Wouldn't say that the games are rigged but the politics behind it, definitely. Most big businesses are corrupt, so nothing unusual in them seeking the most profit. This is a pattern, doesn't matter how you slice it. Without mentioning when LeBron left that the Cavs got the first pick etc. Focus only on this pattern, if it happens more than twice, its not a coincidence
so to make this work instead of it just being a conspiracy about the lakers, we'll just say LA so the clippers can be included.
Well Chris Paul was supposed to go to the Lakers but it was blocked if I remember correctly. Plus they've got Nash n Dwight not too long after that. LA being the biggest basketball market got bunch of stars then.
Yeah, I don't think the league rigs the games to some master plan. We would see a lot more large market dominance and a lot fewer supposed "thrown bones" for small market teams. There's no reason to have so many different teams in the Finals year in and year out if you're planning everything out on purpose. Might as well just let Lady Luck do her work. I think individual games/refs could be tilted in one team's favor, but not for some grand plan by the league. At most they might occasionally drop a hint to the officiating crew "we'd like this series to go on a bit longer if you can" (more games = more money for the owners). I used to think there was no way the Draft Lottery was rigged because too many people would have to be in on it and it would come out. But this was the final straw, I can't deny it anymore, Occam's Razor. All I can figure is that all the owners are in on it and don't really care that much about the draft.
was kyrie in on the scam? is his injury fake as well? because if he doesn't tear his achilles dallas isn't even in the lottery.
I'm not sure I'd say that it is blatantly rigged, but there are definitely favored organizations that are given significant advantages over the others. Watch the officiating during any Lakers game. The games are real, but there's definitely a bias.
Not rigged in the sense that players are paid to lose or refs doing everything they can against teams although it certainly seems this way. But I believe the league knows who its moneymakers are. So they favor them and it’s been predetermined. This is why we continually see teams and players get favorable calls.
I think stars just get more calls in general--whether that's a league-wide directive, or just human nature of catering to higher-status people, I don't know. As far as certain franchises... maybe. I definitely feel that way when we play against the Warriors or Lakers, but that could be my own biases creeping in
no ur not biased. Refs screwed us in 2019 when durant saved a ball with 2 feet out of bounds. We saw the same in game 1 this year. Draymond fouled Sengun and Green almost every time yet no calls
You could make a poll - Is a model of multiple commissioners reasonable to distribute power? What would be a better way of Draft pick lottery......for instance: Every team gets the Number 1 pick and it is a revolving door...... Everyone gets the Number 2 and Number 3 as well at some point........ Incentives from the NBA if the Number 1-3 Pick Holder Trades that Pick - Not to get Fleeced
That doesn't matter, they would of made it right/compensated them eventually. It happened too many times. Not saying they do it every year, but when its needed. When there's a big name/hype in the draft, somehow big trade happens and then the team that lost the superstar gets the pick. The Wizards, Charlotte and now Utah have all sucked for years, they never landed anyone close to AD. They might get a top pick when the draft is weak. Keeps the show going, Cooper Flagg is the biggest name of this draft, alright lets shift the league little bit, it makes perfect sense from a business point of view. They're not just gonna let Dallas lose millions of dollars, in jersey sales worldwide etc. Because they've let Luka go for peanuts (doing them a favor), they'll make it right. LA is the biggest market in basketball, they're not going through the draft, AD was declining/hurt, LeBron is 40, they've got Luka and they'll be relevant for the next 5 years at least.
Let's just say I heard through the grapevine that the 76ers were told point blank by the NBA not to move to a downtown arena... because the NBA wanted the team to partner with Comcast/Xfinity to build an arena (and that project was in a different location). The NBA's logic was because Comcast pays so much money in support of airing the games. Philadelphia city officials moved heaven and earth to enable a downtown arena for the 76ers... and they did so over some massive community opposition (since the arena's location would have wiped out Chinatown). Then there was this shocking reversal of the downtown arena plans in favor of the South Philly JV with Comcast...all this occurring right AFTER the city council finally approved the project. This reversal was 100% because of league pressure to do the deal with Comcast. So there is DEFINITELY meddling by the NBA front office. That is not in question. Can you extend that logic to say that the draft is rigged? Quite possibly. The motivations are the same -- more money, long term financial benefit, more eyeballs on games... taking care of important stakeholders/partners. Mavericks games were toxic at the end of last season... fans were very mad -- and that's not good for business if you run the NBA. The league probably stepped in to fix it. There are no coincidences when the stakes are this high. GOOD DAY
If that is the case, then why didn't the Rockets realize that and trade a player to LA when there was an elite no.1 player in the draft?
Well if they are as badly managed as you say, they should screw up these decisions or ruin any good player they do draft. So then why fret about it?
i dont think the league is involved in rigging games on a nightly basis - although rogue officials could certainly be up to stuff for their own personal gain... but i think its pretty clear that Silver is crooked... I think he rigs lotteries, influences teams advancing in the playoffs and many other things for what he could claim to be 'the betterment of the league' or 'basketball reasons'... and the asshat probably doesnt even think he's doing anything wrong bc its 'entertainment"... smdh... i'm really considering just dropping the NBA from my life after 40+ years... i mean why bother if the game no longer has any integrity.... and really, the league's already been overrun with a bunch of entitled drama queens who would rather flop and foul bait than actually play the game like a man... yeh... it might be time...
It didn't take last night to convince me the NBA is rigged and certainly not from watching the lottery. It's been openly rigged before by refs and everyone just conveniently forgets about that. The NBA wants to blame it all on one ref but there's zero doubt in my mind there are more refs in on it and by now the league is afraid of the refs because if any more corrupt refs come out, it will cause a lot of loss of faith in the product. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm addicted to watching NBA because it's something I've been watching since childhood, it's extremely hard to break away from habit even if you know the product you're watching is corrupted to the core. I wish I could just completely forget about all the bs **** that's happened in the past and pretend nothing is ever rigged but I'm not naive enough to believe this world doesn't have corruption. After last night's lottery, it just further cemented my belief the Houston Rockets will NEVER win a championship ever again unless we draft the next Jokic or Giannis with a late pick (pure luck). The league certainly doesn't want it to happen. Houston may have a large viewing market but most are just transplants of other cities and other fanbases (like the Warriors who always show up in TC).
