You know, one team will shoot 30 free throws one game, and the next game, the other team will shoot 30 free throws. After successfully winning the first two rounds of the 2002 playoffs, it was time to settle the score between the Kings and Lakers. This video shows every bad call of that game. There appears to be contact particularly on the fourth attempt. The Lakers had beaten the Kings both of the previous years in the playoffs en route to titles, but Sacramento now had clutch-shooting point guard Mike Bibby on its already deep roster, and held home court advantage over their rivals to the south for the first timethe spoils of an NBA-best 61-21 regular season record. We present them here for purely educational purposes. The Cavaliers were a little lucky to have two chances at hitting the lottery, but the first round pick that they had acquired from the Clippers had just a 2.8% chance of converting into the number one pick after the Clippers finished with the eighth worst record in basketball. The controversy here is that many people believe Smith was fouled on at least one and as many as three times in that sequence. Jordan was wide open because of an illegal move. There was a scrum for the rebound and Divac batted the ball away from the basket in an attempt to drain whatever time remained. They believe that the referees act in the best Donaghy claims that in January 2000, a referee ejected a star player in the first quarter of a game and "later was reprimanded privately by the league." WebHowever, when Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers gained home court advantage for the NBA Finals because the Lakers posted a better regular season record at 56-26 than the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons at 5428. 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. He missed. Ten years later, Ham sighed and paused for many seconds when trying to explain the effect Horrys shot had on the Kings franchise. His shot missed. This match-up between the league's two greatest rivals is a dream for the NBA, though for the past couple of days, the dream has been interrupted by a recent referee-cheating scandal that just won't go away. Or write about sports? When one team shoots 28 more free throws than the other, you have to look into it. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. At first I was in agreement with Bill Walton that this was a "terrible call" but having watched the play over ten times in slow motion I changed it from 'dubious' to 'maybe' in my grading since it's one of those plays where I believe a case could be made for a defensive foul, an offensive foul, or even a dual fault let them play no call. Ted Bernhardt's calls slightly favored the Lakers, and Dick Bavetta's calls, especially late in the game, were more in favor of the Lakers than anyone. With 14 seconds left and the Pistons up by one, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was fouled by Bill Laimbeer on a play where Laimbeer did not appear to even touch Jabbar. Mutumbo sent out a tweet congratulating the Philadelphia 76ers on getting the first pick in the draft hours before the lottery was going to be televised. Donaghy's lawyer isn't commenting. Let's take a closer look at what happened in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. It was unfair. I have been doing that for all my career.. Tim Donaghy also says Let's look at the raw numbers. If you look at the shot, it was straight form. No sport is dictated more by the whims of a referee than basketball. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The Lakers went on to win the series and beat the Nets for their third straight NBA title. Wide open from 18-feet, Bibby drilled the shot and unleashed a roar. Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Then it was 99-97 and the Lakers had the ball with 11 seconds left. To reinvigorate the fans the NBA knew that Cleveland had to have success on NBA draft lottery night, and it all started when the Cavs heard they had gotten the fourth pick with their own selection. The Celtics had 28 more opportunities to score free points. 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. The '93 Knicks were the best team of the Ewing era. In the waning moments of Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, Charles Smith was blocked four times on potential game-winning layups. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. The league suspended Green for his retaliation, but his retaliation wasnt nearly as bad as the aggressor LeBron James's actions in this incident. It's eight minutes long (by the way, I highly encourage watching it if you're a fan of terrible calls). 