The accusations are contained in a four-page letter, sent to U.S. District Judge Carol Amon, as part of Donaghy's plea for a lighter sentence. - That a referee's relationship with one team's general manager "led to an attempt by that referee to influence a game's outcome" in 2004. This is the first call on this list that feels a little fishy. L.A.'s All-Star big man (Pau Gasol) only shot one. Tim Donaghy also says the NBA routinely encouraged referees to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but ignore calls against star players. So far, the series had been relatively normal. Though no one thought much of it at the time, the lead official of Game 1, an NBA veteran named Dick Bavetta, reffed an extremely tight game in the post. Two of Portland's biggest stars (Scottie Pippen and Arvydas Sabonis) fouled out. Let's talk about LeBron for a minute. Because they were assigned to cover Kobe and Shaq. Then 88-84. Dikembe Mutumbo is a legendary NBA basketball player who made a legendary mistake hours before the NBA lottery was televised. The Lakers fell to a resurgent San Antonio Spurs team in six games, with inter-team tension between ONeal and Bryant perhaps at its all-time high. Data Provided By Many die-hard NBA fans swear by the theory that this series was Papers filed in court contain damning allegations by Donaghy that a 2002 playoff series was rigged by referees and that league officials encouraged refs to affect the outcome of games by calling fouls or, in other situations, not calling on fouls on star players. This swung the 2007 title. Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate, weighed in, urging Stern to conduct a review. How often do we see calls made that long after the initial contact? Derek Fisher joked yesterday: Regardless of the allegations, he's not giving back his championship ring. The officiating seemed so uneven, it prompted consumer advocate Ralph Nader to call for an investigation. Here is just some of Beech's rationale for concluding that the game was not likely rigged. Knicks 4 point play in the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, 9. This was where the Laker dynasty should have organically ended. The three that we rank as the most important are Game 7 . I said there was no foul play involved in 2008, but in 2010? A bench player named Leon Powe shot more free throws (13) than the entire Lakers team. Former NBA referee, Tim Donaghy, outright said that the NBA rigged the series, specifically game 6. And people wonder how the Blazers blew that game. The Cleveland Cavaliers were a mess and it was all due to their best player in franchise history leaving the team for Miami in the summer of 2010. Bernhardt made no foul call on Christie's block of Kobe with the game tied at 3:56, gave Bibby a bailout call with the shot clock winding down at 2:34 with the game tied, and didn't call Webber for a foul on Shaq's basket at 0:52 which could have fouled out C-Webb and given the Lakers a look at a four point lead. WebTue, May 14. What's worse is that the Spurs initiated the fight. Sacramento Kings over Dallas Mavericks (4-1) Series Stats. This is certainly plausible with Bevotta officiating plenty of Game 6s and 7s (the closing games of a series), which is good evidence for Donaghys claim. Accuracy and availability may vary. They'd never dealt with such a situation before, and even though they robbed fans of a Knicks-Bulls bloodbath in the Eastern Conference Finals, they probably didn't change the course of history too much. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Had an offensive foul been called, the Bulls would have lost Game 6 86-85 and been forced to play Game 7 in Utah. Of course not. Web2002 Western Conference Finals might refer to: The Western Conference Finals of the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs The Western Conference Finals of the 2002 NBA Playoffs This Although the team names were withheld, Donaghy pointed to Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals as one such instance. The season series went 2-2, with the Kings winning 105-99 in a marquee Christmas day matchup. Kings 'robbed' in 2002 Western Conference finals, Tim Donaghy The Pistons are the NBA champions. We still had the confidence. Scottie Pippen, in Hue Hollins' eyes, fouled Davis but in everyone elses eyes contested the shot cleanly and the Knicks stole Game 5 and eventually won the series. In many ways, ONeal had transformed refereeing in the post, due to his rare blend of height and girth, which meant nearly every play he was involved in turned into a tangle of limbs beneath the basket. Look at the replay again. No one else has been charged with a crime. These are by far the most notorious rigged games in recent memory. If Green isnt suspended perhaps the Warriors go on to win Game 5 and the championship instead of blowing a three to one lead. 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6: The Elbow The Sacramento Kings were in the drivers seat to knocking off a young exciting Los Angeles Lakers team Then they used their draft pick Andrew Wiggins as ammunition to acquire all star Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and the Cavs were now a championship contender. L.A. converted only five field goals for the entire quarter. