Is the NBA Rigging Games?

a reply to: KingKao

This is the naive view of sports, I used to share it.

When there are billions at stake, the money goes where it is "suppose" to go. But you are right that is not all the players, it is the refs and the star players that can change the outcome of the game.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: KingKao

This is the naive view of sports, I used to share it.

When there are billions at stake, the money goes where it is "suppose" to go. But you are right that is not all the players, it is the refs and the star players that can change the outcome of the game.

Naive in what way? No, the star players aren't "in" on it. That wouldn't even make sense considering that the Heat just won a title with their non-star players stepping up to make big plays or better yet the Spurs who have player after player stepping up and producing. Like I said the players are just playing the game and if anyone is controlling it, those individuals would be the referees; not the players. of course there are some bad calls at times but these happen to all teams at one point or another. Also, even though free throws are important and the referees do hold the whistle, that doesn't mean that the star players are somehow forcing their hand.

Pretty interesting, I think, that even though this playoffs (especially the first round) was as closely contested as any in history, that the NBA ended up with its final 4 exactly as they would script it?

Theyve got the two biggest stars: Lebron and Durant
The legacy team: Spurs
The hot young team with the player the nba has pushed as their next big star: Pacers, Paul George

The controversial team: the clippers, is out. The small market teams, the Blazers and Wizards, are out.

The NBA counldnt have written it up better if they wanted to...

a reply to: KingKao

Naive in the fact the money hungry star players that get paid to just about anything wont throw a game for some more money.
The referee's have already been caught fixing games, if you read this thread before you replied you would have seen th.
The Heat did not win without the help of their star players, not sure what finals you watched.
Ray allen in game 6 to just to give an example
The spurs have had duncan,parker and ginobli(spelling??) for ever... yes their bench is strong and it carried them through the reg season, notice how the strategy changes in the playoff's tho.
Again, i agree not all the players are in on it, that is ridiculous.
But to think that the star players or money hungry players would never do it, that is naive.

And i am not saying the star players are the one's forcing the hand, they are just playing along.
It is the big money guys forcing hands.

originally posted by: captaintyinknots
Pretty interesting, I think, that even though this playoffs (especially the first round) was as closely contested as any in history, that the NBA ended up with its final 4 exactly as they would script it?

Theyve got the two biggest stars: Lebron and Durant
The legacy team: Spurs
The hot young team with the player the nba has pushed as their next big star: Pacers, Paul George

The controversial team: the clippers, is out. The small market teams, the Blazers and Wizards, are out.

The NBA counldnt have written it up better if they wanted to...

The Los Angeles Clippers being in the race would be helpful if their controversy is bringing dollars though, right? If so then that shouldn't raise suspicion as much as quell it. The Portland Trailblazers aren't as good as a team compared to the San Antonio Spurs as we just witnessed. The Wizards had a chance to win that series but Hibbert didn't have a meaningless presence in that series, at least not entirely. I think you forgot that the Oklahoma City Thunder are a small market team as well and the NBA does coincindentally have the possible marquee match-up of Kevin Durant and LeBron James but that still doesn't mean that the league is 'cheating or 'rigging' games. At least not in my opinion it doesn't. Also, games are impossible to determine and though something odd may happen that doesn't immediately warrant suspicion of games being rigged or do you believe it should?

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: KingKao

Naive in the fact the money hungry star players that get paid to just about anything wont throw a game for some more money.
The referee's have already been caught fixing games, if you read this thread before you replied you would have seen th.
The Heat did not win without the help of their star players, not sure what finals you watched.
Ray allen in game 6 to just to give an example
The spurs have had duncan,parker and ginobli(spelling??) for ever... yes their bench is strong and it carried them through the reg season, notice how the strategy changes in the playoff's tho.
Again, i agree not all the players are in on it, that is ridiculous.
But to think that the star players or money hungry players would never do it, that is naive.

And i am not saying the star players are the one's forcing the hand, they are just playing along.
It is the big money guys forcing hands.

I read the thread but i'm saying that just because of individuals like Donaghy and such being in the league doesn't mean that the league is corrupt. These are also people that aren't even calling games anymore. I'm not sure why you thought I was only referring to the NBA Finals of last year but teams have always had players step up in the crucial moments. That would debunk the belief that a team or player is getting helped in a way or hurt by the possibly corrupt official calling any given game. Obviously, the Heat won because of their star players being on the team but that's the point, it wasn't only them hitting free throws; which you stated were possibly being influenced by officials trying to force a certain outcome. I think that spelling is correct for Ginobli but he didn't even play well so the other players had to step up more for his lack of play at times during the series. I respect your point of view but I disagree for the reasons I have stated.

a reply to: KingKao

The Los Angeles Clippers being in the race would be helpful if their controversy is bringing dollars though, right?

But it wasnt. It was hurting the league. And as long as the clippers were in, Sterling was giong to be part of the narrative.

