Disgraced NBA referee alleges conspiracy on 2002 Lakers-Kings series

Disgraced NBA official Tim Donaghy told the FBI that referees conspired to assure a seventh game in a 2002 playoff series – the only such situation was the Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings – according to court documents filed in Brooklyn today.

Sacramento led that series, 3-2, before the Lakers won Games 6 and 7 to advance to the NBA Finals, in which they swept the New Jersey Nets in four games for their third consecutive title.

In Game 6 of the Lakers-Sacramento series, Kings big men Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard fouled out trying to guard Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers shot 40 free throws to 25 for Sacramento.

The court filings were made in connection with Donaghy’s sentencing hearing by attorney John F. Lauro in trying to explain how the former NBA referee cooperated with the FBI after he was caught in a betting scandal that cost him his job.

Donaghy also alleges other manipulations by officials, some of them prompted by demands he says were made by league officials to protect star players.

The NBA responded with this from Richard Buchanan, NBA executive vice president and general counsel:

“According to Mr. Donaghy, all of his allegations have previously been made to the FBI and the U.S. attorney, and they are clearly being disclosed now as part of his desperate attempt to lighten the sentence that will be imposed for his criminal conduct.

“The NBA remains vigilant in protecting the integrity of our game and has fully cooperated with the government at every stage of its investigation. The only criminal activity uncovered is Mr. Donaghy’s.”

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, when asked about the allegations before tonight’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Staples Center, said, “Was that after the fifth game, after we had the game stolen away from us after a bad call out of bounds and gave the ball back to Sacramento and they made a three-point shot?

“There’s a lot of things going on in these games and they’re suspicious, but I don’t want to throw it back to there.”

The coach was then asked whether he would accept the notion that there were officials who were NBA company men arranging things for the sake of ratings.

“Only us basketball coaches think that,” Jackson said, smiling. “Nobody else can go to that extreme. They referee what they see in front of them.

“You know, a lot of things have happened in the course of the Tim Donaghy disposition. I think we have to weigh it as it comes out, and we all think that probably referees should be under a separate entity than the NBA entirely. I mean, that’s what we’d like to see probably in the NBA. It would just be separate and apart from it. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. That’s just a want and desire in the area of having everything apart from the NBA that can be apart from the NBA. It’s just how small government goes.

“But when it’s controlled from that position, we’ve got the commissioner come on the air last year and make a statement that it’s going to be looked into, that there’s going to be full disclosure, we have an open area. I think these things are going to be discussed for a little while longer. And at this time I’d just as soon limit it and say let’s wait until it all comes out and we’ll talk about it afterward.”

Pollard, now a reserve for the Boston Celtics, said before tonight’s game that he recalled thinking, “We have no chance. They’re not letting us play,” during the 2002 Game 6.

If it were proved that the game was fixed, he said, “That would hurt the league, it would hurt my feelings, it would hurt everybody. That’s ugly. You don’t want that to be true.

“I don’t want it to be found out that that was true. I would much rather live with human error than human interference.”

 mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

 jonathan.abrams@latimes.com