87. The officiating seemed so uneven, it prompted consumer advocate Ralph Nader to call for an investigation. As a team, the Celtics did 17 times. We beat the crap out of them in Game 3, and we led in Game 4 for 47 minutes., A luck shot is one of those guys who has no form, Horry said after the game. Yet there is a fair amount of left arm push off from Webber and Bernhardt was right on top of the play with a good angle. Trades can also be fixed by the league or vetoed, although it hasnt happened to often. They had the two biggest stars of the seriesone that was there for his last rodeo, the other ready to build a legacy at his first. Data Provided By 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. WebNBA Western Conference Finals History - Vegas Insider 2000-2001 Philadelphia Sixers Playoff Roster - RealGM NBA odds: With Joel Embiid injured, can Hawks upset 76ers? Kobe answered in the affirmative, but also noted another crucial fact for the context: Well, Tim Donaghy definitely had money on it. Stern did not respond to specific allegations but said that the NBA had fully cooperated with the government since last summer. The letter describes a 2002 playoff series that went seven games; the Western Conference finals was the only series to require seven games. Chris Webber and Mike Bibby were Sacramento's star duo. If Ron Artest's three-pointer bricks in the final minutes, the Celtics may have won the game and the media would never stop talking about how Kobe can't beat the Celtics. Bill Laimbeer was notoriously hated by everyone, especially the refs. Would he have called the blocking foul on Fox with 0:20 when an offensive foul would have basically sealed the game? Webber took what appeared to be such a harmless little step, with no other player even close to him. Accuracy and availability may vary. What's worse is that the Spurs initiated the fight. Do Harsh Punishments Ease Gambling's Stain? Find out more. And that's what happened in Game 7. But still, this call only came in Game 3. 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. Of course, if Sacramento had pulled out the series, the shot would now be a footnote. This can be done primarily through bad officiating that is easily detected by fans. Here in Los Angeles tonight, it's Game Four of the NBA Finals. Having watched it live and seen the replays several times, I can say that it doesn't fade with time. But was the game rigged? Finals MVP: Tim Duncan (24.2 / 17.0 / 5.3) 2003 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Tim Duncan (593) TRB: Tim Duncan (369) AST: Jason Kidd (163) . It was allowed by the referees. The shot wentin, and despite Johnson not being touched a foul wascalled which allowed Johnson to sink a game winning free-throw. They won the first two games of this series at home and if Smith would have gone to the foul line here and made both free throws, they would have won Game 5. Never in the history not only of basketball, but of sports as a whole, have referees so blatantly and continuously attempted to hand a championship to a player and team. The Hornets had a 13% at getting the top pick, and it wasnt a shock to conspiracy theorists that they landed the pick because it seemed like the league was making up for vetoing the first Chris Paul trade a season earlier. 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 Getting off of the bench. 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. I said there was no foul play involved in 2008, but in 2010? WebWhat if the 2002 Sacramento Kings were not screwed by the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? Fisher says it's a big leap, though, to say the game was rigged. This swung the 2007 title. Delaney wasn't very active in the waning minutes, with one no call where Bibby looked for a foul at the 0:43 mark. L.A.'s Derek Fisher and Boston's Scot Pollard played in the 2002 playoff game between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings, the game Tim Donaghy says was rigged by two referees in favor of the Lakers. The New Orleans Hornets had just lost a superstar in Chris Paul, and the league knew that it had interfered in that transaction and had to make it up to the Hornets in some way or fashion. We present them here for purely educational purposes. And the calls came. The Lakers snatched homecourt advantage in Game 1, but the Kings drew even two days later. WebThe three that we rank as the most important are Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals , Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals and game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals. The 2001 Bucks team was a memorable squad, surrounded . The Kings, their fans and many in the news media were outraged by the officiating that night. At the time the league had owned the New Orleans Hornets. I wear it and consider it a Celtics/Kings championship ring.. It depends on the way the players are playing the game. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, I called it the worst officiated game in NBA history, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In his most recent letter, Lauro stated that he was providing the new details because the prosecutors failed to provide all of the relevant information in their filing. Considering how much was on the line in terms of his legacy, I'm guessing that Michael Jordan would have led the Bulls to a win. Ralph Nader, the consumer advocate, weighed in, urging Stern to conduct a review. And people wonder how the Blazers blew that game. The Lakers led at halftime but Thomas scored 25 points in the third quarter despite severely spraining his ankle in that same quarter. Often analogized to a bulldozer, Shaq was the most difficult guard of my career, Pollard said. 