truth is the NBA was going bankrupt in the 70's and early 80's. The only NBA games on TV were the NBA finals. So there was almost no TV money for professional basketball. The financial cure for that was to make sure that home teams and popular teams won most of their games because that ensures good ticket sales. It was a common and correct belief back then that the NBA was fixed to favor home teams and that was such a pervasive belief that a majority of sports fans believed the college game to be a superior product to the NBA. That culture of manipulating games lived on and still lives to this day. That is why Donaghy and likely other officials were betting on games. They were already manipulating outcomes so why not bet too? The officials made sure the Bulls beat Portland in the 1992 finals. The officials made sure the Lakers beat Portland in the 2000 western conference finals and we all know about the infamous 2002 western conference finals. Manipulating games was a long held tradition for NBA officials.

Best insight on this controversy ever great video bill!!

The 2006 Heat championship is tainted by the horrible refereeing. People like Bill know that that series was fixed.

Best content Simmons has put out in a long time. Really great stuff.

I get the feeling Bill doesn’t like Donaghy

Great interview

I’m curious why the 2000 WCF isn’t ever brought up as being rigged, just looking at it the officiating always seemed a lot more sketchy than other series’s that people claim are rigged.

31:30 Just another reason Nash and those suns were literally the most unlucky team of all time. Injuries. Suspension. Crooked refs... Insane.

The way bill feels about the doc spinning things makes me think of how he did the same with the Andre the giant doc lol

The strangest part for me with the Doc was that dude saying he ate the bird shit

perfect clip,I was very informed by this

All professional referees and umpires are suspect as hell

Thanks, Bill. Awesome.

I haven't been listening to Bill in a while but this was great! Even when I was watching the doc I was like 'Wait a minute...' lol

really appreciate this, I also felt that strong reaction to seeing donaghy doing the press tour being given a stage to just say whatever he wanted unchecked and being treated as credible.

Best content I've seen on the channel in a while

Sacrament Kings actual 2002 NBA Champions

Like the old saying, "There's one sides truth and there's the other sides truth, and there's THE truth." I like the NBA but over the last 20 + years there have been games where you're thinking to yourself, "This doesn't feel normal."

Simmons used to report on how to bet on NBA, based on referees, what teams were playing and context (ex., playoff game). He described the rigging, including the indicators that refs were against a certain team (cheap fouls at end of games). The articles could be pulled from Grantland. He is protecting the brand and Stern, with whom he had a connection. Nobody is saying Tim D is not a dirt bag, but so is Stern.

I’m certain that Tim wasn’t and isn’t the only ref in all sports fixing games, or at least trying to 😂

Sacramento Kings Actual 2002 NBA Champions

This segment was great

Donaghy's allegation that the league wanted to influence or sway games in a certain direction was interesting . If the NBA specifically tells the referees before a game that they should be aware of a player committing a certain violation , etc. , that sounds like they could be trying to influence the calls and game.

If Donaghy is lying in the documentary, could the NBA sue Donaghy (or the tv show that he was on) for damages? I'm not a lawyer...

Giving the people what they want. Thanks Bill! The NBA is fishy and now that gambling is booming this could easily still be happening in more subtle ways.

The NBA's fixed more games to create a story line than the WWE.

this was awesome. i always knew donaghy was a skilled liar. my BS meter is fully calibrated but i was lacking all of the facts covered here, so i wasnt able to draw conclusions until now. The author is a great investigator

What amazes me is that Donaghy was willing to fix games for only $2,000 a pop when he could have requested so much more. The gamblers were literally raking in millions on each game. 🤷🏻‍♂️🙄🤦🏻‍♂️

i'm glad i clicked on this before the donaghy doc in my netflix queue.

Bill didn't wanna talk about it cause hes in on it 😂

Jermaine O'neals documercial about the malice at the palace was a classic of the genre.

Bill and all these basketball writers had 20 years to bury this guy. But yall chose the "give Tim no publicity" strategy and it backfire. Being factual Doesn't matter in a world where being first matters. Tim was first and his version is gonna stick.

While I totally agree with the sentiment that Tim Donaghy as a narrator to his own crime doc is piss-poor film making -- what you did on the Woodstock '99 doc was absolute malpractice and should ban you from ever commenting on someone else's documentary ever again.