The Portland Trailblazers aren't as good as a team compared to the San Antonio Spurs as we just witnessed.

Never claimed otherwise.

I think you forgot that the Oklahoma City Thunder are a small market team as well and the NBA does coincindentally have the possible marquee match-up of Kevin Durant and

I know they are a small market team. I think you are forgetting they have the second most popular player in the league, which negates market size.

that still doesn't mean that the league is 'cheating or 'rigging' games.

While I didnt specifically claim that they were, you are a fool, or dont watch the NBA, if you dont think they play a part in the outcomes. They even admit it. Before every single game, the refs get a memorandum of what they are or are not supposed to focus on that particular game.

Also, games are impossible to determine and though something odd may happen that doesn't immediately warrant suspicion of games being rigged or do you believe it should?

Again, you are obviously not someone who has spend much time watching the league. This is not a one time thing. This is a DECADES long pattern.

a reply to: KingKao

The Los Angeles Clippers being in the race would be helpful if their controversy is bringing dollars though, right?

But they are also trying to paint the owner, and he is helping, as a horrible, horrible man.
Why would they want to continue to give him more and more money?
I am sure you are aware of the revenue boost teams in the playoff's get

a reply to: captaintyinknots

Could those memorandums you are speaking of be to possibly enforce certain rules that may be getting taken advantage of or that they are letting go by too much? That wouldn't constitute as rigging or would it? Oh, by the way, i never said that the officials didn't play a role in the outcome of games and affect the way a series turn out. I agree with you, they play an immense role in the games played.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: KingKao

The Los Angeles Clippers being in the race would be helpful if their controversy is bringing dollars though, right?

But they are also trying to paint the owner, and he is helping, as a horrible, horrible man.
Why would they want to continue to give him more and more money?
I am sure you are aware of the revenue boost teams in the playoff's get

That is an odd one though for me. It would seem they benefit either way from the Clippers situation. If they win then an LA team is in the Finals and if they lose then at least Sterling won't be getting any more money. Do you think that is more cut and dry than that?

a reply to: KingKao

But the LA team has a fan base that is at odds with the organization.
No one would be jumping on that bandwagon, no extra money.
And then they are rewarding the man they are trying to punish... He is already not paying the fine, why would they give him championship revenue?
If you want to argue why they didn't let golden state go thru, clipper v thunder is a much more marketable match up.
Splash brothers don't have the fan base that Griffen and CP3 have.
They couldn't let the clippers go any further tho, not with sterling making an ass of himself every chance he can.
He is shedding light on how all these owners are, need to get that out of there.

Oh, by the way, i never said that the officials didn't play a role in the outcome of games and affect the way a series turn out. I agree with you, they play an immense role in the games played.

And they are told when they need to play that role is what we are saying.
And the big players know that and can be a part of it.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: KingKao

But the LA team has a fan base that is at odds with the organization.
No one would be jumping on that bandwagon, no extra money.
And then they are rewarding the man they are trying to punish... He is already not paying the fine, why would they give him championship revenue?
If you want to argue why they didn't let golden state go thru, clipper v thunder is a much more marketable match up.
Splash brothers don't have the fan base that Griffen and CP3 have.
They couldn't let the clippers go any further tho, not with sterling making an ass of himself every chance he can.
He is shedding light on how all these owners are, need to get that out of there.

Oh, by the way, i never said that the officials didn't play a role in the outcome of games and affect the way a series turn out. I agree with you, they play an immense role in the games played.

And they are told when they need to play that role is what we are saying.
And the big players know that and can be a part of it.

i agree that the Clippers against the Thunder was a more marketable match-up, especially the way those games were going. I completely agree that players know that and will take advantage of it but the word 'rigging' just doesn't seem right to me, I don't know. Outside of the 'rigging' aspect, I actually agree with what you've said.

a reply to: KingKao

Ok then I am sorry I called you naive if the only thing between us is the word "rigging"
Seems like fair ground to meet at

It seems that a lot of basketball games go down to the wire, which I blame on the zebras because they at least subconsciously want to keep the game close to keep up the fans interest. The sport of basketball involves more play-by-play judgment calls, such as did the defensive player flop, than other sports, so the zebras have a greater influence on the outcome of the game. Probably at least a few NBA refs have been involved in rigging games.

Old thread but i wanted to throw my two cents in.

I have a close friend who made six figures betting on games last year; mostly NBA with a good diet of NFL, NHL and European soccer. While he can't prove it, he has told me that he is 100% certain the games are rigged. I usually don't buy claims like this, maybe due to my desire to see it as a true competition of superior talent and athleticism, but he has shown me cheques and the like to authenticate his claims.

Obviously take it for what it is worth, because there really isn't any solid proof, but in my own mind i would tend to believe that there is too much money involved in sponsorship deals, athlete salaries, and team investment for outcomes to be left to chance. The leagues are all technically in violation of market laws already by even having collective bargaining agreements so i wouldn't put anything past them.