Rudy Gobert certainly stirred up a conversation this week, as the outspoken NBA star accused referee Scott Foster of fixing a game and was fined $100,000 by the league. On Pardon the Interruption on Monday, cohost Tony Kornheiser expressed dire concern for the league’s officiating situation as it embraces sports gambling money.
Kornheiser referenced disgraced former referee Tim Donaghy, who became embroiled in a game-fixing scandal in the mid-2000s. Because of that history, Kornheiser said he believes NBA commissioner Adam Silver must be proactive stamping out any trace of concern over the legitimacy of games.
“I believe Adam Silver has a crisis right now,” Kornheiser said. “(Gobert) is saying the guy is taking money. There’s an integrity to the game. You can say he’s joking, you can say he doesn’t believe it, but he’s saying it. And Adam Silver has this in the closet with Tim Donaghy. So you’ve got to go out there and make sure the public doesn’t think (he’s right). In hindsight, I’m not sure the fine was enough.”
It was only a matter of time before this discussion boiled over. The NFL brought the hammer down on wide receiver Calvin Ridley when it discovered he had bet on other teams’ games. And while the NBA so far has avoided a similar incident, Gobert raising the alarm on officiating may even be worse.
Like Kornheiser highlighted, we know NBA referees have been fraudulent before. They make less than players, meaning there may be more incentive to try a side hustle, so to speak. From journalists to athletes to, yes, referees, nobody is without responsibility to navigate this era in sports responsibly. It may not be enough to assuage the public to simply hit Gobert with a huge fine and move on.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.