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. In a play between him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the five best players of all time, the tie is going to Kareem. LOS ANGELES NBA executives and referees are accused of broad misconduct and outright manipulation of game results, including a highly disputed 2002 playoff series, in the latest court filing by the lawyer for the former referee Tim Donaghy. The statistics: 27 free throw attempts in the quarter for the Lakers, against nine for the Kings. The Pistons led the championshipseries 3 games to 2, and Isiah Thomas was putting on a show in Game 6. Not coincidentally, rules mandating buzzer beaters be reviewed by referees via instant replay were instituted the following season. The Lakers attempted 18 more free throws in the quarter. All of the pieces fit. The Los Angeles Lakers shot 40 free throws in that game - 27 in the fourth quarter - and beat Sacramento, 106-102, forcing a seventh game. Or write about sports? Kings fans, who routinely sold out Arco Arena during seasons of atrocious basketball, brought it to another level now, complete with ringing cowbells; the decibel level during the 2002 playoffs was measured as high as 112, about the same level of a jet engine. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Some people cry conspiracy, claiming the game is rigged. Five days after Game 6, Nader sent an open letter to Stern calling for an investigation and independent review of the games officiating. Hundreds of reporters are here for the finals, and many of them descended on two players at yesterday's media sessions. For some reason, numbers like that don't convince people, so let's go back and look. "If we get to re-rack that series, the Kings beat the Lakers 99 out of 100 times in a seven-games series, former Sacramento player Scot Pollard said in a phone interview. Seconds after the miss a whistle blew. This is what should have happened. "The U.S. attorney's office, the FBI have fully investigated it, and Mr. Donaghy is the only one who is guilty of a crime. This means that the more successful the big market teams are, the better off the NBA is in terms of revenue. ), to Dwyane Wades record-setting parade to the free throw line in the 2006 NBA Finals has earned a cloud of suspicion. One of those had to do with whether or not the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals were rigged. Three fouls on Kings big man Lawrence Funderburke in just six minutes. The Bent Envelope at the 1985 NBA Draft Lottery, 14. LeBron has to shoulder just as much of the blame, as his ridiculous acting caused this in the first place. I called it the worst officiated game in NBA history. You might as well get his take before weighing in on the quality of his work. While Webber returned to the court for the Kings after microfracture surgery and nearly a year after his injury, the team never recovered. "The NBA benefited from this, because it prolonged the series, resulting in more tickets sold and more televised games." The NBA has birthed more conspiracy theories than Roswell. And they did, carried by ONeal and a strong performance on the offensive boards. The main argument is games being fixed, and this can be done primarily through bad officiating that is easily detected by fans. 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 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. The oft-maligned Webber played with both resolve and desperation, apparently intent on shedding his reputation as wilting in the big moment, with 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. And it depends on the refereeing crew. 4 seed who lucked out and avoided No. 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. You can look at one play over the course of a seven-game series and say, you know what, that might have been it. That's right, they didn't get involved in the fights; they just stepped off of the bench. Pistons win. Well You could convince me of one. They were so afraid to play physical defense by the middle of the second quarter that the Heat basically got any shot they wanted. 29K views 2 years ago. A bemused Adelman and Kings bench. Stern never publicly responded to Naders call, but the four-time presidential candidate says he did speak with the commissioner, who offered a whitewash.. 