NBA will survive ref scandal, but still needs fixing
Part of my weekend was spent updating salary information and determining the value of remaining free agents. Most general managers were in Las Vegas talking shop and taking in Team USA's brilliant Sunday night intrasquad scrimmage.
At face value, everything seems normal.
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| David Stern has to find out how deeply gambling has infiltrated his league. (Getty Images) |
No matter what happens, you can take that little nugget of information to the bank. Training camps will start in October, and games that count will tip before November begins.
Ice hockey will not overtake professional basketball. Neither will mixed martial arts, arena football, or rock-paper-scissors. The NBA will survive.
A tornado has touched down, and the damage seems significant, because we're still not sure what the insurance is going to cover just yet. The coming months present an unprecedented challenge. Next to be determined is how much we're all on the hook for.
What, as basketball fans, do we have to swallow? What's the damage?
It will all depend on what comes out of Donaghy's mouth. He has already soiled the game. Next, taking on the Jose Canseco role in this scandal if he relates he hasn't been the only ref misbehaving. Commissioner David Stern has already come out with a statement indicating that the league is interpreting his actions as an isolated incident, the actions of an individual, and will take precautions to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Donaghy could blow that guarantee right out of the water with a few simple statements. If the term "widespread corruption" applies, all bets are off. Those ready to walk away from pro hoops will do so. The effect will be similar to when baseball came back after its work stoppage in 1994 and many swore they were done with the sport.
Fans turned their backs on the nation's former pastime.
Eventually, they came back.
Sure, it was because guys were cheating and knocking the ball out of the park at a record pace, but the end result is the game recovered. Some haven't forgiven, no one has forgotten, but baseball survived.
The NBA will, too.
