NBA Officials Accused of Fixing a Playoff Series

Yesterday court documents revealed that Tim Donaghy (you know who he is, right?) told Federal Officials that two NBA Officials, he referred ot them as "company men" rigged the outcome of a playoff game to ensure that there was a seventh game. Here's what Donaghy said:

"Tim also provided information relating to manipulation occurring in 2002. Referees A, F, and G were officiating a playoff series between the Team 5 and Team 6 in May of 2002. It was the sixth game of a seven-game series, and a Team 5 victory that night would have ended the series. However, Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be "company men," always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA's interest to add another game to the series.

Referees A and F heavily favored Team 6. Personal fouls (resulting in obviously injured players) were ignored even when they occurred in full view of the referees. Conversely, the referees called made-up fouls on Team 5 in order to give additional free throw opportunities for Team 6. Their foul calling also led to the ejecton of two Team 5 players. The referees' favoring of Team 6 led to that team's victory that night and Team 6 came back from behind to win the series.

With all that in mind, here's what we know about the 2002 Playoffs.

1) Only one series that year went the full seven games, The Western Conference Finals between Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers.
2) Los Angeles trailed the series 3 games to 2 before winning games 6 and 7 to take the series.

Given this information, it's fairly obvious about which series Donaghy is referring. Continued:

3) The Lakers averaged less than 25 free throws per game during that series. In Game 6 they shot 27 free throws in the 4th quarter alone.
4) Both Scott Pollard and Vlade Divac fouled out of Game 6 for Sacramento during the 4th quarter, largely due to fouls called against them that were, to be kind, suspect.

Okay, so it's definitely this series, and this game. Even with that, I'd have a hard time buing the conspiract angle. Except for the final point:

5) In the closing seconds Laker star Kobe Bryant elbowed Mike Bibby in the face while an official watched, but made no call. The only thing the officials did after the play was tell Bibby if he couldn't stop his nose from bleeding he'd have to come out of the game.

If you don't remember that check out this clip, paying attention to the play that's shown about two minutes in:



Notice what happens on the floor, and look at the official standing near the player inbounding the ball as the camera pans out. He was looking straight at the play, there is no possible way he didn't see that. None.

But a conspiracy? That's still hard to swallow.

Admittedly, when word first broke of Donaghy's scandal, this game was the first thing that came to my mind. Specifically that late 4th quarter play. At that point Sacramento was trailing by two points with just over ten seconds left, Laker ball. If that play had been called correctly Kobe Bryant would have been hit with a flagrant foul, maybe even ejected but probably not, Bibby's awared two foul shots (which could have tied the game) and Sacramento's got the ball with a chance to win. Instead there's no call made until after the ball is inbounded and one of the Kings commits the obligatory foul to stop the clock.

That game soured me on the NBA for the better part of 5 years. Prior to that I'd watch the big games, afterwards it didn't matter any more. I was just starting to come around again this year, but with the buggering the league is administering to the city of Seattle, along with the officiating still being in the toilet, I'm done. I'll still root for the Celtics and hope they do well, but if Boston isn't playing I'm not watching. The rest of the league can go to hell in a handbasket for all I care.

The best part is after that ill fated Game 6 consumer activist Ralph Nader fired off a letter to David Stern urging the NBA Commisioner to investigate the poor job the refs did during that game, specifically citing the Bryant elbow play. Stern dismissed the letter as "ridiculous." Karma's a bitch sometimes, huh?