This is too big of a story not to at least make a quick comment on.  ESPN is reporting via the NY Post that the FBI is investigating an NBA referee for betting on games. I can’t even imagine yet all the implications this has for the NBA.  First, the refs name hasn’t been revealed yet.  But you can guarantee when it is, all hell will break loose.  As mentioned on the ESPN message boards for this article, Mark Cuban is going to have a field day with this.  Because now every game that the ref was involved in will be scrutinized.  And if they were playoff games, Cuban is going to demand a replay or forfeiture or something. 

This will tarnish the league for a long time.  Fans have always suspected that the refs have a hand in who wins games.  And of course not all refs are like this, but it will always be on the minds of fans when calls go against them.  And think of the chants and signs that will be held up at games this year.  I don’t even think we’ve seen the tip of what the fallout from this will be.

And of course as Jazz fans, it would be interesting to see if the ref was involved in any of the 97 or 98 finals games.

UPDATE (9:50): Truehoop has some good insight.  And apparently, it’s only happened in the past couple years.  But it will still put into everyone’s mind, if one guy did it…

UPDATE (9:55): Is Mark Cuban still on the phone with Stern?

UPDATE (13:27):  Well it looks like it’s Tim Donaghy.  And according to Marc Stein, Donaghy was the time keeping official for the Lakers/Spurs series where Derek Fisher hit the game winning shot with .4 left.  He apparently started the clock .2 late to allow for the shot as he had $20k riding on the game.  Maybe that’s why the Spurs are getting all the calls lately?  To make up for it?    Ouch.  I’m sure his every call is being scrutinized right now.

Is it possible for a player to become a legend in only his second year in a summer league?  For someone who was overlooked and unheralded in the 2006 draft, Millsap has done more in that short of time than I’ve ever seen growing up a Jazz fan.  The Millsap lore grew as he calmly nailed the game-tying three-point shot to send the game to overtime.  And then in a bit of deja-vu for the Hawks, Millsap hit the game-winning shot with a reverse layup from under the basket.  After the game, nearly the entire crowd hung around until after Millsap’s TV interview to cheer him before he went to the locker room.  And in a bit of Millsap-mania, as Paul ran off the court, he threw his towel into the crowd where a boy caught it and almost started crying.  For games “that don’t count” according to Millsap, he’d have a hard time arguing that after tonight.

And here’s why the Jazz are a different team.  Almond missed a three and the Hawks made a quick two on the other end to push the lead to five with just under two minutes left.  They the Hawks added on two more points for a seven-point lead.  After the Almond miss, here’s what I wrote in my notes:

Almond’s missed three and subsequent basket by Atlanta did them in

That’s how I became accustomed as a Jazz fan growing up.  But after a couple comebacks in the playoffs last year and seeing the young guys tonight, I vow never to make that assumption again.  And this game made up for me missing the Seattle game.

And now we have two people with Mansap Crushes as PCA professed to me.  His article about the summer leagues in Vegas and SLC are up at FreeDarko.

On to some other game notes

• You’ve read about Fesenko’s earring that reads “Fess.”  Shouldn’t it be Fes or Fez?
• There was an early rumor about Dee Brown being signed but nobody could get confirmation.  I was going to try to talk to his girlfriend about it as she headed back to towards the locker rooms.  But as she was coming back, I got a call from my wife and didn’t get a chance to talk to her.  That led to this conversation between me and PCA:
  Me: I can’t talk to Dee’s girlfriend because my wife keeps calling.
  PCA: So your wife calls you every time you want to talk to his girlfriend?

  Hmm, maybe that wouldn’t sound very good if it was overheard.

• DNDs for both Brewer and Hoffa
• Randy Ribgy, new Pres for LHM Multimedia Entertainment and dealerships and race cars and restaurant Enterprise, made his first public appearance since the promotion.  He was chatting up Frank Layden most of the night and listening to Sloan after the game.  And of course he was sporting the Jazz baby blue tie.
• Lack of pictures tonight as my batteries were dead.  So the picture above of Rigby is brought to you by PCA’s four AAs.
• And showing why the refs are are in summer league as well, after a tipped ball out of bounds, none of the refs had seen the play and the one closest called for another’s help.  It could have gone either way but it went to the Hawks.  That led to this comment from Tyrone, “There wasn’t even anyone on the play!”
• Jerry Sloan loves the Skittles.
• Mario West for the Hawks has some major air.  He made a couple plays on both ends that looked like he chose to come down and not because gravity made him.

Audio coming in a bit when I get it up.