NBA Voodoo: David Stern Fixes the Playoffs

A Different Drummer ^ | 5 June 2002 | Nicholas Stix

[mrustow]

Article argues that NBA Commissioner David Stern wanted so much for the Los Angeles Lakers to extend their two-consecutive NBA championships to a "threepeat," that he fixed the Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings.

[cgk]

I love the smell of napalm in the morning!

Then you're in the right town.

[diamond6]

Either way, conspiracy or not, two of the game that the Kings won were during the two worst days of Kobe's food poisoning. What if, if, if, if, blah, blah, blah, whatever.

Exactly.

I would bet any amount of money that if a group of pro refs were to watch every play involving Shaq over the entire season and counted both missed calls against him and missed calls for him, Shaq would be on the short end of the stick.

Right again - by probably a ratio of 10:1. But don't argue logic with the Queens' fans; THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

[diamond6]

You mean, you didn't see Game 5?

[cgk]

Lay that bet and you'd lose your house.

[diamond6]

Lay that bet and you'd lose your house.

I don't think so.

[The South Texan]

The maistream sports media is barely reporting this. The Lakers have always been the NBA's darlings. They were in the 80's and they are in the 2000's. It's called TV Revenue.

[diamond6]

It's called talent - and lot's of it. Hall of Famers - Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Not to mention Bob McAdoo and Spencer Haywood who were perennial all stars.

[diamond6]

The maistream sports media is barely reporting this. The Lakers have always been the NBA's darlings. They were in the 80's and they are in the 2000's. It's called TV Revenue.

The mainstream media is not reporting what? Some so called conspiracy theory? Don't you think if there were any substance to what you were saying the liberal bastards who run the media would gladly report a story of sensationalism? Oh, I guess David Stern must have used millions of dollars to shut up the media. Okay, that makes perfect sense. (sarcasm)

[hinckley buzzard]

Shee-it. This has been going on since Bill Russell and Jerry West.

For most of the sixties the Lakers played Washington Capitols to the Celtics' Globetrotters. Miraculously improbable finishes were de rigeur.

And they stunk as bad as Red Auerbach's victory cigar.

[SoCal Pubbie]

No, check the tape- it's the classic I'll pull you down on top of me to draw the offensive foul. It should have been a freethrow for the Lakers and the ball out of bounds.

[Almondjoy]

I logged off sucka.. anyways. The clear answer is that if you had really read my post is that officating in the NBA is horrible at best. The refs call the game how they want.. not according to the rules. Now is that directed by Stern? I don't know. What I do know is that the fouls were unbalanced and could clearly be argued that the refs(again no proof of a higher directive) wanted to see a series go to 7 games and a game 7 go to the Lakers.

[The South Texan]

Not denying the talent in the 80's . The Celtics got by with just as much stuff in the 80's also. However, if ayou heard anything about games six you would have to agree that the Lakers got ALOT of help. Shaq and Kobe do things like pushing players with their forearms that other players don't get by with. Kobe is an awesome player, no doubt.
Back in 1999 when my Spurs made it to the big show I recall grumblings in the media because they feared a San Antonio vs. Indiana match-up. That would have left out the largest TV markets in New York and L.A. Well the Knicks got in which got the New York market, but as I recall the ratings where still bad.

[freebilly]

I can't deal with wishy-washy, namby-pamby types like you. Ya' got somethin to say, spit it out, man!

Horse feathers!

[cgk]

it's the classic I'll pull you down on top of me to draw the offensive foul.

Hollywood. Land of fantasy.

[L.N. Smithee]

This article may seem like sour grapes to people who want to see the Lakers get the crushing reality check that the Yankees got last year, but a very bright and talented sports announcer and columnist named Bob Fitzgerald has contended for years that the NBA -- and thus Stern -- chooses the officials for the playoff games, and there is a certain referee who is ALWAYS -- without fail -- chosen to call Game 6 of any playoff series. I don't remember his name.

The stakes this year were even higher, with the rights to NBA broadcasts being up for grabs next season now that NBC is eschewing major league sports from now on, and focusing on entertainment. What if Los Angeles -- the second largest TV market in America -- was aced out of the Finals by Sacramento, the 19th largest market? How would the NBA demonstrate that it is worth top dollar to a network?

"Mmmmmmmmakes me wonder..." -- Led Zeppelin

[diamond6]

Here we go again. Ok. I'm going to give you a chance to answer what no Queens' fan has yet had to guts to answer.

What do you think the officiating was like in Game 5?! Or was that conveniently erased for your memory banks? That game was the biggest travesty in the history of sports. I think what happened in Game 6 is that the refs finally called fouls a foul.

Here's a sample of just the last 11.8 seconds:

Do you think:

1. allowing Webber to hit the ball out of bounds and then give it to the Kings;

2. allowing Webber to knock Fisher on the ground during a moving screen to free Bibby for his final shot; and

3. allowing Jackson to undress Kobe and hold his arm, preventing him from driving and disrupting his shot;

was enough to win Game 5 for the Kings?

How about the one foul shot Shaq had the entire game,even though he made 9 total dunks with people hanging all over him, and 17 shots made total for the game inside the key? How about the fact that Shaq and Kobe were in foul trouble for some ludicrous foul calls, ultimately resulting in Shaq fouling out?

[diamond6]

Here we go again. More GIBBERISH. Ok. I'm going to give you a chance to answer what no Queens' fan has yet had to guts to answer.

What do you think the officiating was like in Game 5?! Or was that conveniently erased for your memory banks? That game was the biggest travesty in the history of sports. I think what happened in Game 6 is that the refs finally called fouls a foul.

Here's a sample of just the last 11.8 seconds:

Do you think:

1. allowing Webber to hit the ball out of bounds and then give it to the Kings;

2. allowing Webber to knock Fisher on the ground during a moving screen to free Bibby for his final shot; and

3. allowing Jackson to undress Kobe and hold his arm, preventing him from driving and disrupting his shot;

was enough to win Game 5 for the Kings?

How about the one foul shot Shaq had the entire game,even though he made 9 total dunks with people hanging all over him, and 17 shots total for the game inside the key? How about the fact that Shaq and Kobe were in foul trouble for some ludicrous foul calls, ultimately resulting in Shaq fouling out and Kobe getting 5 fouls?

[diamond6]

Did any of you actually watch any part of Game 5?

[diamond6]

Since you like songs, how about this one, Queens' fan:

"We are the champions, my friend. And we'll keep on fighting to the end. We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losin', 'cause we are the champions of the world!"

[Wyatt's Torch]

Showing my youth. Russell and West were long retired when I started watching the NBA. Haven't watched 20 games over the last 10 years though. Not what it used to be.