NBA conspiracy theory

[dav4463]

This is not mine. It is a friend of mine's post on another site. He is a Mavs fan, so my Spurs affiliation has nothing to do with it.

One of my friends said that the NBA experienced a down time when the Pistons and Spurs were winning titles.

So, they instituted rule changes such as no more hand-checks, defensive 3 seconds, etc. to open up the game for offensive teams like Dallas and Phoenix. Then, Phoenix still couldn't beat San Antonio and the no hand-check and other rules bit Dallas in the rear when Dwayne Wade went off on them in the finals.

So, then the league looked back to see what would put them back on top as far as money-earning potential.

The Celtics and Lakers are the two most storied franchises. They need to win.

Celtics got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen for practically nothing and KG came from a team where an ex-Celtic (Kevin McHale) agreed to the trade.

Lakers got Pau Gasol for nothing from a team where an ex-Laker (Jerry West) was in charge.

This got the NBA the dream matchup of LA vs. Boston. Celtics won. Now, it's the Lakers turn.

Celtics and Lakers on top = money!

Spurs and Pistons on top loses money!...so change the rules to hurt defensive teams and allow top money franchises to complete trades that no other team would possibly be allowed to make.

I'm not saying this is true, but it is interesting and a lot of people truly believe it. The Tim Donaghy scandal has also caused a lot of people to question the integrity of the NBA.

[newtothegame]

This is not mine. It is a friend of mine's post on another site. He is a Mavs fan, so my Spurs affiliation has nothing to do with it.

One of my friends said that the NBA experienced a down time when the Pistons and Spurs were winning titles.

So, they instituted rule changes such as no more hand-checks, defensive 3 seconds, etc. to open up the game for offensive teams like Dallas and Phoenix. Then, Phoenix still couldn't beat San Antonio and the no hand-check and other rules bit Dallas in the rear when Dwayne Wade went off on them in the finals.

So, then the league looked back to see what would put them back on top as far as money-earning potential.

The Celtics and Lakers are the two most storied franchises. They need to win.

Celtics got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen for practically nothing and KG came from a team where an ex-Celtic (Kevin McHale) agreed to the trade.

Lakers got Pau Gasol for nothing from a team where an ex-Laker (Jerry West) was in charge.

This got the NBA the dream matchup of LA vs. Boston. Celtics won. Now, it's the Lakers turn.

Celtics and Lakers on top = money!

Spurs and Pistons on top loses money!...so change the rules to hurt defensive teams and allow top money franchises to complete trades that no other team would possibly be allowed to make.

I'm not saying this is true, but it is interesting and a lot of people truly believe it. The Tim Donaghy scandal has also caused a lot of people to question the integrity of the NBA.


Hmm...can ALMOST accept this idea...with one problem...How does Lebron Fit in? He IS and WILL be for years to come the poster, face of the NBA. How did Orlando take Lebron out and cost the NBA millions in a matchup that would of had Lebron vs Kobe?

[Imriledup]

Hmm...can ALMOST accept this idea...with one problem...How does Lebron Fit in? He IS and WILL be for years to come the poster, face of the NBA. How did Orlando take Lebron out and cost the NBA millions in a matchup that would of had Lebron vs Kobe?

The NBA had to pull the plug on lebron when they realized his team would get swept by the Lakers. The league wanted Lebron, but his team was so far below the Lakers that they didn't want the King to get embarrassed in 4 straight. Orlando is a much better team and they have another 'superstar' they want to market in Dwight Howard. They only wanted lebron v Kobe if they thought this would be an epic 6 or 7 game series that people would be talking about for years and years. They knew this would be a boring sweep, so they just pulled the Lebron experiment and will wait to strike at some other point in the near future. Remember, you can't have 50 lebron commercials and year after year the guy can't even get to the finals. Something has to give.

The NBA doesn't fix games for winners, but what some people believe they do is alter results if the teams are incredibly well matched. One or two calls here or there can make one team win over another.....IF, they are closely matched.

[OTM Al]

Uh, sure they do.

If they were fixing games in the manner you describe, several people would have to be in on it. If several people were in on it, someone would talk. Its just that simple.

[Marshall Bennett]

Uh, sure they do.

If they were fixing games in the manner you describe, several people would have to be in on it. If several people were in on it, someone would talk. Its just that simple.
You've got that right . Reminds me of when they would question series going to 7 games , must be for the added revenue . :)

[OTM Al]

You've got that right . Reminds me of when they would question series going to 7 games , must be for the added revenue . :)

That's why in baseball at least, the player's cuts are, or at least were when the playoff paycheck was bigger than most salaries, only based on the gate on the first 4 games. Eliminated any thought of shenanigans between the teams. Now its just not worth the risk given the size of player salaries to get banned for game fixing.