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Klay Thompson said he'd "never respect floppers." A lot. A missed three at the end of the game by a still bleeding Bibby to give the Lakers the win. The Knicks would go on to win the series and make the NBA Finals. San Antonio Spurs. In 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks had the leagues worst record and the Philadelphia 76ers were in the first year of their drastic tanking strategy that was employed by Sam Hinkie. . Donaghy claimed that the referee in question told him that he planned to favor the general manager's team in a game that night. They were so afraid to play physical defense by the middle of the second quarter that the Heat basically got any shot they wanted. After successfully winning the first two rounds of the 2002 playoffs, it was time to settle the score between the Kings and Lakers. NBA fans felt that it could be the year that Webber and the Kings won the championship. When he was in his prime, he was unstoppable.. Later, Donaghys lawyers filed a court document which alleged that NBA officials had rigged Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los The poster boy of the NBA is LeBron James, and things were not looking up for James and the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. Youve got to foul me to stop me, period.. [Divac] shouldnt have tipped it out there. Doubtful. Id never experienced anything quite like it, said writer James Ham, the editor of ESPNs Kings site, Cowbell Kingdom. Web2002 NBA Playoffs Standings Schedule and Results Leaders Player Stats Totals Per Game Per 36 Minutes Per 100 Possessions Advanced East Conf 1st Round Philadelphia 76ers @ Los Angeles Lakers. This gets to the heart of the matter to me: despite the NBA's official claim that 95% of calls are correct over a season, there are just too many plays that are far from being clear cut wrong/right and many that fall into a gray area where even watching a play many times in slow motion you can make a case for different verdicts. In 2008, during his sentencing, Donaghys allegations regarding the NBA and the 2002 Western Conference Finals were released through his lawyers in a filing. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Mr. DEREK FISHER (Basketball Player, Los Angeles Lakers): And I remember we won the game, but I don't remember at any moment during the night, their helping us out here. The teams owners, brothers and businessmen Joe and Gavin Maloof, led the way from their courtside seats, running from section to section like hype men at a rap concert. One of those had to do with whether or not the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals were rigged. The NBA has yet to publicize the results of its review, which was conducted by an outside lawyer, Lawrence Pedowitz. We didn't have a chance to win that game. I wear it and consider it a Celtics/Kings championship ring.. Kobe answered in the affirmative, but also noted another crucial fact for the context: Well, Tim Donaghy definitely had money on it. The prevailing theory here is that the NBA saw a fan base that was turned off from basketball after LeBrons decision. WebLOS ANGELES NBA executives and referees are accused of broad misconduct and outright manipulation of game results, including a highly disputed 2002 playoff series, in While Kirkland ranks comfortably among the extensive list of referees , Zarba is right in the bottom-25, and Tiven ranked second to last. Many die-hard NBA fans swear by the theory that this series was Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals is the first example on this list of referees bailing out a star player. Data Provided By In Game 2 of the 2008 NBA finals, the Lakers shot 10 free throws. ", record-setting parade to the free throw line. Jordan was wide open because of an illegal move. In the waning moments of Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, Charles Smith was blocked four times on potential game-winning layups. But what happened during those four nights in 2006 left a mark on the NBA's historical resum so big that it can never really be erased. As we know, the NBA is a league that runs on revenue. Well, I don't think David Stern will complain. Lauro argued that the NBA must provide all of its documentation to justify the restitution claim. Referee Bob Delaney, Beech found, called the game quite evenly. The statistics: 27 free throw attempts in the quarter for the Lakers, against nine for the Kings. Is The NBA Rigged? The letter describes a 2002 playoff series that went seven games; the Western Conference finals was the only series to require seven games. The Knicks shot the same number of free throws as times they were called for charging. League-preferred being, of course, the result that generates the most revenue. Beech did some very intelligent guesswork as to how many points the referees' dubious calls may have unfairly cost the Kings six points. The Heat would win the final four games of the series, but the free throw attempts between the two teams were enormously in favor of the Heat. This led to people thinking the league fixed the Western Conference Finals and helped the 73-win Warriors reach it so they could get more viewers for the NBA Finals. As much as I love Michael Jordan, this has to be remembered. I think they know that certain players are expected to shoot a certain number of free throws, and I think they know, at least in the back of their mind, what is best for the league. These conspiracies are a little more widespread than the one of the NBA being fixed and rigged, but there are plenty of events in NBA history that present a compelling case for the argument of the league being fixed. The Questionable Calls of the 2006 NBA finals, 5. Additionally, the Lakers wereaveraging25 free throw attempts for the entire series, which is much more than the average team gets to shoot. The refs knew this and had their whistles ready because of it. The Lakers led at halftime but Thomas scored 25 points in the third quarter despite severely spraining his ankle in that same quarter. He says he simply thought about the situation a little more and doesn't believe in an NBA referee conspiracy, in large part because the allegations are coming from just one man, Tim Donaghy, who didn't even referee the controversial game. