Sports

Ref’s rep had black eye long before Dominique scuffle

There was a 25-year period of time where I knew a lot about every NBA referee, had a drink at the bar or the curb with many and partied/gambled alongside the degenerates. Over the last decade and a half, the new arrivals are mere numbers on shirts, if that. I didn’t know Rashan Michel was hired at 23 in 1997, fired four years later or ever worked as a whistle blower for four seasons.

So, who is this 6-foot-2 guy who allegedly attacked/confronted 6-foot-8 Dominique Wilkins at courtside after Wednesday’s Hawks-Magic game regarding a reputed unpaid $12,500 haberdashery bill . . . and not only got beat down (video of “assailant’s” left eye confirmed Nique can still go strong to his right) but charged with battery by Atlanta law enforcement?

“It was only a matter of time before someone stomped a mud hole in Rashan’s butt and walked it dry,” essentially proclaimed a former refereeing partner. “He was talented and troubled in the same way Tim Donaghy was talented and troubled. Both exhibited similar flashing warning signals. The league ignored the tell-tale signs of one and discharged the other.”

Nobody has ever bothered to explain Michel’s expulsion, not that anybody asked or cared. This incident required me to wonder. According to someone with a hand on the pulse of such league liquidations, Michel lived in the fast lane during his tour and frequently got pulled over.

“Supposedly he had a drinking-and-driving problem and was put on probation, at least once,” the source said. “That’s what I heard at the time. You’re obliged to alert the league if you get caught up in something inappropriate. Evidently he failed to do that and that was all she wrote.”

By all accounts, Michel is the kind of guy who fancies himself as more important than what he’s got goin’ on . . . such as brokering suit deals between pricey tailors and affluent athletes he would ingratiate. A perk — if not (partial) payment for suits — of those relationships, seemingly meant getting ushered to expensive locations at Turner Field and Philips Arena.

“I saw him at a lot of Hawks games and his seat was always near the action,” said the former colleague, not surprised Michel got so close to Wilkins during his postgame telecast. It was a familiar venue. He was acquainted with procedure and security was acquainted with him.

The former colleague also couldn’t miss hearing Michel.

“He heckles refs. He mocks our calls and screams at you to ‘make the call.’ He’s a real smart ass,” the source said.

Those consulted offered nothing redeeming regarding Michel. Nevertheless, not everybody took Wilkins’ side. People are not shy about dropping damaging dimes on him.

“The Human Highlight Film has a history of not paying people,” one former player stated by e-mail.

Another message: “I don’t know the details of this episode. All I can say is that when Nique left Greece (‘96), he owed everybody money.

“He stiffed mad people. Meanwhile, he was the highest-paid player on the team and in Europe, for that matter. You would think he’d have acted differently considering the year before he came to Greece (and won the Euroleague crown) he was on a crappy Celtics squad. And the year after Greece, he played for the Spurs (also crappy) for the minimum, which was like 250K.

“One time the team went out to celebrate a ‘Big W’ and Nique ordered all sorts of crap and then refused to go to his pocket. He left the huge bill to his teammates who were making nothing compared to him.

“Maybe he’s changed, but just sayin’. … That’s low class.”

Not that it’s anything close to what Wilkins owes some people, attested a third witness, a team official who collects jerseys signed by his favorite players.

Dominique agreed to sign one, so the guy purchased it for $300 and sent it overnight to his house with a return label. A year passed and no jersey delivery. At the recent L.A. All-Star Game, their paths crossed. Nique’s response was, “I lost it, send me another one.”

➤ Somebody needs to tell the Spurs it’s too late for them to tank for the lottery.

Down three to the Rockets with 21 seconds left in OT on Friday night and about to suffer their sixth straight setback, the Spurs failed to foul until there were 7.5 ticks remaining. A rather provoked Gregg Popovich, standing on the sidelines to the right of San Antonio’s bench and screaming to his brain-drained veterans to manhandle the ball handler, turned and fragged his assistants with his clipboard.

Far be it from me to insinuate the Spurs are slipping — 11/2 games up on the Lakers, who are 17-of-18 since the semester break — but the league has installed a grab bar on the Riverwalk.

Circle April 12 on your NBA League Pass: In all likelihood, the Spurs’ and Lakers’ playdate in L.A. — next-to-last game for both — will determine home-crowd advantage throughout the playoffs.

Column contributor Mike Lione suggests the Spurs might want to freshen up in the Fountain of Youth and sign a free agent mongoose before engaging Kobe and the Mombas’ Boys.

This just in: David Stern has hired Tim Grover to get him in shape for union negotiations.

The U.S. birth rate has dropped to its lowest level since national data became available. “I’m on it,” Spawn Kemp promised.

Column contributor Phillip Marmanillo advises Jalen Rose to stop attending those Duke lacrosse team parties.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com