One of the worst things that can happen to any sport is a betting scandal. It does not matter if it is the players, coaches, or referees who are caught betting on games. If this happens, the end result is never going to be pretty. Unfortunately for the NBA, this is a problem that they are currently up against.

The FBI is investigating the possibility that veteran referee Tim Donaghy bet on games that he was working. In more detail, they are trying to determine whether or not he made calls that would affect the outcome of games that he had bet on.

Law enforcement officials have said that the bets were made on games during this past season as well as in 2005-2006. As far as the amount of the wagers, officials would only say that it was thousands of dollars.

Making things worse, Donaghy was widely known as one of the best officials in the league. In 2005-2006 he officiated 68 games, and he worked 63 in 2006-2007. On top of these, he also officiated 20 playoff games including five last season.

NBA commissioner David Stern said that the league is cooperating with the government in anyway it can.

Is this going to negatively affect the perception of the NBA? The answer to this question is yes; without a doubt. Not only will it affect players, coaches, and league personnel, but fans are also going to have their say in the matter.

Since the investigation is just getting underway, it is safe to say that new details will be popping up in the weeks to come.

Source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com