Has Rigging Ever Occured in the NBA? Yes or No

[Birth of the Cool]

:lol: NBA fans are all the same (at least 90% of them, as exhibited in this poll). Why did your team lose? Because they weren't good enough? No, the refs and Stern.

I love this Ad hominem argument.

If you actually read the Donaghy thread alot of people who are FANS of the NBA aren't whining about their team losing but are discussing the perception that games have been rigged whether or not it involved the teams they follow.

I'm a fan of the Nets / Raptors and complain about the inconsistency & incompetence of ref's league wide, not when they don't favour my team and you can search my posts to see I have maybe 2-3 posts EVER complaining about the ref's during a game.

I for one have said I don't believe a wide spread league corruption but I am very skeptical that Donaghy was the only rat on the boat.

There is a public perception (as seen by the poll) that the league isn't a fair one. Whether one argues on one extreme (rigging as dictated by league officials) or if you are like me and think refs are inconsistent, play too much a role in the game, are too close to players/coaches, are too involved as personalities in the game, favour stars over scrubs, etc. doesn't really matter. The key factor is people are skeptical about the legitimacy of what they are watching.

I turned away from the NHL after the officiating became so brutal and the NHL did a great job on facing this problem head on and the quality of the league is back up but I am no longer an avid viewer of the NHL. The interest never came back...and this will happen to the NBA too if it keeps showcasing the current product. People have way more options now for their entertainment time & $$ and getting fans BACK can sometimes prove difficult when they realize they don't miss it.

I can't figure out why some people are so adamant to defend this league when it's been pretty clear for at least a decade that officiating has gone down the tube & the quality of the league with it. A Real fan wants to see this game played & officiated the right way and if it takes a rat like Donaghy to finally make David Stern see more than $$ signs then let the rats have their cheese !

[-MetA4-]

NBA fixing is definitely real, and has been for a while. Superstar calls are obvious and plenty, and while less frequent, there have been multiple cases of critical playoff games getting essentially handed to one team by the refs. I heard a writer from SI (I believe) talk today about the recent allegations by Donaghy and he flat out agreed that the NBA was dirty. He talked about covering a game a while back where a skirmish happened and the ref came over to the scorers table and blatantly said "Technical foul - throwing a punch - Olajuwon"...the guy (cant remember his name) yelled out that calling Olajuwon for throwing a punch by rule is an automatic ejection and guess what the ref did? He CHANGED the call immediately from "throwing a punch" to "shoving" which allowed Olajuwon (a star) to remain in the game. He also brought up the 1993 Western Conference finals Game 7 which surprisingly hasn't been mentioned yet. It was the Suns/Sonics series in which the NBA blatantly rigged Game 7 in favor of the Suns. The Suns shot 64 free throws in that game and numerous Sonics players ended up fouling out. Shawn Kemp only played something like 18 minutes because of ridiculous fouls being called on him early which forced him into foul trouble.

[Storm Surge]

NBA fixing is definitely real, and has been for a while. Superstar calls are obvious and plenty, and while less frequent, there have been multiple cases of critical playoff games getting essentially handed to one team by the refs. I heard a writer from SI (I believe) talk today about the recent allegations by Donaghy and he flat out agreed that the NBA was dirty. He talked about covering a game a while back where a skirmish happened and the ref came over to the scorers table and blatantly said "Technical foul - throwing a punch - Olajuwon"...the guy (cant remember his name) yelled out that calling Olajuwon for throwing a punch by rule is an automatic ejection and guess what the ref did? He CHANGED the call immediately from "throwing a punch" to "shoving" which allowed Olajuwon (a star) to remain in the game. He also brought up the 1993 Western Conference finals Game 7 which surprisingly hasn't been mentioned yet. It was the Suns/Sonics series in which the NBA blatantly rigged Game 7 in favor of the Suns. The Suns shot 64 free throws in that game and numerous Sonics players ended up fouling out. Shawn Kemp only played something like 18 minutes because of ridiculous fouls being called on him early which forced him into foul trouble.

CONCLUSION
Stern needs to pack his bags and leave.

It is just incredible how many fans here on realGM and in the nation are believing in Donaghy. I believe when Stern sees the poll results on SportsCenter, or just looks at the comments people have been making, it would damaging even if they weren't true. The fact that people actually believe the guy, a convicted felon, shows you how messed up his regime is. Policy needs to change ASAP, this is NOT going to do well for the Finals ratings, something needs to happen to reform the NBA...regardless the integrity of these accusations.

[evilRyu]

I consider star treatment very unfair and decisive of game outcomes, so rigging goes on almost every NBA game.

I guess that's true.. but what about people like JVG who agrees that late in the games, ticky-tack fouls should not be called, and the refs should just let them play? Does that mean JVG endorses "rigging"? Of course not, and we should separate between "rigging", and the scenario you speak of.

[Storm Surge]

-= original quote snipped =-



I guess that's true.. but what about people like JVG who agrees that late in the games, ticky-tack fouls should not be called, and the refs should just let them play? Does that mean JVG endorses "rigging"? Of course not, and we should separate between "rigging", and the scenario you speak of.

Actually, JVG does not endorse "ticky tack" fouls at all. He would rather have it physical like the 90s, the reason he says that is because it gets called, so he just wants it to stop in the most important moments of the game. If it were up to him, those "ticky tack" fouls wouldn't be called ever in a game.