Associated Press
The NBA notebook …
NEW YORK ó The NBA wants to financially idestroyî disgraced referee Tim Donaghy for embarrassing the league during the playoffs with allegations that referees were encouraged to manipulate results through foul calls, his lawyer charged Monday.
The attorney, John Lauro, asked a federal judge to force the league to produce more evidence supporting its demand Donaghy pay the NBA nearly $1.4 million in restitution as part of the sentence in his gambling case. The amount covers everything from legal bills to the cost of Donaghyís basketball shoes.
iThe message from the NBA is quite clear: If you cooperate in a federal investigation against the organization, we will take you out,î Lauro wrote in a letter to U.S. District Judge Carol Amon.
The 41-year-old Donaghy pleaded guilty last year to felony charges of taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games himself. He faces up to 33 months in prison at his sentencing, set for July 14.
Earlier this month, the case cast a cloud over the NBA finals with fresh accusations that the league routinely urged refs to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results and discouraged them from calling technical fouls on stars to keep them in games and protect ticket sales and TV ratings.
The allegations ó contained in court papers arguing that Donaghy deserved leniency for voluntarily disclosing the alleged corruption ó include one instance where referees rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to a revenue-boosting seven games.
FORMER PLAYER
NORRISTOWN, Pa. ó Former NBA player Aaron McKie was charged Monday with trying to buy two guns despite being under a protection-from-abuse order that bars such purchases.
The 35-year-old McKie denied being the subject of such an order when he applied to buy the guns in April, authorities said. The purchase was denied when the information surfaced in a background check, but his request was forwarded to state police.
McKie was charged Monday with a felony gun violation and a misdemeanor charge of lying to authorities.
SHAQ-KOBE
NEW YORK ó Just in case anybody had forgotten that Kobe Bryant has never won an NBA title without Shaquille OíNeal, the big man sent out a reminder.
The Phoenix Suns center can be seen rapping that iKobe couldnít do without meî in a video posted online at celebrity news and gossip site TMZ.com
During the two-minute video, a grinning OíNeal lurches through an improvised rap in which he skewers the Lakersí star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from
2000-2002 while with Los Angeles.
iI was freestyling. Thatís all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever,î OíNeal told ESPN.com Monday. iThat is what MCís do. They freestyle when called upon. Iím totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all.î
NUGGETS
DENVER ó The Denver Nuggets have suspended NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony for the first two games of next season for his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol in April.
The announcement by the team Monday comes a day before Anthony is scheduled to enter a plea in the case.
Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said in a statement the team will continue to support Anthony.