National Basketball Association conspiracies

[Knighthonor]

Some NBA fans have accused the league of conspiring to have large-market teams and popular players succeed in the postseason. Since 1980, every NBA Finals has involved at least one of the following teams: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, or San Antonio Spurs. Additionally, in that span, every NBA Finals has involved at least one of the following ten players: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, or Lebron James. Furthermore, from 1980 to 2010, at least one of the following 7 head coaches were involved in every Finals: Billy Cunningham, Bill Fitch, Pat Riley, Chuck Daly, Phil Jackson, Rudy Tomjanovich, or Gregg Popovich.

Many of these accusations are based on the premise that the NBA desires large markets and popular players for ratings purposes. Former CBS Sports president Neal Pilson disputes the idea that matchups have the biggest effect on ratings:

Ratings are a factor, but the 'conspiracy theory' misses the whole point. It has nothing to do with a great matchup, it has to do with the total number of games. NBC would trade a great matchup that's a sweep in a flash for a bad match up that goes seven games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_B ... y_theories

same teams seem to do the best over the last 30 years. No room for teams like the Wizard's to grow.

[Higga]

There is no conspriacy.

First off, you just said like a third of the league. 1980 would be 32 years ago, so it's not ridiculous that 1/3 of the league would be in the Finals in 32 years. And why would the league want SAN ANTONIO to do well, one of the smallest markets? And markets like Houston, Detroit, and Dallas aren't much bigger than Washington if at all.

Basketball is just an individual dominated sport. If you have the best player, you win. It isn't like football where even the best players can lose against teams that present tough matchups or get hot. The NBA is the one league where the playoffs aren't a crapshoot at all, you pretty much know who'll do well due to the nature of the sport.

Because of that, you have to have good management sure but you also have to be lucky and we haven't had either.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The NBA is virtually rigged IMO. I was watching some highlights of blooper plays. Jason Richardson's 360-dunk attempt that was blocked at the rim by Lebron was the top play. James got all arm, hacked him badly, but it counted as a block. What struck me was how typical that is of NBA games.

When I watch games now, especially a team like Boston's home games, I see so many bad calls or missed calls that I think it cannot be an accident. Going back to the Wizards first few games this season, a couple against Boston, I saw so many missed calls, non calls, and one-sided calls favoring Boston that I attributed it to cheating.

I think a lot of you, probably most of you, will disagree. But IMO there's a pecking order and a bit of choreography not too dissimilar to WWE at times with NBA officiating. I think a few officials are corrupt and that there is probably some sort of agenda to protect the stars of the game. They give people the show they THINK the masses want to see. Most of it is superstar calls or home calls which maybe the fans influence the refs to call. However, I think there is some flat out corruption going on.

I don't think it's a conspiracy as much as I think there's something big time corrupt going on.

[pancakes3]

The problem with conspiracy theories is that they give the puppet masters way too much credit they deserve.

[Higga]

The NBA is virtually rigged IMO. I was watching some highlights of blooper plays. Jason Richardson's 360-dunk attempt that was blocked at the rim by Lebron was the top play. James got all arm, hacked him badly, but it counted as a block. What struck me was how typical that is of NBA games.

When I watch games now, especially a team like Boston's home games, I see so many bad calls or missed calls that I think it cannot be an accident. Going back to the Wizards first few games this season, a couple against Boston, I saw so many missed calls, non calls, and one-sided calls favoring Boston that I attributed it to cheating.

I think a lot of you, probably most of you, will disagree. But IMO there's a pecking order and a bit of choreography not too dissimilar to WWE at times with NBA officiating. I think a few officials are corrupt and that there is probably some sort of agenda to protect the stars of the game. They give people the show they THINK the masses want to see. Most of it is superstar calls or home calls which maybe the fans influence the refs to call. However, I think there is some flat out corruption going on.

I don't think it's a conspiracy as much as I think there's something big time corrupt going on.

Not at all. The great players get the benefit of the doubt. That's just the way it's always been.

If the league was rigged in favor of Boston, why did they suck so much for most of the 2000s before getting KG and Allen? And teams like New York and Chicago had stretches of big time futility for most of the 2000s as well.

