The NBA's worst nightmare

[Ben_Hecht]

Do you want to prance around and put on a show and make Lupica happy -- or do you want to win?

Spurs know the right answer.

 

[BYH]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

We've all seen the proof in the last 20-odd years.

The NBA is more ****ing fixed than wrestling.

 

[Small Town Guy]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

We've all seen the proof in the last 20-odd years.

The NBA is more ****ing fixed than wrestling.

First, Hulk Hogan beat Andre in Wrestlemania III fair and square. That was as real as a heart attack, brother (as Hulkamaniacs might say).

If the NBA was fixed, I don't think the Spurs would be four-time champs, and there's no way Utah would have advanced to the finals in 97 (when they beat, among others, the Lakers and the Barkley-Drexler-Hakeem Rockets), or 98 (again crushing the Lakers). Would Detroit have swamped the Lakers in five games in 04?

It's probably because I'm an NBA rube, but I look at the Donaghy mess like the Jayson Blair debacle. After he was exposed, should we have never believed anything in any paper again? Should every story in the New York Times have been read with a skeptical eye, wondering if it was completely made up or plagiarized? Certainly many people did think that, but those people didn't really like the Times or newspapers to begin with, just like many people don't like the NBA to begin with and use the Donaghy mess to reaffirm their thoughts. I think most people understood Blair was a rogue reporter whose failings did not necessarily mean all newspapers were corrupt.

Donaghy was an out-of-control criminal who severely damaged the game and the league. But I don't see a conspiracy everytime a ref screws up a call or one team shoots 15 more free throws than the other (there's no rule that both teams have to shoot the same amount). If the NBA's fixed because of shaky reffing, then what about Don Denkinger, Eric Gregg's strike zone in 97 or Jeffrey Maier? The NFL has just as many examples, as does college football and basketball. I didn't see poor calls in those leagues and think the whole thing was fixed, so I don't understand why the NBA is the league that's always considered to be rigged.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

We've all seen the proof in the last 20-odd years.

The NBA is more ****ing fixed than wrestling.

First, Hulk Hogan beat Andre in Wrestlemania III fair and square. That was as real as a heart attack, brother (as Hulkamaniacs might say).

If the NBA was fixed, I don't think the Spurs would be four-time champs, and there's no way Utah would have advanced to the finals in 97 (when they beat, among others, the Lakers and the Barkley-Drexler-Hakeem Rockets), or 98 (again crushing the Lakers). Would Detroit have swamped the Lakers in five games in 04?

It's probably because I'm an NBA rube, but I look at the Donaghy mess like the Jayson Blair debacle. After he was exposed, should we have never believed anything in any paper again? Should every story in the New York Times have been read with a skeptical eye, wondering if it was completely made up or plagiarized? Certainly many people did think that, but those people didn't really like the Times or newspapers to begin with, just like many people don't like the NBA to begin with and use the Donaghy mess to reaffirm their thoughts. I think most people understood Blair was a rogue reporter whose failings did not necessarily mean all newspapers were corrupt.

Donaghy was an out-of-control criminal who severely damaged the game and the league. But I don't see a conspiracy everytime a ref screws up a call or one team shoots 15 more free throws than the other (there's no rule that both teams have to shoot the same amount). If the NBA's fixed because of shaky reffing, then what about Don Denkinger, Eric Gregg's strike zone in 97 or Jeffrey Maier? The NFL has just as many examples, as does college football and basketball. I didn't see poor calls in those leagues and think the whole thing was fixed, so I don't understand why the NBA is the league that's always considered to be rigged.

Because of several reasons:

1. The perception that star players receive favoritism when it comes to the refs.

2. In the 1980s, I believe there were stats that showed that home teams had a fairly large advantage in the average number of free throws attempted.

3. A couple of years ago, Stern was asked who he wanted in the NBA Finals. He said, "Lakers-Lakers", showing he was hoping for one of the most marketable franchises to advance. I believe he later apologized, but it still shows his thinking.

