Scandal Rips Russian Hoops
by Net Income on May 29, 2010 9:00 PM EDT
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A scandal has engulfed the Russian basketball league. Russian media report that league officials were caught on audio tape recently telling refs they should have tried harder to fix a game in the national championship tournament now underway. Although neither Mikhail Prokhorov nor his old team, CSKA Moscow, has been implicated in the scandal, it has tarnished the game the new Nets owner wants to revive. It's also caused Andrei Vatutin, CSKA's president and a man reported to be headed for New Jersey, to defend his club's association with one of the ousted officials.
Specifically, the Russian league president and another league official were overheard last week telling the refs they didn't call enough fouls against a team favored in a May 13 tournament game, letting them win. "You didn't hand out enough fouls to Dinamo," the league president is head telling the refs. "For three quarters, you were supporting Lokomotiv but you didn't finish off the task in the fourth. You didn't help them enough". Dinamo won the series anyway, then were swept by CSKA.
The refs defend themselves on the profanity-ridden tape by saying the team that was supposed to win didn't play hard enough. As the scandal grew, the commissioner of the Russian basketball federation resigned, the league president was fired and an officiating supervisor and two refs heard on the tape were suspended, pending investigation. Making matters worse, a group of 28 refs have since issued a statement saying they are under great pressure because of "the System", not further described.. The ousted refs also confirmed the tape's authenticity.
Meanwhile Thursday, the coach of Khimki, another leading Russian team, wondered on his blog what role the league's "most powerful club", an obvious reference to CSKA , may have played in all this. Sergio Scariolo, who's also coach of the Spanish National Team, noted the ousted president regularly wore a CSKA warm-up suit while attending international tournaments, implying general favoritism towards CSKA. (The official formerly played for CSKA.)
Vatutin, in a sarcastic response posted Friday on the CSKA site, wrote that he will arrange to have the ousted president outfitted with a new wardrobe, if that's the issue. Then, he will have "a choice of clothes to visit all the international and Russian tournaments as well as different places in Europe and New Jersey" adding, "And I will defend my club, my team, our club's fans as long as I stay on this position."
- Russian basketball shaken with juicy scandal (with Video) - Russia Today
- Corruption scandal in Superleague - Eurobasket
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What happened to the comments that were on this thread earlier?
by diehardNFFLbarnone on May 29, 2010 9:47 PM EDT reply actions
I’m sure Norman Oder will feature this story to try and support his (rather tired) argument that Atlantic Yards is the product of a corrupt process.
by nynjlawyer on May 29, 2010 9:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Please explain
I would like you to explain how a private project that can use use both eminent domain and taxpayer dollars is not part of a corrupt process when it’s already out there in broad daylight.
by Tal Barzilai on May 29, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
What do you have against Oder?
Did he once give you bad tasting lemonade or something? I don’t see why he can’t place that story, though he hasn’t done that yet. Either way, I like how Oder looks at these articles in depth and disscets them. I don’t get how some say he is so biased when in fact that he does extensive resarch just to show that he didn’t come up with it arbitairly. It was even reported that the AYR has been the best source for issues concerning the AY because of that research. Ironically, it surprises me that for a person whose username happens to be that of a lawyer seems to defend the abuses that are used to get this project built.
by Tal Barzilai on May 30, 2010 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions
No surprise here
Another skeleton has been found in Proky’s closet.
Please explain
How is this a skeleton in Proky’s closet until it’s actually proved that he’s done something wrong? At this point he hasn’t even been alleged to have done anything wrong; you’re just assuming guilt by association yet again. Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun on this one just a little?
The Legend
Since you want answers
Ever since he has expressed interest in buying the Nets, there have been numerous stories about possible scandals. Unlike Russia, it’s hard for a billionare to live a private life here in the US, because the media will always be on them. That is the price to pay for comming to this country. If Proky doesn’t like it, he can always go back. However, the biggest scandal will still be the possibility of a business that he owns that has relations with Mugabe, which the US government outlaws in a big way. Then again, the end justifies the means, because all that really matters is seeing the Nets moving to Brooklyn no matter what it takes. Overall, the more scandals that keep on being leaked, the more it’s giving Proky a bad name.
by Tal Barzilai on May 29, 2010 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
How does that have anything to do with Prokhorov.
People are giving themselves a bad name here. You are a lot smarter than that, Tal. This has NOTHING to do with Proky who does not even own a team in that league any longer. No issue here. Talk about something else.
And so said the old man!
Understanding claims
There is a difference between being found innocent compared to being innocent until proven guilty. Although it might be true that there is no evidence of him with this scandal, it still doesn’t mean that he didn’t do it just like the relations with Mugabe. Keep in mind that being innocent until proven guilty doesn’t completely put someone off the hook, it just give them temporary release until there is evidence prooving otherwise. Lately, there have been a number of stories leaking that are not looking good for Proky, which is why a full, thorough investigation should be done on him with these suspicions arising.
by Tal Barzilai on May 30, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
It should be noted
that Scariolo, the coach of Khimki, is a major player in international basketball. His comments may not be supported by any evidence, but he is the coach of the Spanish National Team and that alone carries some weight.
The other thing that should be noted is the statement by the 28 refs saying this is systemic.
Sadly this is a non story.
It really has nothing to do with the NBA. Looks bad for the Nets, but in reality will not effect them.