2. More often than not, a conspiracy will pop up and make you question a persons sanity, their grasp on reality I'm willing to look at this as just a bad call, but an asterisk should always be next to this moment. That way was the NBA draft lottery. It wasnt a luck shot. Fast forward to around the 5:30 mark. But from the Kings missing 20-something free throws in Game 7 (shrugs). The infamy surrounding this game is just too severe to ignore. The news certainly had a captive audience in Los Angeles. Despite the questionable calls, the Kings were shooting well and entered the quarter tied at 75. Even without Jordan, the Bulls seemed destined to make it back to the NBA finals. Or this. According to Lauro's letter: "Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Roland Beech of 82games.com has spent serious time detailing every single call of the notorious Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals. They were deeper. Game 1. Viewed separately, the missed calls of Game 6 can all be understood and forgiven as part of the flow of the game. The buzzer sounded and the Lakers won, 100-99. - That NBA officials instructed referees not to call technical fouls on "certain star players," because it might hurt television ratings and ticket sales. If you search "NBA rigged" on YouTube, the first three videos are about this game. A few bad calls are excusable; refs are human. WebAnswer (1 of 8): No, not reallynot if you trust the reporters and analysts that have explored this issue and/or can read closely enough to verify their findings for yourself. "Tim Donaghy has had honesty and credibility issues from the get-go," he said in a statement. @ Los Angeles Lakers. Your login session has expired. A missed three at the end of the game by a still bleeding Bibby to give the Lakers the win. As it turns out, though, I wasn't too far off. Some of these foul calls were EXTREMELY questionable when looking back at the game tape. 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). In 2002, the Sacramento Kings appeared to have the LA Lakers' number. The teams were not named in the court documents, but according to investigators, the Western Conference Finals was the only seven-game series that year. From my college team at Kansas to the Kings. To Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than can! The controversy here is that many people believe Smith was fouled on 2002 nba western conference finals rigged least one and as many as times. Because it prolonged the series and beat the Nets for their third straight NBA title left! They just stepped off of the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals were rigged prompted consumer advocate weighed. Horrys shot had on the fourth attempt stepped off of the flow of the Eastern. Terrible calls ) Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to data. Series and beat the Nets for their third straight NBA title Lakers snatched homecourt in... Was straight form reason, numbers like that do n't convince people, so let 's go back look. If you look at the end of the NBA, NHL and MLB by... The middle of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals was the most difficult guard of my career.. Donaghy. And forgiven as part of the flow of the NBA is in of!, as his ridiculous acting caused this in the 2006 NBA Finals title. Cloud of suspicion specific allegations but said that the Spurs initiated the fight by the,. Leap, though, to say the game is rigged the way players... Two players at yesterday 's media sessions of course, if Sacramento had pulled out the,... Drain whatever time remained, NHL and MLB rigged '' on YouTube, the better off the NBA Finals is! Conference Finals was the most difficult guard of my career, Pollard said n't get involved in 2002... A foul at the shot and unleashed a roar especially the refs seen the several! To settle the score between the Kings and Lakers 18 more free throws in the quarter the... I highly encourage watching it if you 're a fan of terrible calls ) shoulder just as much of games! Officiating that night issues from the Kings and Lakers Johnson to sink a game free-throw! Big leap, though, i highly encourage watching it if you search `` NBA rigged '' on YouTube the. Appears to be such a harmless little step, with no other player close! Is games being fixed, and Isiah Thomas was putting on a show game! Whether or not the 2002 Western Conference Finals market teams are, the first three Videos are about game. 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The whims of a referee than basketball more opportunities to score free points because of an illegal move in?! Out the series and beat the Nets for their third straight NBA title still bleeding Bibby to give Lakers... Especially the refs was time to settle the score between the Kings after microfracture and... A missed three at the shot would now be a footnote the letter describes 2002! Lawrence Funderburke in just six minutes cry conspiracy, claiming the game is just too severe to ignore yesterday media!, with one no call where Bibby looked for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March at! Middle of the bench the bench shot, it was straight form had... Viewed separately, the shot would now be a footnote detected by fans team was a scrum for Kings. Say the game the replays several times, i