Ex-NBA Ref Tim Donaghy's Personal Foul

(CBS)  Tim Donaghy had never had it so good. A referee in the National Basketball Association, he loved the limelight, was considered one of the NBA's better refs and was making almost $300,000 a year. But he was also living a secret life during the last four years of his 13 year career - he committed a personal foul.

He betrayed the fans and the league by betting on NBA games, including some he was officiating. Donaghy won about 75 percent of his bets, an incredible percentage confirmed by the FBI.

Now Donaghy speaks out publicly for the first time, telling 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon why he bet on NBA games, how he won so often, and how his world collapsed. And what a world it was.

Opinion: Is Donaghy Believable? You Make The Call!
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Web Extra: Special Treatment?
Web Extra: The Mob Muscles In

Donaghy says being a referee was his dream job. "I had the opportunity to run up and down the court with the greatest athletes in the world. I just loved the game of basketball growing up and my goal was to somehow be a part of it."

"It was a dream situation all around," he added.

"And then you committed the cardinal sin. You started betting on NBA games including games that you were reffing yourself," Simon remarked. "What were you thinking?"

"Obviously, I wasn't thinking to cross that line," Donaghy said.

He told Simon he thought he did it because he fell into an addiction of gambling.

Asked how that addiction began, Donaghy told Simon, "Playing golf at country clubs and card games at country clubs and people's houses. And it just evolved from those type of situations to betting on athletic contests."

Donaghy was betraying everything he and his family stood for. His father had been a respected ref in college basketball; Tim followed in his footsteps and went even further, making it to the NBA.

But Donaghy said betting was more powerful than all of that, and winning was ecstasy.

Asked if betting on the NBA gave him a higher high than betting on other sports, Donaghy said, "I think it gave me a higher high because I was able to predict the outcome of the games. And I think when you talk about gambling and the euphoria that comes with it, making winning picks is what excites you."

"And as far as you know, you were the only ref who was placing bets?" Simon asked.

"As far as I understand, yes," Donaghy said.

He told Simon he bet on "probably over 100 games," reffing a lot of those himself.

And here's what you may find difficult to believe: Donaghy says that while his betting may have been illegal, his reffing was always honest.

"You're insisting that your betting did not influence the way you called a game. Why should we believe you?" Simon asked.

"Because the FBI did a thorough investigation, and even the NBA concluded that I did not fix games in the NBA," Donaghy replied.

That's right. A 29-year FBI veteran, Special Agent Philip Scala, led the investigation of Donaghy. He told us that Donaghy convinced him.

"He said, 'Knowing the information that I had, I didn't have to do anything on the court to pick a winner. I could pick a winner 80 percent of the time just knowing what I knew an hour before the game,'" Scala said. "And watching the tapes we could see that there was never something outlandish where you could see he called a foul or he omitted a foul because he wanted to see a certain team win. We never saw that."

The NBA's investigation came to the same surprising conclusion: "It seems plausible to us that Donaghy may not have manipulated games... We are unable to contradict the government's conclusion."

"When you were reffing a game, didn't it come to your mind that you'd bet on one team and not on the other?" Simon asked.

"I tried to put it out of my mind. And I think that that I was able to do that," Donaghy said.

"In one game you were betting on San Antonio, but you threw their coach Greg Popovich out of the game," Simon pointed out.

"I didn't think about the bet during the game. And in my mind, he needed to be ejected," Donaghy said.

Losing their coach cost San Antonio the game and cost Donaghy his bet. But that didn't happen very often: Donaghy claims - and the FBI concurs - that he won 70 to 80 percent of his NBA bets.

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[timdonaghymusic]

Tim Donaghy is a musician who writes and performs his own original rock and hard rock songs. He writes, performs, and produces all aspects of the songs and materials. Coming mainly from a guitarists background, he has his own unique style influenced by some of today?s greatest guitarists, tones, and sounds. Artists such as Slash, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimmy Page resonate with every note, solo, and ?hook? within his original music

[timdonaghymusic]

This Tim Donaghy is making it hard for other Tim Donaghy's. Do you know how many times I get asked if I'm the "Tim Donaghy." It's crazy. Nice work!