I liked the whistle blower podcast, the guy did a lot of good research and was honest about how he felt about Tim's lying. Don't know why Simmons felt the need to crap on a good podcast?! Probably didn't even listen to it.

I love this channel.

You two sound like a couple people that have an interest in protecting the NBA if you ask me

Was Kings Lakers Conf finals fixed? I'm not conspiracy person but that series screamed fix.

Bill Simmons if you think Tim was the only person rigging NBA games your delusional. Your precious NBA has been rigged before Tim and it still is. Tim was just an easy fall guy. He was not the only ref doing this. Refs are still rigging games.

28:43 Well, you’re right, we don’t do that with OJ, but I can’t help but think 2 words here: Carl Malone

I always knew something was very dirty about that Lakers vs Kings conference finals series. I grew up a Bulls fan, watching the one and only true GOAT dominate a league and going 6-0 in the finals, but I love the game and have always appreciated other great teams and players. The Bulls were done at that time, and I gravitate towards the Kings; I loved their style of play and Webber and the way they competed. Even as a teen, I could tell something was off and dirty, and it infuriated me how the Lakers moved on and the Kings got screwed. I had watched a ton of basketball at that point and had seen all kids of crap, and something just felt really bizarre while watching that series. No matter what anyone says, I know that that series was dirty 💯

I don't care what the truth is, as a Blazers fan, it's fun to say Steve Javie hated us. He ejected our color commentator in Indianapolis one time ffs! LOL

I always think it’s funny how somebody tries to tell somebody else how to tell they story 🤨

Hopefully the Netflix special talks about Miami Heat beating Mavericks when the HEAT had Shaq on the team, that was the most rigged series I have ever seen in my life. I mean it Was so bad that it became laughable.

More stuff like this Simmons! Best thing you’ve done in years (granted that’s not saying much 😅😂🤣). LJ 4 point play was one of the biggest BS calls ever against my Pacers in ECF which changed the whole series as we should of gone up 2-1! Kings Lakers WCF was a complete joke! Wade got more calls then I’ve ever seen before in an NBA Finals Games 3-6 when down 2-0😅

I've been watching basketball since LITERALLY the mid-80s and I knew that many games that I watched while David Stern was commissioners were already predetermined! 🤨

I like the talk about Donaghy being a liar, and I have always believed that, but the leagues are absolutely, positively manipulating outcome for ratings. I did my own research, and was able to predict a fixed game literally BEFORE IT HAPPENED. I was able to prove it. For certain, the NFL and NBA manipulate games. This is a fact.

The NBA went out their way to get Iverson and the 76ers in the 2001 Finals Was probably worse then 02 Kings Lakers

The last NBA (Not Basketball Anymore) playoffs and finals were officiated with so much bias against the Warriors it was practically unwatchable. Each team they played in nearly every game was spotted 10-20 points objectively, including and especially your beloved Celtics, Bill. The announcers were more on board this year than any other I can remember. All of this goes back for decades and the most startling fact is that the NBA has been able to keep this out of the public conversation and that they continue to manipulate the games so aggressively in the light of day.

Do Bill and this guy think that we're all morons? I don't know of anyone who watched that doc and was like, "Yup, he's telling the whole truth and that's all there is to it!". Just like any other crime doc, you know that the culprit is going to be lying some to paint themselves in a better light. For me, the most notable things I got from the doc was his phone records with Scott Foster and how well the NBA was able to cover it up as a "one bad apple" deal. There is absolutely no way that Donaghy was the only one fixing games, he was just the stupidest one at it (and imo the doc makes that pretty clear)

Amazing

Yeah I agree, same as "The Last Dance", please call that out too.

I used to patiently wait for Bill Simmons articles weekly. Didn't love when he left or his voice on podcasts, but he typically has a finger on the pulse of the NBA at all times. Typically.

Why does the guy on the right looks like an IG filter?

What about refs having bets about giving technicals to Rasheed Wallace?Donagy admitted that on podcast to Bonzi Wells and Wallace himself

It's funny these two act like Stern killing the investigation into the league fixing outcomes isn't telling.

There’s too much money involved for there not to be corruption.

