"Look Out Kid. You're Gonna Get Hit By Users, Cheaters, Six-Time Losers ..."
Lord knows, I'm not inclined to agree with the NBA Commissioner but, these claims by Donaghy are kinda' hard to buy.
I guess it's possible that the NBA wanted a Game 7 of the Lakers/Kings series in 2002 but ... if they were going to fix Game 6 by giving the Lakers 27 fake free throws, wouldn't they have sent someone other than Shaq to the line?
Did they figure out some way to make Shaq hit 13-of-17 free throws, which - honestly - is the most unbelievable aspect of the game.
Did they also figure out a way for Chris Webber to tip that last rebound to Robert Horry, on the 3-point line?
But whatever - I guess if I wanted to be Mr. Conspiracy Man, I could find a way to buy that. The Lakers are easy targets for conpiracies like that.
I also I have no problem at all believing that the NBA has told refs not to throw out star players (hence Joey Crawford's suspension for tossing out Tim Duncan last year).
I think Donaghy's claims totally fall apart with his final claim - that refs were instructed to call fouls on Yao Ming after the Mavericks lost the first two games to the Rockets in the 2005 playoffs and Mark Cuban complained to the league.
Let's take a closer look at this. After trying for years to internationalize the NBA and struggling to reach a deal with China to bring Yao Ming (and all of this fans) into the NBA, they are going to instruct refs to call stricter fouls on Yao - in order to please an owner that the NBA Commissioner nearly-openly hates?
That just doesn't make sense.
Do I think some refs are dirty? Sure. I'm sure there are some dirty refs in the NBA, MLB, NFL, and any sport where their decisions could benefit them financially. A league-wise conspiracy is really hard to swallow.
If the NBA really wanted to fix games to maximize ratings, why would they send the New Jersey Nets or San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals over and over and over - when it's proven over and over and over that they are ratings-kryptonite?
So when Boston took 38 free throws to the Lakers 10 in Game 2 or (to a lesser degree) when the Lakers took 34 free throws to Boston's 20 last night - do I think the refs are making bad calls? Yes. Are they influenced by the fans? Yes. Are they influenced by articles they read? Yes. Is "the fix" in? No.
CruelNails Radio
I guess it's possible that the NBA wanted a Game 7 of the Lakers/Kings series in 2002 but ... if they were going to fix Game 6 by giving the Lakers 27 fake free throws, wouldn't they have sent someone other than Shaq to the line?
Did they figure out some way to make Shaq hit 13-of-17 free throws, which - honestly - is the most unbelievable aspect of the game.
Did they also figure out a way for Chris Webber to tip that last rebound to Robert Horry, on the 3-point line?
But whatever - I guess if I wanted to be Mr. Conspiracy Man, I could find a way to buy that. The Lakers are easy targets for conpiracies like that.
I also I have no problem at all believing that the NBA has told refs not to throw out star players (hence Joey Crawford's suspension for tossing out Tim Duncan last year).
I think Donaghy's claims totally fall apart with his final claim - that refs were instructed to call fouls on Yao Ming after the Mavericks lost the first two games to the Rockets in the 2005 playoffs and Mark Cuban complained to the league.
Let's take a closer look at this. After trying for years to internationalize the NBA and struggling to reach a deal with China to bring Yao Ming (and all of this fans) into the NBA, they are going to instruct refs to call stricter fouls on Yao - in order to please an owner that the NBA Commissioner nearly-openly hates?
That just doesn't make sense.
Do I think some refs are dirty? Sure. I'm sure there are some dirty refs in the NBA, MLB, NFL, and any sport where their decisions could benefit them financially. A league-wise conspiracy is really hard to swallow.
If the NBA really wanted to fix games to maximize ratings, why would they send the New Jersey Nets or San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals over and over and over - when it's proven over and over and over that they are ratings-kryptonite?
So when Boston took 38 free throws to the Lakers 10 in Game 2 or (to a lesser degree) when the Lakers took 34 free throws to Boston's 20 last night - do I think the refs are making bad calls? Yes. Are they influenced by the fans? Yes. Are they influenced by articles they read? Yes. Is "the fix" in? No.
CruelNails Radio