I'm Tim Donaghy a musician Who can be found at with the following profiles:
http://www.yournextrecord.com/contest.php?sid=181&aid=63568&mid=53861&mtype=1

[stevearchuleta]

Tim,

It's easy for me to say this, but I honestly believe it will help you: Be at Peace. The world does not revolve around the NBA, or gaming, or basketball, or even the United States. You see... Language, and Art, and Cultures are vast. So vast that you and your family (the girls in your life) can find peace by exploring -- and discovering -- multiple interests beyond your former self. Find and create new interests that give you warmth, and goodness, and compassion, and love and wonderful feelings of accomplishment. Let go! Release these ball players, and fans, and owners, and refs, and everyone else from your past. While you are exploring other facets of life, they -- whomever they are -- will still be shackled (good or ill) to their rudimentary ways - i.e. sport, ego, and greed. Go find a higher calling, Read, then disappear into a blissful retirement. Forgive yourself and your girls will know you as being an honest, loving father who was able to move forward with grace and selflessness. I wish you well.

[DcruiserLV]

I find it hard to believe Donaghy's claim of not making calls to alter the game. A number of years ago Rasheed Wallace, a passionate and intelligent yet sometimes volatile basketball player, challenged Donaghy to a fight outside the Rose Garden in Portland, because of how he called the game. Rasheed was suspended 7 games for this incident, and fined an amount of money that I do not recall. I am sure that Rasheed and other NBA players could detect those referees who were "jobbing" the game, if the league officials would have listened. I'm sure that Rasheed Wallace and other players could have added a number of inciteful comments about Donaghy and referees in the NBA, except for the fact that they would have been fined and suspended for making those comments. Free speech doesn't exist in the NBA, even owners like Mark Cuban can be fined for what they say.

[Sloughfoot]

You soiled yourself, your profession, your co-workers, etc, now just go away.

[rw2139]

What is going on David Stern? If I were you, I would mount a huge PR campaign to shine up the image of the NBA....if that can still be done! Not commenting on the Donnaghy story is a real indictment against you and the NBA. While you are explaining your leanings toward big market teams like L.A., explain how the Gasol trade from Memphis to L.A. could happen during yoour watch in a fair and balanced league. The NBA is a joke.....take a page from the NFL in how to run a league.

[justsane-2009]

i quit watching 60 minutes when this guy came on. i have no interest in what he has to say, or the promotion of his new book, which is clearly what this was all about.

[crwarren123]

I truly believe Tim Donaghy improved his image last night. He blatantly, sorrowfly and sincerely admits his wrong. He paid his dues even to the sad point of losing his wife and 4 daughters. Anybody who says otherwise must just be perfect I guess.

[DavidBradway]

I believe everything Tim Donaghy has to say about referee bias and the head office's encouraging calls to go the way of longer playoff series and getting larger fanbase markets into the finals.
I've been an NBA fan for 39 years and I believe when David Stearn took office as NBA commissioner, things started happening to bring more money into the coffers even if the rules had to be bent a little bit. When you've watched as many games as I have you know that Donaghy is only confirming what many of us already knew. I think he's right in that some good has come out of this as some of the bias has been removed. You might notice for instance, that since this whole scandal erupted, Kobe hasn't been getting all the calls and he's become a better player. Will David Stearn get the message? Call the game straight up and get rid of those who can't get the job done. The fans and NBA teams deserve no less.

David
Eugene, OR

[freedomofspeech]

Right on! The only problem I have with you is that you are a Duck, not a Beaver!

[winsur4]

Very interesting, I did not know the angle of how he placed winning bets. I can barely watch the pampered NBA players getting their calls, and the obvious call - no call biases of many refs. I wonder how Donaghy bet on the final 4 Miami vs. Dallas playoff games. With six minutes left in game 3, I told my sons that Dallas will not win another game and that Miami will be the victors with 4 straight wins. It was payback time for Mark Cuban. Anyone could see it.