Tim Donaghy loved basketball. In many ways, his zest for the game came from his father, who officiated high school and college games for over thirty years. After graduating from Villanova, Donaghy was unsatisfied with his career until he followed his heart and became a basketball referee, first in the CBA and then the NBA, where he officiated for thirteen seasons―772 regular season games and twenty playoff games.
He loved his job, his family, his life. He felt like he had everything. And then, suddenly, he had nothing. He succumbed to a gambling addiction as well as to intimidation from well-connected criminals and began using inside information to win bets for them. Following an FBI investigation, Donaghy pled guilty to two federal charges, and on August 15, 2007, he was sentenced to fifteen months in prison. He was released on November 4, 2009, after serving his sentence.