There's a big difference between who the brass would like to see vs fixing. They still would have been better off with LeBron anyway as more people would have watched to see him. I know I could care less about the NBA and I would have sneeked a few peeks.

[Imriledup]

Uh, sure they do.

If they were fixing games in the manner you describe, several people would have to be in on it. If several people were in on it, someone would talk. Its just that simple.

Yeah, and if you talk, you get your legs broken in prison.

[boomman]

I'll give you 2 more to think about that I've been told about by several people:

1) Michael Jordan was suspended for gambling, but the NBA, knowing the tremendous publicity hit they would take if they announced that they were suspending him indefinitely, worked out a deal with the owners to announce a "retirement" then let him back in after the unknown suspension (to the fans) was served. You probably remember he strangely tried minor league baseball for a season or 2 then returned to the NBA..............

2) Many Kings fans in Northern California that I have spoken with over the years have taped evidence that Sacramento was hosed by the officials several years ago in their Western Conference final with the Lakers and believe firmly that the NBA wanted nothing to do with Sacramento playing for the championship...I've seen some pretty compelling evidence on the tapes they have, but I guess you would have to see it and make your own conclusions...............

[cj]

Clearly, the Celtics did not get Ray Allen for practically nothing. First, the Sonics got Jeff Green, who is a very good young player, likely a future all star.

West and Szczerbiak were also part of the deal and shipped to the Cavs for cap space which has worked out nice. West is a pretty good player for Cleveland.

Did you see where the ref from the scandal was taken to the woodshed in prison by some mob guys?

[cj's dad]

I'll give you 2 more to think about that I've been told about by several people:

1) Michael Jordan was suspended for gambling, but the NBA, knowing the tremendous publicity hit they would take if they announced that they were suspending him indefinitely, worked out a deal with the owners to announce a "retirement" then let him back in after the unknown suspension (to the fans) was served. You probably remember he strangely tried minor league baseball for a season or 2 then returned to the NBA..............



FWIW - This theory has been confirmed by a retired gov't investigative official.

[ghostyapper]

The NBA had to pull the plug on lebron when they realized his team would get swept by the Lakers. The league wanted Lebron, but his team was so far below the Lakers that they didn't want the King to get embarrassed in 4 straight. Orlando is a much better team and they have another 'superstar' they want to market in Dwight Howard. They only wanted lebron v Kobe if they thought this would be an epic 6 or 7 game series that people would be talking about for years and years. They knew this would be a boring sweep, so they just pulled the Lebron experiment and will wait to strike at some other point in the near future. Remember, you can't have 50 lebron commercials and year after year the guy can't even get to the finals. Something has to give.

The NBA doesn't fix games for winners, but what some people believe they do is alter results if the teams are incredibly well matched. One or two calls here or there can make one team win over another.....IF, they are closely matched.

You must be joking. Orlando was a terrible matchup for the cavs, thats why they lost. Cavs would have beat the lakers I think. At the very least they wouldn't have gotten swept. Remember the rockets minus ming and mcgrady took the lakers to 7.

[Marshall Bennett]

The idea that these wealthy individuals would need to be involved in the fixing of games is rediculous . While the concept is convenient to throw out there , the actual ability to orchestrate it is dead in the water . Makes no sense to even try .

[PaceAdvantage]

Never put it past a human to do a stupid thing and screw up his whole life/legacy....let's see....OJ was pretty well off, yet he still went and screwed up his whole life and the lives of others....Richard Nixon completely screwed up his legacy by committing illegal acts...all the ballplayers now accused of steroid use...Pete Rose....lots of "wealthy" guys do something stupid and completely screw up their lives...

[Imriledup]

You must be joking. Orlando was a terrible matchup for the cavs, thats why they lost. Cavs would have beat the lakers I think. At the very least they wouldn't have gotten swept. Remember the rockets minus ming and mcgrady took the lakers to 7.

Cavs would have been lucky to win one game. They were totally overmatched by Orlando, they weren't even competitive, what makes you think a team who trashed Orlando would have lost to Cleveland? That's just fantasy land.

[dav4463]

I could see Cleveland possibly beating LA. Orlando's strength is Howard. Lakers were able to bottle him up pretty well. Cleveland's strength is LeBron who can slash and play outside. LA does not have defenders to control a player like LeBron. Also, LeBron would be able to guard Kobe a lot and make it a lot tougher on him. Orlando has nobody that can defend Kobe.

Gasol is great. He was able to outplay Howard. Cleveland has no inside presence to stop Howard, but Gasol is not the type to go off on Cleveland like Howard did because LA's offense is geared towards Kobe....which plays more to Cleveland's strength.