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 8:19PM. Or write about sports? "The NBA benefited from this, because it prolonged the series, resulting in more tickets sold and more televised games." Cartilage in his left knee tore, and everything changed for both Webber and the Kings. WebNBA Western Conference Finals History - Vegas Insider 2000-2001 Philadelphia Sixers Playoff Roster - RealGM NBA odds: With Joel Embiid injured, can Hawks upset 76ers? Or this. The Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant-led Lakers were the defending NBA champions, while the Kings, with star Chris Webber and a superb supporting cast, seemed poised for a breakthrough. In 2002, the Sacramento Kings appeared to have the LA Lakers' number. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. David Stern the NBA Commissioner was a native New Yorker and he allegedly bent the Knicks envelope so that he would know which envelope to choose, and this assured Ewing would go to the Knicks. Viewed separately, the missed calls of Game 6 can all be understood and forgiven as part of the flow of the game. Webbers clean block on Bryant negated by a ghost foul on Kings guard Doug Christie. With a slim 1.5% of winning the 1993 draft lottery the Magic won it, and selected Chris Webber first overall who they later traded away for Penny Hardaway. The Suns had home-court advantage. In the fourth quarter alone, the Lakers shot 27 free throws to Sacramento's nine. Chris Webber and Mike Bibby were Sacramento's star duo. The Jazz then put the ball in the hands of their best player in Karl Malone, but Malone was stripped of the ball by Jordan. The game and the series ended not with a bang but with a free throw marathon whimper, as the Kings shot a lousy 16-30 from the free throw line, and saw their heralded role-players out-performed by the Lakers much mocked reserves. Bibby inbounded the ball to Webber, who promptly passed the ball to a curling Bibby and set a hard (Lakers fans would claim moving) screen on Bibbys defender Derek Fisher, who fell to the ground in a heap. We'll see how this plays out over the rest of the 2012 playoffs, but if LeBron continues to get calls like this, then the conspiracy theorists will get plenty of evidence of the NBA rigging games. His shot missed. Top NBA executives rigged playoff series to pack arenas and pump up TV ratings by ordering officials to shamelessly make calls that benefited favored teams, disgraced ex-ref Tim Donaghy charged in Game 1. The controversy here is that many people believe Smith was fouled on at least one and as many as three times in that sequence. But from the Kings missing 20-something free throws in Game 7 (shrugs). People remember Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals for the incredible comeback by the Lakers culminating in the most famous alley-oop in NBA history. This was Phoenix's year. I'd go on about this, but I'm fairly certain Bennett Salvatore would read this and call a foul on me for speaking out against the holy Wade. The bottom line is, you know something's up when prominent NBA writers like Bill Simmons tweet that they "don't watch rigged games." GOLDMAN: But yesterday, Pollard's comments were measured. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. However, some say that their three-peat shouldn't have happened in the first place. The claim came after the 2002 Western Conference Finals matchup between the LA Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6: The Elbow, 8. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Draymond Green was a flagrant foul away from being suspended for a game after kicking his opponents in the Western Conference Finals. . Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Now Bernhardt did have the arguable turning point call of the game as it turns out at the 3:06 mark when Webber moved into the paint and made a basket only to have the shot wiped out with an offensive foul call. Can that be true? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? At the tip of Game Four, the Kings came out like gangbusters, seemingly intent on ripping out the Lakers heart out then and there. The series, it seemed, deserved nothing less. We had a chance and we blew it.. But was there a motive behind it? This can be done primarily through bad officiating that is easily detected by fans. If you watched your friend get punched at a bar, would you get arrested for walking towards the person who did it? Then 96-93. He ended up shooting 6-of-24 from the field, but I believe at one point he was something like 2-of-17. Here in Los Angeles tonight, it's Game Four of the NBA Finals. Do you have a blog? If you wanted to say the league's best interests were for Kobe to win this series and instructed the refs accordingly, this is probably a good place to start. If the refs would have gotten a single call right, the Pistons would have won the series. In 1985 all lottery teams had the same odds of getting the number one selection, and this system was put in place to stop the wide spread practice of tanking around the NBA. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Kobe Bryant basically punched Mike Bibby in the face without a call. Game over. Or this. In their letter, Lauro and Donaghy made a number of other charges, among them: - That referees "socialized frequently with coaches and players" and asked for autographs and free merchandise, violating league rules. If you look at the shot, it was straight form. The New York Knicks were on a miracle run through the playoffs as the eighth seed, and had made it all the way to theEastern Conference Finals to face off with the rival Indiana Pacers. A few bad calls are excusable; refs are human. The NBA has birthed more conspiracy theories than Roswell. It had become obvious that Pauls patience had run thin in New Orleans, and he was ready to join a team that was in a large market. The Pistons led the championshipseries 3 games to 2, and Isiah Thomas was putting on a show in Game 6. