Ex-NBA referee once exposed punishment tactics against Allen Iverson in bombshell statement

Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy sent shockwaves across the NBA world with his 2007 betting scandal, provoking questions about the league's integrity. Two years later, he reflected on the controversy, highlighting an instance when he and his former co-workers exacted in-game revenge against 11-time All-Star Allen Iverson.

In 2007, Donaghy made headlines for allegations of betting on games he officiated in and making unbalanced calls to tilt the outcomes. After an FBI investigation, he pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the gambling conspiracy. The following year, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

During a 2009 "60 Minutes" interview, Donaghy dropped a bombshell regarding referees' tendencies to favor particular players. He recounted one of his officiating crews taking matters into their own hands after Iverson went at ex-veteran referee Steve Javie.

Iverson was ejected late in his Denver Nuggets' 108-97 home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 2, 2007, after jarring with Javie. In his postgame interview, the four-time NBA scoring champion called out Javie, noting that he had a "personal" vendetta against him.

A few days later, the NBA fined Iverson $25,000 for "verbal abuse of a game official" and "postgame criticism of an official." However, no suspension was issued. According to Donaghy, he and his officiating crew took exception to the league's decision, so they concocted a plan to get back at Iverson.

During Denver's 96-84 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Jan. 6, 2007, Donaghy and Co. implemented a strict whistle against Iverson. They called him for questionable fouls and several rare palming violations. Meanwhile, they let Jazz players repeatedly get away with excessive contact.

"He threatened one of our officials, and the NBA fined him $25,000. We felt as a group that he should have been suspended, and because he wasn't, we felt like we would teach him a lesson," Donaghy said.

Donaghy added that he bet against Allen Iverson's team that night, as the referees' plan was "openly discussed," and they "sought out to do justice."

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Tim Donaghy said Allen Iverson was aware of officials' biases against him

Tim Donaghy also reflected on his and his officiating crew's partial whistle against Allen Iverson during a 2023 interview with VladTV. He noted that Iverson knew what was happening during his matchup against Utah but could only laugh helplessly.

"He was smart enough that he got the message, and he came up to me during a free throw and asked me how long it was going to last for," Donaghy said (Timestamp: 1:00).

"He kind of knew he was gonna have some issues moving forward, and I told him I had no idea what he was talking about and kind of looked at him and laughed. He laughed and just shook his head like, 'Yeah, right.' He was smart enough to know what was going on."

Despite averaging 26.3 points per game during the 2006-07 season, Iverson finished with 22 points on 5-for-19 shooting (26.3%), racking up five turnovers across 44 minutes.

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