NBA Wire Notes | Gambling referees won’t be punished
NEW YORK - David Stern acknowledged Thursday that more than half of his 56 referees had violated NBA policies about casino gambling, but said none will be punished because he felt the rules were outdated.
Instead, Stern said he is altering the policies, leaning toward allowing referees to gamble in casinos during the offseason - except for betting in sports books.
The league’s strict gambling policies toward referees became public after the Tim Donaghy scandal. The NBA prevents its officials from entering the gaming area of a casino, or doing any betting at all except for going to racetracks during the offseason.
But Stern admitted he did a poor job of enforcing the policies, and with views toward gambling changing, decided he wouldn’t penalize people for gambling.
“It’s too easy to issue rules that are on their faith violated by $5 Nassau, sitting at a poker table, buying a lottery ticket,” Stern said. ” … And by the time I got through and I determined going into a casino isn’t a capital offense … I’m the CEO of the NBA and I’ll take responsibility.”
The commissioner stressed there is still no indication that any other officials were involved in illegal gambling activity, but practically all of them violated a league policy that Stern called “too harsh.” That included anything from buying lottery tickets to taking part in poker games, betting on football or taking part in NCAA tournament pools.
Stern ordered a review of the league’s entire officiating program after Donaghy pleaded guilty to betting on games he worked and providing information to others to help them win bets.
Notes
• Detroit Pistons rookie guard Rodney Stuckey from Kentwood High School and Eastern Washington had surgery on his broken left hand and is expected to be out for about six weeks.
• Miami Heat coach Pat Riley said newly acquired Ricky Davis will slide into the injured Dwyane Wade’s spot at starting shooting guard when the Heat opens the regular season next week.
• Kobe Bryant will miss the Los Angeles Lakers’ exhibition game against the Sacramento Kings tonight because of a sprained right wrist - an injury that isn’t considered to be serious.
• Andrew Bogut has a sprained left wrist, the Milwaukee Bucks said after the 7-foot center had more tests to determine the severity of the injury. He is day to day.
• All-Star Chris Bosh, who has been out with an injured knee, played 15 minutes and scored 12 points in Toronto’s 111-78 win over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.
• Andre Miller scored 18 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the host New Jersey Nets 91-83.
• Rashard Lewis scored 16 points in his first exhibition game in three weeks, lifting the host Orlando Magic over the San Antonio Spurs 99-90.
• Chicago Bulls center Ben Wallace was helped off the court after injuring his left ankle late in the second quarter of a 97-81 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks. The Bulls also lost forward Tyrus Thomas in the third quarter with a right-foot injury, and rookie forward Joakim Noah went down in the fourth quarter with a right-ankle injury.
• Rookie D.J. Strawberry’s three-pointer with 3.3 seconds left lifted host Phoenix to a 116-113 victory over Denver. Former Washington Husky Bobby Jones had 13 points and six rebounds for the Nuggets.