Growing up, I was huge a fan of the NBA. Year after year, my team was fighting in the playoffs for the chance to win the title of World Champions. However over time, my interest waned and I became more apathetic towards the league. Once I got to college and had the chance to witness the same sport, but played by unselfish kids who wanting nothing more than to excel and win as a team, my love of the NBA was officially dead.

I remember a playoff game between the Knicks and Heat, where the Knicks were down thirty points going into halftime. My friend, with whom I was watching the game, wanted to turn the debacle off. Instead, I was able to convince him to continue watching the game by uttering the popular sentiment, “The game is on NBC… the refs will make it close with two minutes left.” The Knicks went on to win the game.
Two years ago, all my joking about the refs manipulating games became reality when referee Tim Donaghy was caught manipulating the outcome of games. As sports writer, J.A. Adande stated, the reaction wasn’t that of shock and disbelief. Instead, everyone was curious to which ref got caught. Prior to Donaghy getting caught, Bill Simmons described game three of the Suns-Spurs series as one of the worst officiating games he has ever seen. Who was the referee that game? None other than Time Donaghy. Did he fix that game as well? No one will ever know for sure, however when the fan base and must question the integrity of the sport, especially during the playoffs, you have serious problems.

This scandal should have been the dawning of a new era in the sport, one of transparency. While David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, claimed changes would be made, the scandal was largely swept under the rug. The problems have not gone away.

Last season, referee Joey Crawford was suspended by the league after issuing two technical fouls (the second foul resulting in an ejection) on Spurs’ star, Tim Duncan. After being ejected for laughing at Crawford for calling a foul on another player, while on the bench, Crawford allegedly challenged Duncan to a fight. Clearly the NBA felt that Crawford was wrong and took action. However, this season, guess who was officiating the Spurs first round series in the playoffs? Yes, no other than Joey Crawford. Why would you consciously select a referee to officiate a game when the referee and star player clearly share bad blood?

Earlier this week, the Denver Nuggets star, Carmelo Anthony hit a last second three pointer to beat the Dallas Mavericks. The only problem… the Mavericks were purposely trying to foul Anthony prior to the shot and the referee did not blow his whistle. Following the game, the NBA apologized for the blown call; a blown call that cost the Mavericks a game during a seven game playoff series.

How can anyone enjoy a sport in which the league acknowledges the fact that the referee’s exert a huge amount of influence over the results of the game, yet does nothing to insure the integrity of the game? I have been fans of teams that have benefited and been hurt by bad calls… and I understand mistakes is apart of human nature, however when the referees become part of the problem, while on the biggest stage of the sport, I have a problem. I cannot watch the NBA anymore because I cannot trust what I am watching. The sport is a joke to me now… And to think, I was once a die hard fan.