Dick Bavetta Implicated in Betting Scandal
NBA referee Dick Bavetta is implicated in the case of ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy.
June 13, 2008 -- LOS ANGELES -- Two former NBA referees told ESPN on Thursday that federal investigators had questioned them about referee Dick Bavetta while conducting their probe into Tim Donaghy.
Former referee Hue Hollins said Thursday on ESPN's "Outside The Lines" that federal investigators "questioned me about Dick Bavetta more than they did about Tim Donaghy."
"They wanted to know what I knew about Dick Bavetta in terms of holding calls, making sure this team wins, that team wins. I said 'I never heard of that, and I didn't know anything about it,'" Hollins said. "When they called to interview me, I was again caught by surprise they asked so many questions about Bavetta. I didn't know where they were going with that."
Another ex-referee, who spoke to ESPN.com on the condition he not be identified, said federal investigators asked him about specific games Bavetta refereed and whether he had noticed anything peculiar about Bavetta's actions.
NBA commissioner David Stern called a news conference prior to Game 4 of the NBA Finals and said he had no concerns about Bavetta.
Stern also said the league would reinterview all its officials, all of whom were asked in interviews with independent investigator Lawrence Pedowitz whether they had ever made a call based on anything other than the merits of the call itself.
The Pedowitz report has been in the league's hands for several weeks, but the NBA has said it will not release the report until Donaghy is sentenced and that investigation is closed.
Stern answered "I don't know" when asked how much Bavetta-related questioning had taken place during interviews between referees and federal investigators, although he acknowledged that the NBA was aware that questions were being asked about Bavetta.
"We had some idea about what was happening because we made available, and they went out and sought, interviews with many officials, past and present, who informed us of those interviews," Stern said. "So we know that something had been said by Mr. Donaghy, and the FBI was investigating a variety of claims. That's what happens -- someone comes in, they made a variety of allegations as they seek to demonstrate their cooperativeness with respect to reducing a sentence, and then you identify people. But guilt by association is not something that we engage in."
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