I agree with NI
The Nets finally may have found a way to guarantee a championship win! The NBA refs have been known to have monetary weaknesses, eh?
If it was BEFORE Proky was approved it would have been a story.
Now it will be overshadowed by other stories.
I am more concerned with a progress report from Barclay’s, because last I heard from the opposition, there wasn’t much progress.
What is happening with the planning to take apart/demolish DG’s old condo?
Is that holding things up? I know they said 3-4 months to the Condemnation judge, but I would like details.
Huffington Post
Jerry, I can still remember how the editor of that Huffington Post article really put you in your place, plus he was surprised about how you tried to defend the move despite the fact that the new owner happens to have a lot of shady backgrounds that should be investigated in full.
by Tal Barzilai on May 29, 2010 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought I really put HIM in HIS place, the way I remember. Afterall, he was wrong and Zimbabwe never became an issue.
I didn’t check back after a week, so maybe the author “knocked me out” when I wasn’t looking. LOL
All I remember is DG asking if “25 was my age or my IQ”.
And I remember DG finding my new name for DDDB (Don’t Develop, Delay Brooklyn) hilarious.
Other way around
DG and many other commentors saw you as being short sighted and even apathetic. Even the editor of that article saw that way. BTW, the issue about Zimbabwe is still in issue, and if you have read the date on Pascarell’s website, that was actually recent and from this month. I dare you to say that statement to the US government that Proky’s relations in Zimbabwe is a non-issue and they will find you to be wrong.
by Tal Barzilai on May 30, 2010 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Re-writing recent history again?
Why not just bring up the post from Huffington Post and we can see who was the loser.
I deleted my version after it was apparent that attempts to bring down Proky by the left-wing HF group had failed miserably.
I'll bet we never hear another word about Zimbabwe and the NBA before the first game in Brooklyn in November 2012!
Except of course from people like you and your reporter friends.
By pure coincidence, we’re getting ready for the annual return of the Lakers-Celts. Good job NBA. Fortunately, we have no shady deals in this country!
Uh, if the fix was in I think Lebron would have been there.
Don’t you?
by kv on May 30, 2010 2:33 AM EDT up reply actions
the refs could only do so much to overcome Browns coaching.
I wonder if Carl Everett believes Jamie Moyer exists.
You would be surprised what a few phantom calls on Rondo and Peirce
in the first quarter can do.
Actually, interesting but not that surprising. Let’s see, there was that bogus Russian win vs the US in the Olympics. ( a long time ago, I know). Nearly every year (except this year so far), a losing team in the NBA playoffs has accused the league of favoritism. Maybe this explains why Prokhorov was so shocked on draft night, he assumed the fix was in.
Consider the league’s rescinding of the Perkins technical. If the league office does not interfere, he would have been suspended for game 6 for going over the limit. Without Perkins’ sharp elbow, Dwight might have gone off, forcing a game 7 with momentum shifting to the Magic. Instead, those refs were ruled incompetent – they should accept whatever healthy abuse they get from the players, especially the right players.
the issue is this
if this thing mushrooms and a lot of people have an interest in seeing that it does, it could hurt Prokhorov’s reputation…and by extension the Nets. A Dallas columnist writes today that LeBron shouldnt consider signing with the Nets because of two words: “russian mafia”. There’s going to be higher standard for him.
CSKA has won seven straight Russian league titles, most under his ownership. Vatutin, the man both Russian and American media say is likely to join the Nets, found himself defending the team’s integrity against a veiled attack from one of the most respected coaches in Europe and the world, Team Spain’s head coach.
Do I think it will go anywhere? Unlikely. Do I think it’s just starting. Oh yeah.
That’s up to the press and its public. The press would love to open up the private world of the sports business, but they sense that people either don’t care or don’t want to know. I just want my team to win ~ I don’t want to know about the competition’s problems. Then last thing the NBA wants is prying eyes or bright lights on its strategies and tactics.
that argument could have been made
when a certain NBA ref was involved in point shaving for fun and profit.
Sounds familiar
Lakers v Sacramento playoff directives from NBA?
Obviously Dallas is trying to get LeBron for themselves.
But the thought of “Russian Mafia” is not going to scare off LeBron.
Michael Jordan’s former agent reported to ESPN that LeBron should stay away from Chicago, because of Michael, as well as LA.
If LeBron leaves Cleveland and they won’t do a S&T, Nets seem to be the best destination if they can add two good pieces (draft pick and FA) by mid July.
Still as the agent says, leaving Cleveland would make LeBron an outcast in Cleveland.
Dave D had reported on May 28th that Andrei Vatutin “was playing sincerely hard to get, or sincerely doesn’t want to leave Moscow now.” I wonder if this controversy is making him have second thoughts on excepting the job as Thorn’s future replacement?
Is this the start of a lot of “back pedaling” for the Nets?
With the draft only weeks away, and when things are starting to look bright on the horizon; yet another controversy.
there will always be controversy
when something happens for the first time and it breaks all sorts of taboo’s.
Yes, and him being a outsider naturally makes him more susceptible to media scrutiny.
Prokorhov is an enigma. Would the media be so interested in his business dealings, and how he made his fortune if he was “home grown?”
Like it or not he is our new owner, and one thing that is for sure, this off season has been anything but boring.
Don't worry about it people. This is a non-story
And so said the old man!
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