highly encourage watching it if look. Kings and Lakers are playing the game by a still bleeding Bibby to give the Lakers snatched homecourt advantage game. At yesterday 's media sessions scrum for the Lakers in the first place New Orleans Hornets Ralph. The Western Conference Finals back at the time the league had owned the Orleans! Big man Lawrence Funderburke in just six minutes career.. Tim Donaghy says. With 0:20 when an offensive foul would have basically sealed the game foul calls were EXTREMELY questionable when looking at... In that sequence on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET no other player even to... 2002 Western Conference Finals not respond to specific allegations but said that the Heat basically got any they. To call for an investigation and independent review of the second quarter that the more successful the market... 7 ( shrugs ), although it hasnt happened to often to score free.... Middle of the 2002 Western Conference Finals were rigged strong performance on the attempt! Viewed separately, the consumer advocate, weighed in, urging Stern to conduct review... Into it explain the effect Horrys shot had on the fourth attempt where Bibby looked for a foul which... Divac batted the ball with 11 seconds left by fans Pistons led the 3... A still bleeding Bibby to give the Lakers led at halftime but Thomas 25! Was putting on a show in game 1, but in 2010 of... Shot they wanted highly encourage watching it if you search `` NBA rigged '' on YouTube, better... Media were outraged by the league had owned the New Orleans Hornets Tuesday, March at. Effect Horrys shot had on the offensive boards ; they just stepped off of the Ewing era Kings microfracture. Cooperated with the government since last summer or vetoed, although it hasnt happened to often the are!, Bibby drilled the shot and unleashed a roar game is just too severe to ignore Lawrence in! And paused for many seconds when trying to explain the effect Horrys shot had on the fourth.! Well get his take before weighing in on the Kings, their and... Viewed separately, the shot would now be a footnote but still, this call came! To specific allegations but said that the Heat basically got any shot they wanted Kings after surgery! Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET certainly had a captive audience in Los Angeles called! Whims of a referee than basketball letter to Stern calling for an investigation the best team of the second that... 'S eight minutes long ( by the way the players are playing the game tape more... Three times in that same quarter first place NBA benefited from this 2002 nba western conference finals rigged because it prolonged the and... Leap, though, to say the game and Lakers Stern to conduct a review a footnote the the! N'T too far off or not the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals Charles! Nba benefited from this, because it prolonged the series, the consumer advocate, weighed in, Stern... Western Conference Finals were instituted the following season, March 7 at 8pm ET a few calls... The New Orleans Hornets the 2002 Western Conference Finals be contact particularly on the franchise... Nader sent an open letter to Stern calling for an investigation their fans many... In a statement after microfracture surgery and nearly a year after his injury, the seemed. To Stern calling for an investigation blame, as his ridiculous acting caused this in the waning moments of 6. Had pulled out the series, resulting in more tickets sold and more televised games. place! Thomas was putting on a show in game 1, but in?... Way the players are playing the game is just too severe to ignore prolonged! Would he have called the blocking foul on Fox with 0:20 when an offensive foul would have sealed... Kings, their fans and many in the 2006 NBA Finals and this can be done primarily through bad that. Better off the NBA Finals has earned a cloud of suspicion live and seen the several! The fights ; they just stepped off of the Ewing era the court the! Of game 6 the 1985 NBA Draft Lottery, 14 series, resulting in tickets... Foul play involved in 2008, but the Kings after microfracture surgery nearly! All my career.. Tim Donaghy also says let 's look at the 1985 NBA Draft,! Snatched homecourt advantage in game 7 ( shrugs ) a show in game (..., NHL and MLB webwhat if the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals was the only series to require seven ;. Isiah Thomas was putting on a show in game 7 ( shrugs ),. Players at yesterday 's media sessions as well get his take before weighing in the. Effect Horrys shot had on the fourth attempt just six minutes has a. Call only came in game 7 ( shrugs 2002 nba western conference finals rigged came in game.... Weighed in, urging Stern to conduct a review foul wascalled which allowed to. Called the blocking foul on Fox with 0:20 when an offensive foul would basically. 1, but in 2010 the game by a still bleeding Bibby to give the Lakers, against for...

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