This scandal proves the lottery was rigged

[Black Jack]

No way dude, Silver and company are just too honest and honorable to do something like that. I really trust those guys.

We Got To Keep The FIght Game Clean(TM)

[enigmatics]

I truly don't think that Chauncey Billups allegedly being a scammer in RICO case proves anything about the nature of NBA.

What it does prove alongside Aspiration Gate is that league doesn't control anything in this grey area of conflicts of interests and has no transparency going forward in tackling these issues.

But it says nothing about lottery.

So in the last year we have had player gambling issues with Beasely, Porter, Rozier, BilIups

Gambling issues with officials with Tim Donaghey.

Grey Area contracts potentially circumventing the cap with the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard.

There is smoke blowing from the NBA hut. Nothing is beyond them at this point, especially not rigging the lottery. It's a business after all.

[hauntedcomputer]

I still wanna know why people would think the 28 other teams would agree to this

Cause that's what you guys are arguing, that every team thinks Luka going to the Lakers in exchange for Dallas jumping to #1 is good for them

Why would, for example, Steve Ballmer want this?

You wouldn't need everyone on board.

Everyone clearly makes more money from this, so probably 25 GMs would be okay with it. Ballmer probably deludes himself that he can win so he might not be swayed by money. The thing is, the trade and rigging the lottery don't necessarily lower your chances of a championship. The Lakers are basically the Dallas Cowboys, a showbiz revenue machine that's not that competitive, and the Mavericks are a long way from a contender.

At the end of the day, it's all about money. Everything, everywhere.

[The Master]

So in the last year we have had player gambling issues with Beasely, Porter, Rozier, BilIups

Gambling issues with officials with Tim Donaghey.

Grey Area contracts potentially circumventing the cap with the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard.

There is smoke blowing from the NBA hut. Nothing is beyond them at this point, especially not rigging the lottery. It's a business after all.

Well, whether you believe in lottery conspiracy theories or not is beyond my powers - my point is: NBA not controlling scammers (betting, endorsement deals) doesn't prove that they control lottery and they're themselves scammers. In contrary, the fact that they can't control very basic things like NBA coaches cooperating with mafia being under RICO, or Ballmer blatantly circumventing salary cap, suggests that perhaps NBA isn't an orchestrated WWE like some people pretend to believe.

Also, there's a realistic take to be made that Silver should be fired and league is in HUGE crisis now based on how many things that should be under their control are loosely blowing up in their faces right now - so I wouldn't mix that with casual conspiracy talk. On its own - it should be a huge victory for all Adam Silver critics, because this is impossible to defend right now.

[Broadcaster]

I still wanna know why people would think the 28 other teams would agree to this

Cause that's what you guys are arguing, that every team thinks Luka going to the Lakers in exchange for Dallas jumping to #1 is good for them

Why would, for example, Steve Ballmer want this?

Because it’s a business first. What’s good for the business is good for everyone’s bottom line. Competition matters less than money.

...this works if all the owners have the same goal. It's clear a guy like Ballmer for example doesn't care about how much money he gets from shared profits, he's richer than the whole NBA organization combined, so how would one get him on board. You can have a rigged philosophy, but it better be a lot better than, "well everyone wants to make money together".

I think it’s naive to think money doesn’t come first. Of course it does. I’d be happy to be wrong though.

[og15]

Because it’s a business first. What’s good for the business is good for everyone’s bottom line. Competition matters less than money.

...this works if all the owners have the same goal. It's clear a guy like Ballmer for example doesn't care about how much money he gets from shared profits, he's richer than the whole NBA organization combined, so how would one get him on board. You can have a rigged philosophy, but it better be a lot better than, "well everyone wants to make money together".

I think it’s naive to think money doesn’t come first. Of course it does. I’d be happy to be wrong though.

Money coming first is not the same in all situations for everyone, the ventures are not the same as a team is not a business venture for all of them, for some it's an expensive hobby just like regular rich people have expensive hobbies that don't make them money, but regular rich people are doing African Safaris with $9000 of camera gear.

There's a certain level of riches where you do things also for clout, for status, for bragging rights, and not everything is about making money directly from the thing.

Ballmer doesn't need the Clippers franchise valuations for his riches, and the TV deal was going to be signed and increase everyone's value regardless of whether the Lakers had this or that player or any of that. Ballmer is an owner as a hobby, and for the competition aspect of it.

There are owners who are not rich like that, and they can't do it only for fun, their prime goal is maximize profits with the team. Ballmer on the other hand wants to brag, and he's not the only ultra rich person who gets into sports for the ____ measuring contest aspect of it.

The problem you have with a theory of a coordinated thing like this is that you have competing interests based on the different types of owners that doesn't make it a good theory.

[TheRaptor!]

...this works if all the owners have the same goal. It's clear a guy like Ballmer for example doesn't care about how much money he gets from shared profits, he's richer than the whole NBA organization combined, so how would one get him on board. You can have a rigged philosophy, but it better be a lot better than, "well everyone wants to make money together".