4. In the mid-1980s, all you ever saw on CBS each week were the same three teams: Boston, Philadelphia and L.A. (Chicago eventually joined the rotation). Occasionally, one other team would be shown as an opponent (Detroit, Atlanta) with the Big Three. While I understand that you want to get high ratings, showing the same teams each week kind-of shows a bias.

 

[Stoney]

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one --

Beyond that one play, I recall that entire 99 Knick/Pacer series having perhaps the most suspiciously one-sided officiating I've seen (games 3 and 4 in the 06 finals come close, though). Anyone else remember all the bizarre off-the-ball fouls that seemed to come out nowhere on key Pacer possessions? I think that series was the first time that I actually wondered a bit instead of just scoffing at the conspiracy theories.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

The Sacramento-Lakers series a few years back is another one they should be looking into.

 

[Some Guy]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

We've all seen the proof in the last 20-odd years.

The NBA is more ****ing fixed than wrestling.

If there is some grand conspiracy to fix games, the NBA is really, really ****ing bad at it. The rating-killing Spurs win every other year, and then hard-on-the-eyes Pistons won one of the year's the Spurs didn't.

 

[BYH]

Yes, the NBA is one league who could live without more "smoke" to prove the "NBA is fixed through officiating" conspiracies.......

There have been some ridiculous examples in the past -- Larry Johnson's four-point play against the Pacers for one -- but if there is actual proof of it, it is bad.

We've all seen the proof in the last 20-odd years.

The NBA is more ****ing fixed than wrestling.

If there is some grand conspiracy to fix games, the NBA is really, really ****ing bad at it. The rating-killing Spurs win every other year, and then hard-on-the-eyes Pistons won one of the year's the Spurs didn't.

Stern's sinister, not stupid.

Allowing the Spurs to win every other year and throwing the Pistons a bone lends juuuuuuust enough credence to the operation...and, in turn, allows him to rig the 2006 Finals for the Heat, or the 2000 (?) Western Conference Finals for the Lakers, who came back from, what, 987 down to beat the Blazers in Game Seven, or allowing the 1994 and 1999 Knicks to reach the Finals thanks to the biggest horse**** calls in the history of sports.

And the Jazz were just innocent bystanders in the late '90s. No way they were going to beat the Bulls, one way or the other.

If it's not Celtics-Lakers this year, I'll eat my hats.

 

[DanOregon]

My biggest beef with the NBA officiating is the way they rotate crews in and out of series. Why not keep the same refs for the entire series to at least attempt some consistency in their calls?
The last time I watched an entire series was when the Blazers were pretty good and even for a novice like me, the officiating seemed to veer this way and that depending on who was calling the game and where it was.
And another thing, don't the networks and the league lose money on a sweep?

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Stern's sinister, not stupid.

They just ran up to Stern and ripped off his hair .... no, wait, that's not his hair! It's a mask! It's a DAMN MASK!

Donald Stern is really ... Oh, my GOD! [/JoeyStyles]

 

[93Devil]

I don't think the games are fixed at all.

I just think the refs hesitate to blow whistles on the home team.

****, with the lights and music bringing the crowd into a rabid frenzy, is it really shocking the visitors never get their fair share of calls?

 

[ServeItUp]

BYH, good to know someone else smelled a rat in the 2000 Western finals. That said, we all know damned well the NBA wants a Lakers-Celtics final and it will use any means necessary to get it.

 

[Small Town Guy]

BYH, good to know someone else smelled a rat in the 2000 Western finals. That said, we all know damned well the NBA wants a Lakers-Celtics final and it will use any means necessary to get it.

It was Joey Crawford who made Portland miss 13 straight shots in the fourth quarter. Damn him.

There were a couple of questionable calls in the fourth quarter of that game - the tape's been worn out on my VCR so I'm going on memory here. One was a foul on a Kobe drive late, which ended with Rasheed literally rolling around on the ground. And you know if Rasheed is complaining about a call, it must have been wrong...

But the Lakers were the victims of a couple of terrible calls too in the final three minutes. A goaltending against Shaq that tied the game was horrid, and when the Lakers were up 2 Shaq was called for a minor bump as Rasheed moved through the lane. Unfortunately for the Blazers, Wallace missed both shots (the refs spit on the ball before giving it to him, most likely, making it impossible for him to hit them). Kobe then hit a jumper, Pippen missed a 3, and then the famous Kobe to Shaq lob. The Blazers did get jobbed on a late drive by Smith when Shaq fouled him, but I think that was more a case of refs swallowing the whistle at the end of games.

