Former NBA Referee Tim Donaghy Tells The Dan Patrick Show That Referees Fixed Lakers Playoff Win

LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2010 - Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy appeared on FOX Sports Radio's The Dan Patrick Show yesterday to discuss his belief that his former peers worked to fix the 2002 Western Conference Finals series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. Below is an excerpt of the conversation with host Dan Patrick.

Dan Patrick: "Yeah, but Tim there is a difference in that, in missing a call or something that should be called in extending a series. Now you said, you were, you know…"

Tim Donaghy: "Well, I can give you another example, Dan. How about the "2003" LA Lakers and Sacramento game, which I also described and detailed in the book. Where certain referees are used in certain situations and openly discussed that if they were in a Game 5 or Game 6, they openly favor the team that was down in the series because that's what was best for the league and that's what they were programmed and trained to do and that's exactly what happened in the series. And, you know, in my opinion, Sacramento was clearly the best team in the league in 2003 and should've went on to the championship series and did not because of that Game 6.

Dan Patrick: "But are you specifically asked to extend that series or make sure the Lakers win or is it something that's left up for you guys? It's almost like a pitcher, who's not told by the manager to throw at somebody's head. It's just implied or its part of the unwritten rules."

Tim Donaghy: "Definitely, just like that along those lines, but it's more descript in the fact that when you sit in this meetings, they program and train the referees what to look for and what to let go. And it clearly puts a team like the LA Lakers and that series at a clear advantage moving forward."

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