[dobrojim]

I'm not sure I would claim there is a deliberate effort to promote
certain more popular teams/players. I do believe that it is possible
for a certain type of what I'll call expectation bias to creep into
officiating. Refs watch these games all the time and it's only
human to learn to expect certain things to happen, like the
Wizards losing for instance. This makes it hard for refs not to
believe their lying eyes.

It may be an untrue cliche but it's often said that eye witnesses
get things wrong (in court cases) WAY more often than one might
expect or think.

Hoop is definitely one of the most difficult sports to referee fairly
and refs generally do a decent job. The worse your team is, the
less likely you probably are to believe that. I know I struggle with
it a lot.

[queridiculo]

The success of Oklahoma and the Blazers, coupled with the extended misfortune of the Celtics, Heat and Knicks would be my counter arguments.

The difference between those teams and everybody else is pretty simple.

Those organizations are committed to winning a championship, not stumble into one accidentally.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The NBA is virtually rigged IMO. I was watching some highlights of blooper plays. Jason Richardson's 360-dunk attempt that was blocked at the rim by Lebron was the top play. James got all arm, hacked him badly, but it counted as a block. What struck me was how typical that is of NBA games.

When I watch games now, especially a team like Boston's home games, I see so many bad calls or missed calls that I think it cannot be an accident. Going back to the Wizards first few games this season, a couple against Boston, I saw so many missed calls, non calls, and one-sided calls favoring Boston that I attributed it to cheating.

I think a lot of you, probably most of you, will disagree. But IMO there's a pecking order and a bit of choreography not too dissimilar to WWE at times with NBA officiating. I think a few officials are corrupt and that there is probably some sort of agenda to protect the stars of the game. They give people the show they THINK the masses want to see. Most of it is superstar calls or home calls which maybe the fans influence the refs to call. However, I think there is some flat out corruption going on.

I don't think it's a conspiracy as much as I think there's something big time corrupt going on.

Not at all. The great players get the benefit of the doubt. That's just the way it's always been.

If the league was rigged in favor of Boston, why did they suck so much for most of the 2000s before getting KG and Allen? And teams like New York and Chicago had stretches of big time futility for most of the 2000s as well.

It has always been that way. I remember Boston went 40-1 at home one season. Their great players got the benefit of a doubt. Even back then it was frustratingly hard to deal with as a Bullets fan. There have always been superstar calls.

As for teams like Boston sucking in the 2000s, I remember their rosters. Young Perkins, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Tony Allen and Rajon Rondo were too young and inexperienced to do anything but lose, much like these Wizards players: John Wall, Kevin Seraphin, Chris Singleton, John Wall, and Bradley Beal. When there is no experience and unproven talent you lose. That's not on the referees or any sort of conspiracy.

What I'm talking about is teams like an old Boston taking on Atlanta in last season's playoffs. I'm talking about Miami after Bosh's injury getting thoroughly outplayed by Indiana until the whistles started. I'm talking about the Spurs getting absolutely ripped off by the refs against OKC with Durant prior to the Heat games in the Finals. I never saw such garbage as last playoffs. Beyond benefit of a doubt there were many horrible calls. Too many for me to say it was accidental or just the way things have always been. The Memphis Grizzlies are a tough team but when the officials let Nick Collison hammer Randolph with no fouls but they keep the Grizzlies in foul trouble, that helps an OKC advance.

Higga, I respect your opinion and maybe I am wrong, but I think the officiating is beyond suspect in the NBA.

[Higga]

The officiating isn't great, but it's not because there is some kind of conspiracy.

Dob makes a good point re: expectation bias. Gary Williams mentioned the same thing about playing Duke and UNC in the ACC. The refs expect great players/great teams to win so they get all the close calls.

Why would the NBA prefer OKLAHOMA CITY over Memphis? Why would they rig it in favor of SAN ANTONIO who not only is a small market but their best player in Tim Duncan wasn't exactly a charismatic figure like a Lebron or Kobe.

There is no conspiracy. It'd be great if there was one, trust me I've soured big time on the NBA in recent years and something like a conspiracy to topple the NBA would make me very happy, but there is none.

[cwb3]

I've grown accustomed to a bit of WWE shenanigans within the NBA. But at the end of the day, most games are still about 10 really good basketball players trying hard to win. It is still a good product most nights.