So if the Lakers and Celtics do make the finals, it's a conspiracy, even though they're the top two seeds?

 

[Chef]

Det-San Tony would be brutal. A whole series full of 68-63 games. No.

LAL-BOS would be fun to watch.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I've always thought aspects of the NBA were fixed.

I don't think every draft lottery is fixed, but I think a lot of them are... It's just a little too perfect for Ewing to go to NYC and James to stay home in Cleveland.

 

[Big Chee]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3400551

Of course, this is far from over, but I couldn't imagine Stern having a worse Shabbas.

Don't worry. The same network assigned to spread this as news are the same ones who telecast the games.

This will receive the episodic treatment in the media Stern will like to see.

 

[Huggy]

Stern's sinister, not stupid.

They just ran up to Stern and ripped off his hair .... no, wait, that's not his hair! It's a mask! It's a DAMN MASK!

Donald Stern is really ... Oh, my GOD! [/JoeyStyles]

If Stern ever starts using the McMahon strut when he gets to games you might be on to something.

 

[Oz]

I've always thought aspects of the NBA were fixed.

I don't think every draft lottery is fixed, but I think a lot of them are... It's just a little too perfect for Ewing to go to NYC and James to stay home in Cleveland.

Don't forget, Tim Duncan to the Spurs. But your post did remind me, I believe the NBA draft lottery is tomorrow night. I think I saw it in the TV listings.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I've always thought aspects of the NBA were fixed.

I don't think every draft lottery is fixed, but I think a lot of them are... It's just a little too perfect for Ewing to go to NYC and James to stay home in Cleveland.

Don't forget, Tim Duncan to the Spurs. But your post did remind me, I believe the NBA draft lottery is tomorrow night. I think I saw it in the TV listings.

Duncan to the Spurs ensured that with David Robinson they would have one of the best franchises around and Stern loved (why wouldn't he?) the Admiral...

I thought the same thing when Seattle and Portland got the 1-2 picks and Oden and Durant last year. Instant rivalry, in a place where they could use a little more interest.

There's no reason to fix it every year. But in the last 23 years, I would guess that 7-8 of them have been fixed. Ewing, Shaq, Duncan, Webber, James, Oden... There's no reason to do it unless someone truly special is available. In other years you can throw one to the Kings, Bucks (twice), Nets, Raptors etc...

I highly suggest someone watch the Youtube footbage of the 1985 lottery when the guy appears to be clearly looking for a specific envelope.

I am the first to admit I am a conspiracy theorist when it comes to the NBA...

 

[Small Town Guy]

I've always thought aspects of the NBA were fixed.

I don't think every draft lottery is fixed, but I think a lot of them are... It's just a little too perfect for Ewing to go to NYC and James to stay home in Cleveland.

Don't forget, Tim Duncan to the Spurs. But your post did remind me, I believe the NBA draft lottery is tomorrow night. I think I saw it in the TV listings.

Duncan to the Spurs ensured that with David Robinson they would have one of the best franchises around and Stern loved (why wouldn't he?) the Admiral...

I thought the same thing when Seattle and Portland got the 1-2 picks and Oden and Durant last year. Instant rivalry, in a place where they could use a little more interest.

There's no reason to fix it every year. But in the last 23 years, I would guess that 7-8 of them have been fixed. Ewing, Shaq, Duncan, Webber, James, Oden... There's no reason to do it unless someone truly special is available. In other years you can throw one to the Kings, Bucks (twice), Nets, Raptors etc...

I highly suggest someone watch the Youtube footbage of the 1985 lottery when the guy appears to be clearly looking for a specific envelope.

I am the first to admit I am a conspiracy theorist when it comes to the NBA...

But Stern's also accused of doing everything in his power to make sure that Seattle doesn't have basketball. So if he fixed last year's lottery, he's apparently getting his conspiracies mixed up.