Convicted NBA referee, whose Netflix documentary bugged LeBron James, once threw a game against legendary coach Pat Riley

LeBron James was quite bugged by the Netflix documentary focusing on convicted NBA referee Tim Donaghy. While it shed light on the scandal from Donaghy's point of view, it also shared an interesting instance of when he threw a game against then Miami Heat coach Pat Riley.

The Netflix documentary, "Untold: Project Flagrant Foul", features a lot of stories from Tim Donaghy's career. Donaghy, who was an NBA official for 13 seasons, was infamous for his betting scandals that practically changed the landscape of the NBA.

Donaghy was investigated by the FBI for providing inside information on games to aid bets and cover point spreads. NBA superstar LeBron James has been quite clear on his thoughts on the documentary. He even went as far as to tweet his disapproval of the project.

James' disregard seems pretty valid, as he was in the process of leading the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals when the scandal came to light.

Among many betting cases against Donaghy, one involved former Miami Heat coach Pat Riley in a game against the New York Knicks. The former official mentioned betting against Riley because of his knowledge of the crew chief for the game.

While referring to a game he bet on in Feb. 2007, Donaghy said:

"I was refereeing with (Derrick) Stafford, he was buddies with Isiah Thomas. I knew Stafford didn’t have a liking for Pat Riley, even a little bit. And I knew any chance he got, he’d stick it to him because he was that type of referee."

Stafford's relationship with Riley certainly became an important facet in the game. An argument between Riley and Stafford resulted in the Heat coach getting sent, which cost Miami the game.

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LeBron James' relationship with Pat Riley

Pat Riley is widely regarded as one of the most charismatic men in the NBA. After a tremendous run as coach with the LA Lakers in the 80s, Riley moved on to join the New York Knicks and eventually the Heat. He's now the president of the team.

LeBron James, meanwhile. had a rather fruitful couple of years in Miami. Having won his first two titles with them, James developed into a playoff threat. James' arrival was brought on by Riley, so the player's departure was also felt.

Riley was quite vocal about his displeasure when James left in 2014, as per ESPN The Magazine's Wright Thompson. Since then, Riley was the first to attempt to mend hos relationship with "The King."