For anyone that didn't watch The Final's last month, you should know that the talk surrounding the event, was heavily laden with discussions of rigging. With the inherent chaos of the game, it is very unlikely that they could rig it 100%. You'd probably need science-fiction style magnets controlling the ball to achieve that. The NBA elite, however, can control other aspects surrounding the game. Behind closed doors they pull strings, and set up the show how they like… Probably.
I'm going to start at the end, The Finals. So the landmark event here was Game 6 when Ayesha Curry tweeted and deleted an accusation after her husband received a questionable 6th foul (fouling out of the game). He was sent back to the locker room after throwing his mouthpiece. The following play Klay Thompson was called for a foul while he was in the act of shooting (a foul I have never seen before). On the next defensive possession Draymond Green, was called for a ticky-tack, but legitimate reach-in foul, killing all momentum possibly sparked from Curry's departure. Momentum is a powerful force in the NBA.
You can see the first two below.
So that was the tweet. But the real story happened before the previous game, Game 5. Draymond Green had to sit out. After game 4 the officials upgraded one of his fouls to flagrant 1. He had accumulated 4 flagrant points over the playoffs so he was a suspended a game.
Here's the foul.
I submit to you. He got suspended because the Warriors were up 3 - 1 in the series heading back to their home court. The NBA removed a top 3 player on their team from a game to zap the momentum, and elongate the series. The same reason why all three fouls happened back to back to back. The NBA acts according to influence the momentum of a game, thereby changing the outcome.
The reasons are obvious. A great finals grows the brand. That finals was legendary. Lebron lead his hometown team back from the largest deficit ever overcome in an NBA finals series to beat the California team who had the greatest regular season in history, thereby ending his city's decades long professional sports championship drought. That's a great story!
Events that play out in favor of the greatest financial upside for the NBA happen suspiciously often.
"The 1985 NBA Draft Lottery." I will just let this youtuber, Mike Korzemba, explains this one. I'm not him, but he does good work.
"This Magic Moment." That title was taken from the 30 for 30 special, you can find it on Netflix. It'll show how after a new franchise received Shaquille O'Neal, he took the NBA media by storm. The very next year they got another number 1 pick despite having absolute worst odds of getting it. That helped the expansion team and provided Shaq with the pieces to around him to have success in the league and help grow the brand. Shaq left to LA on a monster contract. Money moving around the NBA is good for the NBA.
"Jordon's Year Off." Mike again
2002 WCF. last one from Mike.
"Lebron James: Hometown Hero" The Cavaliers had relatively high odds and won the lottery to get the hometown talent that was a consensus number 1 pick.
"Derrick Rose, Hometown Hero 2" The Bulls had little success since Michael Jordan. They beat heavy odds to get the hometown kid with game changing talent.
"3 in 4" The Cavs got the number 1 draft pick 3 out of 4 years after losing LeBron to Miami. Statistically overwhelming odds. The one they didn't get was due to the next event.
"Basketball Decisions" The ownership of the Hornets (now Pelicans) was taken over by the NBA. Prior to that happening the Hornets, Lakers, and Rockets agreed to a trade sending Chris Paul to the Lakers. David Stern vetoed the trade siting "Basketball Reasons" as purpose. Hornets received the number 1 draft pick after eventually trading Paul to the Clippers. A trend began of number 1 draft picks being given to teams after franchise players leave.
"Tim Donaghy" He was a referee that admitted participating in rigged games. He claimed it was for personal gamble success.
"2013 Lakers Regular Season" This was the year the Laker's traded for Dwight and Nash. The league had lots of money staked in them making the playoffs. The NBA even had the Laker players appear in ads for the playoffs while their team's record put them outside the playoff picture. Here's wolfcat to show you.
" 17 for Russell" Nearing the close of the 2015 NBA season, Russell Westbrook got his 16th technical before a game with playoff implications (If a player accumulates 16 technical fouls over the course of the season, that player has to sit out next game). They reviewed all of his technical fouls over the course of the season and decided one, from months prior, wasn't foul enough and rescinded it so he could play.
"Towns for Love" Minus OKC losing Harden, no franchise talent changed hands in this period. The next time it happened: the team, Minnesota, received a number 1 pick. They had the best odds, but still had to beat the field.
"No Change in the 2016 Draft Lottery" I'm willing to accept this as personal bias since my team was snubbed, but I believe the winners of the draft lottery worked perfect for the NBA brand. The franchise player to end "the Process," future Kevin Durant to the beloved Lakers, and top 3 talent to the upcoming, playoff battling Celtics. The only better financial outcome would be for the Lakers and Sixers to switch, but that outcome begs questions of collusion. Instead each spot beat out the field, which is statistically unlikely.
"Star Treatment" This is the worst part of the NBA in my opinion. Stars are treated different than other player when it comes to fouls. It’s a reality all deeply interested NBA fans realize. Even the commentators acknowledge and accept it. I heard Charles Barkley state that you don't kick the star out of the game for technical fouls. That's special treatment. Special treatment is tampering.
Maybe this all happened by chance, or at minimum maybe it's not valid to use statistically unlikelihood as proof. Chaos is inherit in the game, so maybe... But things in the NBA often happen in a suspicious, financially-favorable manner, regularly going against statistical improbabilities. I think it's all a show, heavily-organized, tampered-with, but not-entirely-predictable show. What do you think?
#basketball #sports #conspiracy #conspiracies