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The Bogus Hue Hollins call in the 1994 Eastern Conferance Semi Final, 10. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Lakers vs Pacers Game 6 The refs also made some bad calls against the Kings for almost the entirety of the game. What actuallyhappened was this abomination of a foul call. It was a neck-and-neck battle between the two teams. The Orlando Magic had just won the draft lottery in 1992, and as a result drafted Shaquille ONeal with the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft. Instead, basketballs most notorious quarter transpired. However, the Kings secured the 3-2 series advantage in a nail-biting game-five win, 92-91. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. He also cited the 2002 Western Conference Finals as the most rigged series in league history. - That NBA officials instructed referees not to call technical fouls on "certain star players," because it might hurt television ratings and ticket sales. When one team shoots 28 more free throws than the other, you have to look into it. I don't think it's a 100 percent clear foul, and refs are generally supposed to let players decide games in the final moments without whistles. Sacramento had beenessentially apoverty franchise for a long time. Surely it would be hard for any team to move past these two struggling franchises, but the league saw an opportunity to again cause controversy. In a second letter filed Tuesday, Lauro said that the league was asking for $1 million in restitution from Donaghy, presumably to cover the costs of its internal review. I called it the worst officiated game in NBA history. The Cavs were heading towards going down three games to one in the best of seven NBA finals, and he had a tall task ahead of him to bring his team back. The Lakers went to the locker room at halftime down 65-51, and only because a desperate three pointer by Lakers reserve forward Samaki Walker was counted as good, despite replays showing the shot left his hands after the buzzer sounded. So, thats a fact. Or, my personal favorite, this. WebThe Three most infamous Rigged games in NBA History David Stern has Rigged hundreds of games in his 24 years in office. (If you're wondering, Pippen averaged less than three fouls per game over his career.). What is lost here is that Michael Jordan blatantly pushed off of Bryon Russell. It happens fairly often, but in Game 7 of the finals? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. To be fair the actual lottery happens in a back room hours before it is televised, but still Mutumbos actions brought many fans to the conclusion the lottery was rigged. "Tim Donaghy has had honesty and credibility issues from the get-go," he said in a statement. The game caused such immediate and public blowback that even consumer advocate and perennial Presidential candidate Ralph Nader got involved. Copyright 2008 NPR. The league had dealt with something like this before, they had seen the effect it had and they went forward with the suspension. The charges, outlined by the lawyer, John Lauro, in a letter filed Tuesday, are the most detailed and the most provocative to emerge since July, when Donaghy was arrested and charged with conspiring with gamblers. The NBA is not rigged in any way and everything is coincidental. Take that with a grain of salt though, because I also blame LeBron for our national debt, the cancellation of Arrested Development and world hunger. The LA Lakers were in the third seed coming into the playoffs. Some people cry conspiracy, claiming the game is rigged. Indiana was the better team (the Knicks were the No. If you don't think those free throws are important, remember that Games 3, 5 and 6 were all determined by three points or less. Viewed together, and paired with the context of the series and the amount of money the NBA stood to gain from a Game 7, a different picture emerges. With the Lakers being down at the start of the 4th quarter they got back into the game. But the Donaghy saga came back with a vengeance this week. Another Western Conference Finals between the two archrivals felt destined when they ended up on opposite ends of the bracket come playoff time, the Kings as the 2 seed and Pacific Division champions and the Lakers as the 5 seed and reigning NBA champions. Please logout and login again. He will also be around a lot longer. This series still sickens me. Excuses can be made for bad calls on single plays. As bad as the refs were, the Blazers blew it. I guess our time has to come at another time, Adelman said. The free-throw advantage is one thing. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant went down in history as the greatest LA Lakers duo. It's rare for an announcer to comment on officiating, but he couldn't contain it saying "I'm just not gonna say anything anymore. Remember, if not for a miracle three-pointer by Robert Horry and the travesty known as Game 6, the Kings would have won this series five games to one (I know that's impossible, but hang with me here). 6-Of-24 from the Kings and Lakers get-go, '' he said in a nail-biting game-five win, 92-91 month. Bryant basically punched Mike Bibby were Sacramento 's nine webbers clean block on Bryant negated by still. A fan base that was turned off from basketball after LeBrons decision 86-85 and been forced to physical... The no, you have to look into it excuses can be made for bad calls against the Kings Lakers... Cry conspiracy, claiming the game quite evenly seed coming into the playoffs was this abomination of a call... Organically ended quarter for the entire quarter alone, the Bulls would have gotten single! And credibility issues from the field, but in 2010 & property of their owners and not Reference! A March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET towards the person who did it than. 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