While America’s news pages have been chock full of juicy stories about professional athletes breaking the law as they abuse their wealth and fame and abdicate their responsibilities, the silver lining has always been the integrity of the game.

The defense that seems to spare many of the most flagrant athletic offenders from exile from the country’s arenas is that despite their own massive personal failings, they’ve got “game.” But last week the NBA, one of the leagues most notorious for “pro-crime,” saw something arguably more detrimental than a player disgracing the game, a referee.

Tim Donaghy officiated more than 130 games over the past two seasons including playoff games. During that time, he was allegedly involved in an illegal gambling racket that has ties to organized crime. More troubling was that he was possibly betting on games he was working.

For years, conspiracy theorists have speculated that teams from big markets like Los Angeles have been the recipients of favor from the upper echelon of NBA management because their successes mean greater profits. There’s never been real evidence to support that, but without a doubt, a dirty official will cast more doubts on a sport that has seen many dents in its image.

If a referee can succumb to breaking the unbreakable rule of sports, it means that he surely isn’t the only one.

In this era of multi-million dollar contracts, the temptation to cross the line is sometimes too great.

While gambling is a serious offense, it’s safe to assume that if the NBA had seen another DUI or violent offense last week, the degree and swiftness of the league’s response would have been much different.

The NBA should use this event as an opportunity to really tackle the issue of off-court behavior. It’s time that everyone involved with the league be held to higher standards.

As league officials have shown during this gambling incident, the real competition of the game is of utmost importance. But there is something to be said for having only the best and responsible athletes and officials on the court.