This was very close to being a good interview. Instead it’s more protection of the sacred NBA. Lame af. “No evidence nba dictated outcome of games.” ALL CREDIBILITY LOST!

Which story looks better fir the nba? Oddly enough, the one presented in the documentary….not all that surprising to me.

Do these gentlemen discuss about whether or not NBA influence games outcome for profits?

Fixing games by calling correct infractions that are almost always ignored (like palming the ball). Brilliant.

People also need to realize the Netflix docs are not being put out solely for entertainment, but because they are cheap to make as well.

Dictating the outcome is even worse than fixing games though! Sean brushes off like it's a misdemeanor. And the show didn't portray Tim as someone to be trusted nor did it make him out be some innocent party who was forced into this crime. Every time Tim made case for something they followed it up with counter claims from Batista's (far end) or Tommy (neutral). Microanalyzing details while stating obvious ie one ref who everyone already knows is very untrustworthy is what I got out of this video. If you guys know so much discuss more on what the show hints at ie what people are still very suspicious of like, - why despite "52 of the 60 refs questioned admitted to gambling in some form" whom all broke the NBA guideline wasn't looked at more thoroughly. - more about the calls with Scott Foster who still has job officiating despite such close relationship with Tim. - how quickly news leaked after the meeting with David Stern as they were about the go undercover

The entire Association is corrupt.

I really appreciate you posting this and having him as a guest. I have watched most of this series on Netflix and was excited to see this story being teased. Since I’ve heard the correct story and your views on it before I would have hated the Netflix version once I realized it is hot garbage.

The NHL currently has a ref betting on hockey but the league won't do anything about it because of this situation. It's super sad

Am I the only one who’s noticing how DEEP this guest’s eye sockets are? That man’s eyes so far back there I can barely see them

You have to be either lying or a fool if you dont think the NBA has rigged some games. It wasnt just donaghy making bad calls in that kings lakers game

2002 WCF is why I don't watch the NBA anymore. To continue to support that product is the equivalent of staying with a partner who cheated on you

I watched that doc, and it did not pass the sniff test. That being said, why don't Bill and Sean Patrick Griffin create a documentary?

How many other refs were involved? Everyone already knew that Sac town got robbed

lol the nba media and fanboys trying to protect the Sanctity of their corrupt league: 06 finals, 84 draft, gifting nba finals to stars and big teams.

Imagine trying to believe you could have gotten away with this kind of shit

Bill, The Ringer has a great angle for a documentary, a thirsty audience, and all the resources to make it happen... why not pursue it?

David Stern was def dodgy and there were plenty of other dodgy refs in the NBA.

… Bill, watch the actual documentary. The film is actually told through the lens of all three “players” involved, including Donahue. With all differing stories and POV’s by the end of it. Other two guys say Donahue is lying. That’s in the doc. It didn’t actually paint his word as factual because it included the other two POV’s. Don’t think most folks believe he was forced based on how the doc ended.

Watched the documentary and thought he was guilty the whole time. Easy to tell he was lying through his teeth. Especially the end, where he basically accidentally admitted to earning more than $30k

That dudes camera angle is amazing

The cav warriors finals series is even more proof how the game is still rigged

**2007 NBA Champion Phoenix Suns **2002 NBA Champion Sacramento Kings

Bill's guest made a lot of good points. I'm not sure when it started, but people today refuse to look at actual proven facts and data and choose to believe a conspiracy theory. If someone disagrees with a conspiracy theory and points to the facts they're then accused of being "sheep" and brainwashed by the mainstream media. I understand there's entertainment value in reading up on conspiracies. I enjoy them. But I treat them the same way I would a Stephen King novel. People react the same way when a celebrity dies. Its always some dark force controlling everything. The other good point is how dangerous it is to put out something like the documentary and present it as fact. Disinformation is a serious problem. People have a hard enough time distinguishing fact from fiction when there's a disclaimer stating this is not accurate information. But people have a tendency to believe everything they see on TV and the internet. And it's not just young people. My 83 year old grandma believes all the obviously fake ads on Facebook. Something has to change

Good podcast. I did see the Netflix without having to know ALL of it mentioned on this cast, but I did get a sense that there is something missing and off about it. Especially anything that Tim D. mentioned. This podcast helped me understand that whole fiasco even more.