We're not concerned about the ToyCen's of the world. We're concerned about the average NBA fan. It would be a pretty simple bit of fan service to allow the live broadcast of the actual lottery. As of now, it only serves to hurt the NBA's credibility. There's simply no way to definitively say that generates a net positive for the NBA.
so the nba lottery is rigged because of 1985 and 2012? yet EVERYONE on here would have zero issue if we got the #1 pick… as payback for gasol snub.. and what did 1985 lottery do for NY.. umm nothing. they won nothing. so if stern rigged it then joke is on him. didn't work. i personally don't think it's rigged, nba is a BILLION dollar company that would fold under that type of conspiracy coming true. it would be different if like 4 or 5 guys from the media and teams that are present said they think it's rigged. but that never happens, conspiracy theorists don't live off hard core evidence they live off smoke and mirrors.
Other than that one guy who used to referee the games. Just him. And everyone he named off. Oh and I guess Jim Rome as well, since he did ask the question. And enough people that David Stern would get super butt hurt about it when asked.
hahah tim donaghy? he is ONE ref who took money under the table.. he tried to say everyone did it yet there was ZERO evidence. if their was real evidence it would have been investigated like any business that is lying and cheating has been. jim rome is a douche, so because he asked a question it's now rigged? haha ok. i guess Les Alexander and mark cuban are spending millions and millions of dollars every year for a rigged product.. righttttttt… no one would own a team knowing that they probably aren't going to get casted to win a title or make a deep run in the playoffs or get a top 5 draft pick. give me hardcore evidence not a youtube video. even the 1985 video is nothing more than him throwing the envelopes around, but like i said conspiracy theorists take nothing and say "see look right there, did u see it". "Umm not really, i mean i guess i saw it". "yep i saw it, did you see it". "well not really but maybe i guess so" "i knew it, he tossed the envelope bending it so stern knew which one to grab" "well, he also turned the wheel and envelopes can bend when hitting the window, and he tossed the last two envelopes, not just 1". "whatever it's rigged, NY is a big market, so thats why" "Yea well Houston isn't and we got the #1 pick a few times". "well so, NY did once so it's all rigged". "Umm ok"
Haven't we been over and over this? 1. Poor theatrics to disclose the lottery 1 to 14 instead of 14 to 1. 2. It wouldn't give anyone more confidence in the integrity of the lottery. 3. It would actually make the lottery easier to rig. You'd have to make some concessions on the security and controls on the process to make it suitable for television, and then it could be exploited. If you put a team logo on each of 1,000 balls, do you want to watch the televised counting of the balls to be assured that the odds are correct? What they could do, for the sake of the fanatics, is to film the actual process and then put it up on the website after the lottery is over. It'd be an hour and half or something and boring as all get-out, but the gluttons for punishment could watch it and complain about perceived inadequacies or fakes on some inconsequential internet chat board. Giving more data to a wacky conspiracy-theorist is probably a bad idea, but to show everybody else all the journalists, team reps, and auditors in the room would probably help.
For people arguing that it'll make the draft boring. NOBODY but basketball fans watch the draft anyway, if it's a way so everybody can see that the draft is not rigged, and it'll make it slightly more boring and longer I'll take it.
the lottery would be ridiculously boring to watch if shown live I think its fine that they do not show it live. BUT to help shut up any conspiracy theorists the lotto should be films and made available on NBA.com's website after the drawing and announcement is over to prove its legitimacy basically what JuanValdez says -- serves me right for not reading previous responses in thread
Your an idiot. Most of us watch because we are emotionally invested in our teams regardless if the lottery is rigged. The WWF / WCW (pro wrestling) is rigged and people watch. Tim Donaghe is in prison for the hand he played in rigging NBA games and we watch. Why? Because we love basketball and are emotionally invested in our teams. I don't know if the lottery is rigged but the NBAs lack of transparency creats suspician where David Stern and the league are concerned. It would be a very easy thing to fix but they choose not to fix it so the criticism and suspicion will continue to exist and should exist. Stern is out of touch with the leagues fan base and only tells us what he wants us to beleave not what is true so we are naturally suspicious of any NBA event that is not transparent and can easily be rigged.
Tim Donaghy rigged games for years befor getting caught and yet you still beleave it is impossible for NBA refs to rig the games? I find that increadably naive on your part. Oh yeah it was an isolated incident and couldn't possibly happen again and there is just no way anyone else was involved.
To answer the OP's question, because it would be boring to some. I believe the actual process could be made available on NBA.com AFTER the entire ESPN show is over. It would be for the fans who are interested in it and generate some advertising revenue for the league. One thing Stern said insulted me, "The fans only talk about it, because you do." It's as if Stern thinks all NBA fans are brainless, brainwashed Americans who don't know anything. Many fans on this very website were claiming the Hornets were going to win the lottery to get the deal done. I myself predicted the top three would be the Hornets, Bobcats and Wizards. The conspiracy theorists thought the Nets would get it, but they don't understand the NBA's business. This is a touchy subject. It's like a religious debate for some. I will avoid these threads from now on. There are bigger things in life than whether or not a business is trying to maximize it's revenue and finalize a sale.
All would be a little strong, but most you would have argument. If they aren't brainwashed or brainless, then could they beat paranoid or clinging to stereotypes that aren't proven in fact.
The average fan doesn't care at all. It's only the hardcore fans that even think about or watch the lottery, and they aren't going anywhere.
Sure I agree. But for those who are consumed with basketball, especially those teams who didnt make the playoffs and has an iota of a chance to be in the top 3, I believe will watch. Just like the other poster said, theres too much of an emotional attachment and investment to root for the team you grew up with even if it is only 0.018 of a chance.
if he did rig it, he didn't do it to make the hornets any good. if anything he told the saint's owner that he'd give him the 1st round pick if he bought the hornets, since they suck and who would want them otherwise?
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Why do people think that just because the NBA is a billion dollar business that they are above cheating? If anything, a billion dollar business is worth cheating for. "But if they got caught they'd lose everything, you conspiracy nut lol." No, they wouldn't. When Donaghy got "caught", there was no investigation. Of course not. You think Stern wants to piss off the mob? They blamed one guy, and moved on. The exact same thing would happen if evidence that the draft was fixed surfaced. It happens in politics all the time. Name a fall guy, push forward. I don't understand how we get labeled conspiracists and nutjobs for suspecting that the NBA is a business making "business decisions."
NBA <> Ernst & Young. The NBA doesn't run it's lottery. You're suggesting a firm who's reputation is built on auditing and independence would commit fraud and risk their entire business for one relatively small piece of business. That's what makes it stupid.