David Stern defended his current referees, blasted a pair of former ones, and vowed to wait until a review of the NBA's officiating program is finished before he decides on any punishments stemming from gambling activities.

Former referee Tim Donaghy has pleaded guilty to betting on games, including some he worked, and providing inside information to others to help them win bets. An ESPN Radio report said the former official was set to name as many as 20 other referees who took part in gambling activity, though not necessarily criminal.

"There has been no release of any information, there have been leaked news reports about what Mr. Donaghy might have said," Stern said. "We think the fairest way to deal with this is to allow the referees to tell us what the facts are, and our referees are very anxious to tell us what the facts are and then we'll know. And the speculation is hard for them, but we're very much on the same page as we seek to move forward.

"Many people have been happy to condemn them on the basis of either disgruntled former officials or press reports about what Mr. Donaghy is alleged to have said, and that's not fair."