Retired FBI agent: Mark Cuban asked me to investigate NBA refs
By Mike Dyce
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hasn’t always been the biggest fan of referees. Cuban has frequently, particularly in his younger years as an owner, criticized referees. During the 2006 NBA Finals it looked like the referees were against Dallas and Cuban confronted an official, he was subsequently fined $450,000 for the incident.
While many fans were skeptical of the play-calling, Cuban was too and even asked a retired FBI agent to investigate it.
The (Portland) Oregonian‘s John Canzano:
"Retired FBI agent Warren Flagg, a 20-year veteran of the bureau, said he consulted with Cuban after that playoff debacle. Flagg now runs his own New York-based investigation and security firm. He looked deep into officiating, as Flagg said, Cuban was considering a lawsuit.“Cuban asked me what he should do,” Flagg said of the 2006 Finals. “I told him, ‘Sue and you’ll win your case,’ but he knew he’d be killing the Golden Goose.”When asked about his discussions with Flagg, Cuban said: “I don’t remember.”"
Ultimately the Mavericks got their NBA Championship in 2011 beating the Miami Heat. Still, that 2006 Finals loss stung. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was involved with a gambling scandal that impacted the Mavericks said the NBA likes tormenting Cuban and the Mavericks.
“You think that the league would put him on a game maybe in another series, but to put him in this situation, teams like that, for some reason they still enjoy tormenting Mark Cuban a little bit,” Donaghy said, via the Dallas Morning News.
It wasn’t the first time Donaghy mentioned an anti-Dallas bias.
“I think there was numerous games,” Donaghy said during an appearance on ESPN 103.3’s Galloway and Co. “Obviously Mark was very outspoken in regard to the referees. Referees have personal vendettas that they take out on certain players, coaches and owners. Mark was certainly one of those people.”