Wednesday, June 11, 2008

NBA Fixing Games???? No Way.

Well Tim Donaghy tried to drop a bomb yesterday, accusing the NBA of fixing the Lakers/Kings series in the 2002 Western Conference Finals and another series in '05.

Here's the thing about those allegations. First, its Tim Donaghy talking. He's not exactly the most credible source. He's trying to do what he can to reduce his sentence.

Second, I think every NBA fan already has a level of suspicion about the NBA pulling strings regarding calls and things of that nature.

Can't we all imagine David Stern calling the officials before a game and telling them to do what they can to make sure the series goes to Game 7? Since Stern has been in the league, there has been conspiracies floating about him from fixing the draft so the Knicks can get Ewing to suspending Jordan for gambling for a few years (which led to his baseball stint.)

If this is true, I don't think true basketball fans are going to care much. We already aren't surprised. The key game around the allegations, Game 6 of that Lakers/Kings series, is already considered one of the most egregiously officiated games of all-time. It only makes since that the league wanted the series to go seven.

The thing about fixing games in a sport like basketball is the game is so unpredictable. For instance, lets say the league wanted Boston to sweep LA for some strange reason, which would of course call for the Celtics to win Game 3. The problem is Kobe wasn't losing that game last night, period. The refs could have cheated all they wanted; Mr. Bryant was unstoppable.

Besides, if somebody on the Kings would've just grabbed a rebound, Game 6 wouldn't have mattered anyway.

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