OT- Donaghy may have been in on game 6 of the 2002 WCFs

[thefranchise2k5]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8231176?MSNHPHMA

If true, it's such a disgrace. I remember vehemently rooting for the Kings and thinking they got a fair share of bad calls during the 2002 western conference finals... this may explain why at least for game 6.

[Cammo101]

The NBA is fast becoming a joke.

[flyingvee]

No surprise at all. I remember this series very clearly. It was the one where Kobe clearly elbowed a couple of Kings players in the face with no calls. If I recall correctly this also prompted Ralph Nader to issue a written statement to the NBA demanding an investigation which was swept under the rug. If this turns out to be true about league officials it will be huge and do immense damage to the league.

[thefranchise2k5]

Here's another article with Donaghy exposing more of the NBA's dirty secrets....

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... _on_n.html

Man, I'm starting to really believe the NBA is fake! Not the players themselves, but the people upstairs.

[magicfan4life05]

That's the same game that Kobe elbowed Mike Bibby in the jaw, and Bibby got charged for the foul.


This is terrible news if true.


Bill Plaschke, LA times reporter, says he was at that game (game 6) and says he's never said anything about conspiracy bs, but he was stunned at the game, all the calls were one sided, he says it was unbelievable, he could never get over it,

and says if there was any game that would be under suspicion in the last 10 years in the playoffs it would be that game


I dont really want to believe this but

for something i will probably be flamed for for typing

but last year, stern was hit with the biggest story that could RUIN the nba and everything associated with it

and then BAM

the very next year in the nba finals, it's the biggest, most hyped, most anticipated matchup with the 2 most historic teams, that made from the 'nostalgic' feel good era, with one of the biggest rivalries, and best/accomplished franchises in the NBA, who will undoubtedly bring hype, ratings, and money, who were not so good last year are back in the Finals against each other....


Orl made a great post in the other thread

FYI, refs for game 6 of Lakers-Kings in 2002 were #27 Dick Bavetta, #16 Ted Bernhardt, #26 Bob Delaney. Would anyone be surprised if Bavetta and Delaney were not NBA's "company men"?

The two players that were ejected were Divac and Pollard, i.e. the two guys primarily on Shaq, who had 41 and 17 that game.

http://www.nba.com/games/20020531/SACLAL/boxscore.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3436401

Jeff Van Gundy ultimately backed off comments that a referee told him officials had targeted Yao Ming in the Houston Rockets' 2005 first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe Van Gundy was right after all.

A letter sent to the sentencing court on behalf of convicted former referee Tim Donaghy outlines just such a plan. Donaghy's legal team is trying to demonstrate his cooperation with a federal government investigation before he is sentenced on July 14 on felony charges for taking cash payoffs from gamblers and betting on games himself.

"Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's owner complained to NBA officials," the letter says. "Team 3's owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions."

Mavs owner Mark Cuban complained after his team lost the first two games of the series, and Dallas went on to beat Houston in seven games. Van Gundy said that a working referee had told him about the league's plan. Donaghy's letter claims that Supervisor Z contacted the coach. Van Gundy was fined $100,000.

Looking at box scores from the series, however, the only game in which Yao fouled out was Game 1. He did average 4.4 fouls per game in the series.

The letter also details an incident in the 2002 playoffs in which Donaghy alleges that two referees, who were known as NBA "company men," wanted to extend a series to seven games. "Team 5" could have wrapped up the series in Game 6 but lost two players to ejection, lost that game and ultimately the series.

Donaghy also alleges that team executives conspired with the league to prevent star players from being called for too many fouls or being ejected. He claimed that league officials told referees that doing so would "hurt ticket sales and television ratings."

According to the letter, when an official did eject a star player in the first quarter of a game in 2000, he was privately reprimanded.

In addition to game-altering allegations, Donaghy's letter claims that many officials carry on "relationships" with team executives, coaches and players that violate their NBA contracts.

"Tim described one referee's use of a team's practice facility to exercise and another's frequent tennis matches with a team's coach," the letter states.

[Cammo101]

The NBA fixing games is not new news IMO.

[craig01]

If true, the NBA is in one heap of a mess.

Credibility may never fully be regained from the masses.

[craig01]

The NBA fixing games is not new news IMO.

Controlling games is not news, but actually "fixing" one from accusations is.

