Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hired a retired FBI agent to investigate a crew of NBA referees following his team's 2006 loss in the NBA Finals to Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.
Incensed that Wade attempted a staggering 97 free throws during the six game series and averaged more than 18 freebies a night over the last four games, the billionaire owner hired 20-year veteran agent Warren Flagg with the strict instruction to find out if the games were somehow fixed, according to ProBasketballTalk.com.
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The website adds Cuban was particularly angered by a Game 5 loss, rushing the court after the final buzzer to tangle with referee Joe DeRosa, before turning to glare at then-commissioner David Stern as he sat in the stands.
In all, ProBasketball reports Cuban was fined a total of $450,000 that playoff season for acts that also included publicly criticizing how officiating crews are picked to work the games.
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"Cuban asked me what he should do," said Flagg, adding that the Mavs owner considered filing suit against the league. "I told him, 'Sue and you'll win your case,' but he knew he'd be killing the Golden Goose."
When recently asked about the incident, Cuban told reporters "I don't remember."
Behind star forward Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs bounced back to defeat the Heat for the title in 2010-11, LeBron James' first season in Miami.
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