WAYNE – The face of the National Basketball Association’s refereeing scandal, Tim Donaghy, has said other NBA referees conspired to fix games, including one from Passaic County.
But Bob Delaney, born in Paterson and bred in Wayne, has called those allegations false.
Donaghy did not implicate Delaney by name but said the officiating crew for a 2002 playoff game made calls in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers, under orders from the league.
Delaney, along with Dick Bavetta and Ted Bernhardt, officiated Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference semifinals between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings. The Kings were up 3-games-to-2 at that point of the series.
Donaghy accused the NBA of instructing Game 6 referees to make calls in favor of the Los Angeles because the league allegedly wanted the Lakers, a large-market team, in the NBA Finals. Big-market teams supposedly draw more television viewers.
Although several attempts by Wayne TODAY to contact Delaney have been unsuccessful, the veteran referee did deny Donaghy’s allegations in an interview with ESPN’s "Outside the Lines" program last week.
NBA Commissioner David Stern scoffed at allegations and portrayed Donaghy as a desperate man cooperating with authorities and implicating others in an attempt to lighten his sentence. Donaghy was convicted of a felony for his part in a NBA gambling scandal and faces 33 months in prison at his sentencing, now scheduled for July 14.
"This is not the first time a known or convicted criminal has lied about me before the judicial system," Delaney said on ESPN. "I have an extensive law enforcement background and still train police officers. I have dealt with criminals and informants, and I know full well they are capable of doing and saying anything. I cannot comment any further without permission from the NBA."
Prior to becoming an NBA referee, Delaney went undercover as a New Jersey State Trooper to infiltrate the Mafia from 1975 to 1977. He helped convict 29 mob members and testified before Congress in 1981.
This past February, Delaney’s book, "Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob," chronicled his nerve-rattling days as the principal undercover agent in what was dubbed "Project Alpha."
Delaney’s achievements on the basketball court and in law enforcement are a source of pride for locals who recall his days as a high school basketball player. He graduated from Wayne’s Neumann Prep High School in 1969. Since Neumann is now defunct (the school closed in 1990), Delaney will forever hold the record as the school’s all-time basketball scoring leader. He also excelled for Neumann Prep’s baseball team.
To date, Neumann is the only township school to send a former basketball player onto the NBA hardwood.
After graduating from Neumann, Delaney went on to New Jersey City University, where he earned a degree in criminology in 1973. His referee career began while enrolled in college. He worked as a high school referee in North Jersey from 1972 to 1982. He refereed in the Continental Basketball Association from 1983 to1986.
To date, he has officiated 1,182 regular season NBA games, 120 playoff games and seven NBA Finals games, including Game 2 in this year’s series between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Delaney also officiated the 1998 NBA All-Star Game.