I think it’s naive to think money doesn’t come first. Of course it does. I’d be happy to be wrong though.

Money coming first is not the same in all situations for everyone, the ventures are not the same as a team is not a business venture for all of them, for some it's an expensive hobby just like regular rich people have expensive hobbies that don't make them money, but regular rich people are doing African Safaris with $9000 of camera gear.

There's a certain level of riches where you do things also for clout, for status, for bragging rights, and not everything is about making money directly from the thing.

Ballmer doesn't need the Clippers franchise valuations for his riches, and the TV deal was going to be signed and increase everyone's value regardless of whether the Lakers had this or that player or any of that. Ballmer is an owner as a hobby, and for the competition aspect of it.

There are owners who are not rich like that, and they can't do it only for fun, their prime goal is maximize profits with the team. Ballmer on the other hand wants to brag, and he's not the only ultra rich person who gets into sports for the ____ measuring contest aspect of it.

The problem you have with a theory of a coordinated thing like this is that you have competing interests based on the different types of owners that doesn't make it a good theory.

If he never agreed then the NBA would've never allowed him to be an owner in the first place

[Johnny Bball]

I truly don't think that Chauncey Billups allegedly being a scammer in RICO case proves anything about the nature of NBA.

What it does prove alongside Aspiration Gate is that league doesn't control anything in this grey area of conflicts of interests and has no transparency going forward in tackling these issues.

But it says nothing about lottery.

Meh. Last time there was this level of fixing games the NBA cut the legs out from under the FBI. Sounds like they didn't get the chance this time.

[DusterBuster]

I despise that the Spurs got ANOTHER generational big man in 23, truly, but these two events are too far apart to tie a red string to the pins.

[Old_Blue]

Just to play Devil's advocate, wouldn't it be good for business to rig the lottery? Who outside of Salt Lake City wants to watch a Jazz game? Even most of the players don't want to be there.

[Mephariel]

That is the problem with people today. Everything is a proof of everything.

[Old_Blue]

That is the problem with people today. Everything is a proof of everything.

I blame Kyrie.

[Mephariel]

Yeah, Kyrie is the biggest moron in the league probably.

[og15]

I think it’s naive to think money doesn’t come first. Of course it does. I’d be happy to be wrong though.

Money coming first is not the same in all situations for everyone, the ventures are not the same as a team is not a business venture for all of them, for some it's an expensive hobby just like regular rich people have expensive hobbies that don't make them money, but regular rich people are doing African Safaris with $9000 of camera gear.

There's a certain level of riches where you do things also for clout, for status, for bragging rights, and not everything is about making money directly from the thing.

Ballmer doesn't need the Clippers franchise valuations for his riches, and the TV deal was going to be signed and increase everyone's value regardless of whether the Lakers had this or that player or any of that. Ballmer is an owner as a hobby, and for the competition aspect of it.

There are owners who are not rich like that, and they can't do it only for fun, their prime goal is maximize profits with the team. Ballmer on the other hand wants to brag, and he's not the only ultra rich person who gets into sports for the ____ measuring contest aspect of it.

The problem you have with a theory of a coordinated thing like this is that you have competing interests based on the different types of owners that doesn't make it a good theory.

If he never agreed then the NBA would've never allowed him to be an owner in the first place

That's even worse. This means that anyone who has been on the ownership track would have been told this, and you believe that somehow the NBA has silenced every single one of them? The same NBA that can't even control its own coaches, players, refs and owners from doing things that stain the league is somehow silencing multiple potential and former owners from ever evem hinting at what would be a massive scandal?

You think that's a more plausible explanation? Really?

[okboomer]

you have this massive scandal coming to light now with dudes getting arrested and mob activity. The league is corrupt all the way up to the top. There's no doubt in my mind now this past years lottery was rigged. Dallas did a favor for the league by getting a young marketable superstar to the leagues favorite franchise to make the lakers relevant again. At the time it seemed like one of the worst trades in NBA history. All the while the Lakers, mavs and the league had a handshake deal to throw flagg to the Mavericks in exchange for making the lakers relevant again. Disagree with me all you want, but the NBA is no longer a legitimate league. It's on par with WWE.

You'll still watch and post about the NBA even if you believe it is rigged .

[meekrab]

League's always rigged in the past tense, but nobody ever gets rich from betting on these supposedly rigged events, only actual rigged events like Billups sitting a player or Rozier fixing one of his over/unders.

[Black Jack]

Everything is rigged sorry kids. That bocchi ball tournament at your local italian restaurant? yep. Lotteries? . MMA and boxing? cmon. elections?

come over to the dark side where damn near everything above youth soccer is insider controlled, the water's great here.

[Tyrone Messby]

Half the responses in this thread are so dense no wonder most sports leagues get away with now a days. Don’t mind the man behind the curtain. Probably mutiple jabs too. What a gullible society we live in now a days. Sad.

[LuDux1]

This scandal proves that Lituanica was shot down by Germans

[RB34]

Absolutely boggles my mind that we have had all the scandals and people still think the NBA is 100% completely above board.

Wait until you find out what billionaires are doing.