Donaghy: Dislike of Suns owner Sarver was factor in rigging of Spurs series
Exerpt:
Donaghy revealed on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s Bickley & Marotta that it was a specific game the referees decided to choose because of one referee’s particular disdain for Suns owner Robert Sarver. That overseeing referee pointed out specific tendencies on film for the crew to essentially rig in favor of the Spurs.
“Obviously, everybody knows I refereed one of those famous games with the San Antonio Spurs where [the Suns] were definitely the better team in that series and San Antonio went on to win that series,” he said.
“Tommy Nunez, who was the group supervisor at that time for that series, didn’t like Sarver, who was the owner of the Suns at that time, and was always pointing out in the tape sessions of things to call against Phoenix and things not to concentrate on against San Antonio,” Donaghy said. “And I think it put San Antonio at an advantage.”