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Van Gundy Challenges Officials and Says an Owner Is to Blame

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by wireonfire, May 1, 2005.

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  1. wireonfire

    wireonfire Member

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    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/sports/basketball/02vangundy.html

    Van Gundy Challenges Officials and Says an Owner Is to Blame
    By LIZ ROBBINS

    Published: May 2, 2005


    ALLAS, May 1 - Jeff Van Gundy, the Houston Rockets' coach, said Sunday that officials were calling fouls more readily, and unfairly, on his 7-foot-6 center, Yao Ming.

    Van Gundy also suggested that complaints to the league by the Dallas owner, Mark Cuban, had been to blame, something the N.B.A. immediately denied.

    "When you review his fouls, you look there and you got to give Mark Cuban credit," Van Gundy said after the Rockets had a meeting at their hotel. "He's been calling and calling about Yao. You got to give the guy credit. He's taken a lot of fines in his time, and he's been on them hard. And he's gotten the benefit."

    Van Gundy said that after the Mavericks' 97-93 victory Saturday in Game 2, which tied their playoff series at two games each, he received an unsolicited call from a friend who is a league referee not working the playoffs. The referee, Van Gundy said, told him that referees "were looking at Yao harder because of Mark's complaints."

    Van Gundy declined to identify the official, saying, "I don't want to get my man in trouble."

    He added, "I didn't think that really worked in the N.B.A., but in this case it has."

    Yao fouled out in Game 1 and had five fouls each in Games 3 and 4.

    Stu Jackson, the N.B.A's vice president, rejected Van Gundy's comments in a statement Sunday night.

    "No such directive was given to the officials regarding Yao Ming or any other player or team in the playoffs," Jackson said.

    Van Gundy said, "I think Yao all year has had a target on his back, for whatever reason, whether it's his size, his kindness, whatever, there's many other things it could be, too."

    Van Gundy cited what he called an illegal screen that Dallas's Erick Dampier set to spring Michael Finley for a late shot Saturday, saying it was the same movement that Yao had been whistled for.
     
    #1 wireonfire, May 1, 2005
  2. Zboy

    Zboy Member

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    About F**in time Gundy calls NBA out. This crap has been going on for a long time now. I only wish Jeff did this couple games ago. :mad:
     
    #2 Zboy, May 1, 2005
  3. Man

    Man Member

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    hey wow haha this is like world history..ENLIGHTENMENT..then action haha

    Anyways good that he's voicing his opinion..and THE TRUTH. about the BS referees

    Anyways Adelman sent a bunch of tapes for officials and apparnetly it's working...game is being cleaned up..
     
    #3 Man, May 1, 2005
  4. Man

    Man Member

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    I wish he did it during the season! It's gone on an entire season! Well he did complain..but whatever
     
    #4 Man, May 1, 2005
  5. aeroman10

    aeroman10 Member

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    THANK YOU JVG for speaking up finally...
    Now everyone, flood NBA with emails :cool:
     
    #5 aeroman10, May 1, 2005
  6. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    WOW!

    An unidentified official?!

    I KNEW the damn league was doing this to Yao on purpose:mad: :mad:

    FUC**NG NBA!
     
    #6 tigermission1, May 1, 2005
  7. weakfromtoday

    weakfromtoday Member
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    Wow.
     
    #7 weakfromtoday, May 1, 2005
  8. tigermission1

    tigermission1 Member

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    Guys, the fact that JVG praised Mark Cuban for taking up his team's cause, can that be taken as a shot at Les Alexander? I mean since he is a stiff richie rich who thinks he is "above" lobbying for his team?
     
    #8 tigermission1, May 1, 2005
  9. swu

    swu Member

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    Wow, this is outrageous. I didn't want to believe but...
     
    #9 swu, May 1, 2005
  10. Zboy

    Zboy Member

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    If a friend of his called him after the game then it means 2 things.

    1) The calls on Yao are blatanlty unfair and even this refree watching the game on his couch could not stand it.

    2) The refree felt guilty for what has been going on behind the scenes, where no one is allowed access. Once again if a refree feels that guilt and decided to voice his opinion against his own fraternity, IT IS REALLY BLATANT AND UNFAIR TO YAO.


    I am thinking "...whateve, there's many other things it could be, too" is implying racism.
     
    #10 Zboy, May 1, 2005
  11. weakfromtoday

    weakfromtoday Member
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    I think it was more a sarcastic jab at Mark Cuban, basically calling him out as a whiner.
     
    #11 weakfromtoday, May 1, 2005
  12. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Member
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    I think it was a strategy by JVG. Now the refs will be nervous of making too many calls against Yao, and will be more lax again. They will do this to make sure they don't look like they are doing the bidding of Cuban.

    It is good strategy.
     
    #12 FranchiseBlade, May 1, 2005
  13. thegame_2234

    thegame_2234 Member

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    Thanx GOD about TIME
     
    #13 thegame_2234, May 1, 2005
  14. Zboy

    Zboy Member

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    Sorry to post multiple times on this thread but I am infuriated right now. All this time, in spite of Yao getting robbed on the court, I kept saying, I am prolly thinking things in my head. This, in spite of my GF saying how unfair the refs are to Yao. But after reading this article I have lost respect for NBA. Refrees NEED to be held accountable for their performance on the court. Why are they so protected?

    This story is huge. It seriously hurts the credibility of the league. We Rocket fans should give this story maximum exposure, and make sure NBA knows that we are doing it.
     
    #14 Zboy, May 1, 2005
  15. warbirdzone

    warbirdzone Member

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    Mark Cuban should be the series MVP if the Mavs somehow beat us this year. He got them calls with his whinning and complainting to the NBA about Yao and the Rockets. :(
     
    #15 warbirdzone, May 1, 2005
  16. Blatz

    Blatz Member

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    That is what it is. JVG is not saying, way to go Cuban, you da owner.
     
    #16 Blatz, May 1, 2005
  17. mogrod

    mogrod Member

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    As much as Yao puts himself into situations or causes himself to get bad foul calls, he has been grossly been mistreated by the refs all season long. There is no reason opposing teams should be rewarded for not playing defense but to only do everything in their power to do anything physically illegal and then flop when Yao even slightly retaliates.

    I feel like if Yao got the respect of a Shaq or even Dirk Nowitski and was allowed to play his game, he would be the most unstoppable player in the game. You can't teach that skill with that size, but the refs negate that just about every night.
     
    #17 mogrod, May 1, 2005
  18. aeroman10

    aeroman10 Member

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    The refs need to be reprimanded and there needs to be some kind of an investigation. This is ridiculous.
     
    #18 aeroman10, May 1, 2005
  19. Man

    Man Member

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    btw good citation by JVG pointing out that illegal screen by Dampier..I saw Josh Howard setting moving picks all over the place :)

    Of course they don't call those..tehy call the ones on Yao where Dampier is holding Yao and trying to prevent him from moving and Dirk is grabbing him..

    They don't call a foul until at least 4 Mavs players hit Yao's arm. If 3 guys hit his arm and get the ball..that's okay!

    Okay..they already look at Yao VERY UNFAIRLY. and now even more....haha

    I remember on TNT or whatever that commentator said that ref told Yao that he was gonna get called for a foul if he jumped and if he didn't jump..wtf?

    agree with franchiseblade..i think it's a strategy to challenge the officials to f'in be more f'in fair.

    And yeah it's about time.
     
    #19 Man, May 1, 2005
  20. redcapital

    redcapital Member

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    great to see JVG stand up for Yao. Five star post!!!;)
     
    #20 redcapital, May 1, 2005
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