http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091125/sp_nm/us_nba_mai
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Former Sacramento Kings assistant director of scouting Jack Mai has been banned by the NBA for illegally betting on league games, his previous employers said on Wednesday.
Mai was fired by the Kings in January after spending eight seasons with the franchise.
"We were informed by the NBA that it has concluded its investigation with respect to the activities of one of our former employees, Jack Mai," the Kings said in a news release.
"The investigation revealed that Mr. Mai participated in improper wagering activities while a member of this organization.
"Mr. Mai has now been disqualified from further association with the NBA or any of its teams. We take this matter very seriously and we fully cooperated with the NBA's investigation."
Illegal betting has been a prime focus for the league since former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty in August 2007 to providing inside information to gamblers.
Before being sent to prison in Florida to serve a 15-month term, Donaghy alleged a number of referees had fixed games and that the NBA was guilty of misconduct.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles, editing by Justin Palmer)
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Former Sacramento Kings assistant director of scouting Jack Mai has been banned by the NBA for illegally betting on league games, his previous employers said on Wednesday.
Mai was fired by the Kings in January after spending eight seasons with the franchise.
"We were informed by the NBA that it has concluded its investigation with respect to the activities of one of our former employees, Jack Mai," the Kings said in a news release.
"The investigation revealed that Mr. Mai participated in improper wagering activities while a member of this organization.
"Mr. Mai has now been disqualified from further association with the NBA or any of its teams. We take this matter very seriously and we fully cooperated with the NBA's investigation."
Illegal betting has been a prime focus for the league since former NBA referee Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty in August 2007 to providing inside information to gamblers.
Before being sent to prison in Florida to serve a 15-month term, Donaghy alleged a number of referees had fixed games and that the NBA was guilty of misconduct.
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles, editing by Justin Palmer)
