In 1951 an NBA referee, Sol Levy, was charged with conspiring to fix six games, during the 1949-1950 season. $500 would buy an early foul-out of an opposing player.  Sol Levy would ultimately die from multiple gunshot wounds.

“The unfortunate reality was that gambling had always played a significant role in the historical development of professional basketball in the United States.”

_{(Excerpt: “Wizard of Odds: How Jack Molinas Almost Destroyed the Game of Basketball” by Charles Rosen)}