So, LA would be a much better matchup for Cleveland than Orlando was. Cleveland has trouble with teams who have a dominant inside player. Duncan destroys Cleveland.... Howard destroys Cleveland.....Gasol ?.....I'm not sure since he doesn't get the ball as much with Kobe controlling the game. Gasol can stop another big man, but don't expect him to dominate offensively like Howard can or Duncan when they swept the Cavs in the finals.


Matchups are key in the NBA. Orlando was a bad matchup for Cleveland.

[ARODISSTILLMYHERO]

the nhl did the same thing to defensive teams with their rule changes. the devils had to completely change the way they played, the trap is now impossible in hockey

[Steve 'StatMan']

Never put it past a human to do a stupid thing and screw up his whole life/legacy....let's see....OJ was pretty well off, yet he still went and screwed up his whole life and the lives of others....Richard Nixon completely screwed up his legacy by committing illegal acts...all the ballplayers now accused of steroid use...Pete Rose....lots of "wealthy" guys do something stupid and completely screw up their lives...

Everybody! ...1...2...3:

Michael Jackson!!!

[Dick Schmidt]

If you really want to find out if a sport is on the level, there is a simple test: try to get a bet down on a game. It's not fans or owners who lose from putting in the fix, it is your local bookie. If you can bet it in Vegas, you can bet that no one is fixing games. They may change the rules to favor a certain style of play, but the games are on the level if a book will take a bet.


Don't believe me? Go to Vegas and try to get a bet down on a professional wrestling match.

Dick

I disapprove of every conspiracy of which I am not a part.

[cj]

If you really want to find out if a sport is on the level, there is a simple test: try to get a bet down on a game. It's not fans or owners who lose from putting in the fix, it is your local bookie. If you can bet it in Vegas, you can bet that no one is fixing games. They may change the rules to favor a certain style of play, but the games are on the level if a book will take a bet.


Don't believe me? Go to Vegas and try to get a bet down on a professional wrestling match.

Dick

I disapprove of every conspiracy of which I am not a part.

True for the most part, but it isn't like there haven't been fixing scandals in the NBA, NCAA, and MLB.

[Imriledup]

I think a lot of people think that 'fixing' is just one thing. People feel that there's a big orchestration of numerous individuals and lots of key people are involved and that a certain team is 'annointed' to be the winner and then everyone plays their roles to carry out the fix. People actually think that there are many humans involved and all this stuff gets carried out without a hitch, bets are placed, game is won, bets are cashed, money is divvied up amongst tons of people without any of this leaking out to anyone.


There's a way to get around all of this stuff. There's a way to 'fix' games without having to have ANYONE involved. Think about it.

[ghostyapper]

Cavs would have been lucky to win one game. They were totally overmatched by Orlando, they weren't even competitive, what makes you think a team who trashed Orlando would have lost to Cleveland? That's just fantasy land.

It's all about matchups just cause team A loses to team B who loses to Team C does not mean C is better than A. Celts took orlando to 7 games, celts would have been lucky to win a game against the cavs

Weren't competitive? The series went 6 games, orlando won 1 game by a point and another in overtime.

[Imriledup]

It's all about matchups just cause team A loses to team B who loses to Team C does not mean C is better than A. Celts took orlando to 7 games, celts would have been lucky to win a game against the cavs

Weren't competitive? The series went 6 games, orlando won 1 game by a point and another in overtime.

I don't look at final stats and scores, i watch the games and see with my own eyes the 'game within a game'. Cleveland, to my eye, looked like the 2nd best team. There was no time in that series when i thought Cleve was going to win. Other than Lebron, they have nobody. One man can't win all by himself.

[ghostyapper]

I don't look at final stats and scores, i watch the games and see with my own eyes the 'game within a game'. Cleveland, to my eye, looked like the 2nd best team. There was no time in that series when i thought Cleve was going to win. Other than Lebron, they have nobody. One man can't win all by himself.

No doubt the cavs looked like the 2nd best team because it was a terrible matchup. Orlando has big athletic guys that are lethal jump shooters (especially from 3) so this was a horrible matchup for cleveland's slow front line. LA has no such players. Gasol and Odom are not deadly shooters so they would not have had the same advantage that orlando had over cleveland's front line.

Lebron's supporting cast is not great but its good enough to win a championship when you have the best player in the game. Mo Williams is an elite pg.

NBA is all about matchup's. These great lakers you speak of were spanked against the celts last year and were non competitive. This is the same celts team that was stretched to the closing minute of game 7 against the cavs last year, and that was without mo williams.

Great defensive teams give the lakers trouble, the cavs are that.

[Sailwolf]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090528&sportCat=nba

Toward the middle and end of article.