This is a disgrace if there is even a sliver of truth to it.

[macdalejax]

Wow! There isn't much more I can say but, Wow! I wish it weren't true but I believe it is based on what I have seen over the years, especially the last 5 years.

[flyingvee]

LOL at Phil Jacksons response when they asked him about the allegations. He immediatley deflected it to question a bad call against the Lakers in game 5 of that same series. What a memory. Or better yet what a rehearsed answer. Would be expect anything else from a coach that has benefited more from NBA favoritism than Jackson? First as coach to Jordan and then Shaq/Kobe? He'd be the LAST guy to even hint at any wrong-doing.

[thefranchise2k5]

LOL at Phil Jacksons response when they asked him about the allegations. He immediatley deflected it to question a bad call against the Lakers in game 5 of that same series. What a memory. Or better yet what a rehearsed answer. Would be expect anything else from a coach that has benefited more from NBA favoritism than Jackson? First as coach to Jordan and then Shaq/Kobe? He'd be the LAST guy to even hint at any wrong-doing.

Yea, while I got a lot of respect for Phil Jackson I guess when you get all the calls every year for every team that you coach, you get a little spoiled with the calls ; )

[SOUL]

We could of won the finals this year if not for refs.

Jk.

But yeah, thats horrible.. get some clean refs ffs.

[flyingvee]

Here is that bit from Ralph Nader that I remember reading back after that 2002 series.

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2002/s/2002/0605/1390908.html

[thefranchise2k5]

Here is that bit from Ralph Nader that I remember reading back after that 2002 series.

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2002/s/2002/0605/1390908.html

Good memory and good find!

That's crazy. I think this is reason enough for Nader to enter himself in the 2008 election under the "Fix the NBA" Party, just kidding, please don't take votes away from Obama. But yea kind of prophetic on Nader's part, I wish people took him more seriously at the time.

[craig01]

The problem is, is that there has to be "some" truth here.

Donaghy will never have full credibility unless other(s) validate his statements. It will be interesting to see what if anything else falls out of the woodwork.

If nothing else shows, Donaghy will just be discredited and the issue mostly goes away.

If other bad stuff does show in time, the NBA may become a joke in the eyes of America.

I do think the NBA has steered games in the past.

This is still the only sport that has "makeup" calls.

[flyingvee]

How much credibility do you need than to just go to the video tape? Look at game 6 of that series, issues subpoenas to the refs involved and ask them why were certain calls made or not made? Ask why Kobe wasn't whistled for elbowing Bibby in the face. Of course, isolate them from any contact from Stern and his mob as Stern would make sure they did not talk.

You have Ralph Nader asking for an investigation. Does letting the NBA police its own refs a legit excuse. Of course the NBA will say there wa sno wrong-doing. I think there is ample evidence on tape that "obvious to the world" bad calls were made in front of the refs eyes. If they claim to have missed the calls then they should fit them for new glasses. Stern saying that Donaghy is a criminal and his word means nothing is bogus.

[craig01]

How much credibility do you need than to just go to the video tape? Look at game 6 of that series, issues subpoenas to the refs involved and ask them why were certain calls made or not made? Ask why Kobe wasn't whistled for elbowing Bibby in the face. Of course, isolate them from any contact from Stern and his mob as Stern would make sure they did not talk.

The spin thrown at Donaghy will require more.

Let's face it, the guy's reputation is seedy at best.

I'm not disagreeing that the possibility that the game was manipulated (really though, many games appear to be manipulated during the course of a season).

In fact, if you remember the Magic/Buck playoff series, there was a near altercation late in one of the games. Dee Brown was at the scorers table ready to check in when the incident started.

Brown took one step onto the floor, and was later suspended one game.

A ridiculous rules interpretation.

Anyhow, I was talking with Brown the day after his suspension was announced, and asked him specifically "Does the NBA advance who they want?"

Dee Brown's answer to me was "the NBA has it's favorites"

[magicfan4life05]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?id=3436503


good read

[EasternMagic]

scumbag... i wanted the kings to win it soooo bad that year and i remember the crap calls. How do you think bibby, christie, peja, webber, divac, shoot and even turk feel about this.

[Rccanes2311]

The question here is has Vince McMahon learned more from Stern or is it the other way around haha?