Timothy Francis Donaghy, better known as Tim Donaghy is a former NBA (National Basketball Association) referee who worked in the league for 13 seasons. From 1994 to 2007, Tim officiated in 26 playoff games and 772 regular season games.
Despite having a prosperous career, Tim ended up in a scandal as he was caught gambling on games he refereed. This not only ended his career but also shook the NBA, raising questions about the league’s fairness. If you are curious about Tim Donaghy’s career, we have sorted the details in the post below.
Early Life
Tim Donaghy was born on 7th January 1967, in Havertown, Pennsylvania. Growing up in a sports-loving family, he was passionate about basketball from a young age. Also, his father, Gerry Donaghy, was a longtime referee at NCAA men’s basketball.
For education, Tim attended Cardinal O’Hara High School, where he was classmates with future NBA referees Mike Callahan, Joey Crawford, and Ed Malloy. Tim completed his graduation in sales and marketing from Villanova University in 1989. During his time in college, he was involved in baseball.
Beginning of Career
Tim Donaghy’s professional career began after college when he decided to become a basketball referee. He started officiating high school and college games before making his way into professional basketball.
In 1994, he was hired as an NBA referee, where his job was to enforce the rules of the game, call fouls, and maintain fairness on the court. In a short time, Tim built a reputation as a strict referee. During his career, he officiated many high-profile games and was also selected to referee in 26 playoff games.
However, Tim was not honest with his job as he was found making secret deals behind the scenes. In 2007, the FBI started investigating Tim for betting on NBA games and was accused of providing confidential information to gamblers. According to reports, Tim passed information to gamblers that influenced the outcome of games. Later, Tim admitted to his crimes and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Relationship
As far as Tim Donaghy’s personal life is concerned, he was married to Kimberly Donaghy. The two got married in 1995, but divorced in 2007, the year Tim’s scandal broke out. The couple shared four children.
After getting released from prison, Tim kept a low profile and focused on rebuilding his life. In 2021, he debuted as a professional wrestling referee for MLW (Major League Wrestling).
Major Source of Income and Net Worth
As of 2025, Tim Donaghy’s net worth is reported to be around $3 million. Before the scandal, Tim earned a stable income as an NBA referee. But after he lost his job and was sent to prison, he struggled financially.
Serving his sentence, Tim was released from prison after which he decided to turn his life around. This led him to start his career all over again and work as a wrestling referee for MLW. At present, his earnings come from MLW.
