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Yao Ming targeted? JVG might have been right in 2005

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by tulexan, Jun 10, 2008.

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  1. tulexan

    tulexan Member

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    related story but Rockets related

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3436401

    Jeff Van Gundy ultimately backed off comments that a referee told him that officials had targeted Yao Ming in the Houston Rockets 2005 first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe he was right.

    A letter sent to the sentencing court on behalf of convicted former referee Tim Donaghy outlines just such a plan. Donaghy's legal team is trying demonstrate his cooperation with a government investigation before he is sentenced on July 14 on felony charges alleging he took cash payoffs from gamblers and bet on games himself.

    In other documents filed with the Brooklyn court, Donaghy's lawyers responded to the NBA's claim that he must pay $1 million in restitution to cover the cost of the league's private investigation.

    The letter alleging referees altered games mentions only the year 2005, but the circumstances make it apparent that it is referring to the Rockets-Mavs series.

    "Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's Owner complained to NBA officials," the letter says. "Team 3's Owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions."

    Mavs owner Mark Cuban did in fact complain after his team lost the first two games of the series, and Dallas went on to beat Houston in seven games. Van Gundy said that a working referee had told him about the league's plan. Donaghy's letter claims that Supervisor Z contacted the coach. Van Gundy was ultimately fined $100,000.

    Looking at box scores from the series, however, the only game in which Yao fouled out was in fact Game 1. He did average 4.4 fouls per game in the series.
     
    #1 tulexan, Jun 10, 2008
  2. Parlett316

    Parlett316 Member

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    [ESPN]Van Gundy was right....Mavs/Rockets series

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3436401

    I've been steamed about this for years. Cuban mouths off to the press about so called illegal screens by Yao and all of a sudden Yao can't set a pick without being called for foul.
     
    #2 Parlett316, Jun 10, 2008
  3. Hayesfan

    Hayesfan Member

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    yeah but getting those fouls takes Yao out earlier in the game than they wanted, even though he never fouled out.

    Yuck, Donaghy is going to turn on them all. Stern better watch his back ;)
     
    #3 Hayesfan, Jun 10, 2008
  4. bingsha10

    bingsha10 Member

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    the league should refund that money.
     
    #4 bingsha10, Jun 10, 2008
  5. Pringles

    Pringles Member

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    and van gundy gets fined? wtf.... our man better sue their a$$ or at least get some kind of apology letter. wow. you know, that referee getting caught is the best thing that ever happened in the nba. that is pathetic, fining a coach for telling the truth? just so everyone won't believe the coach? wow.
     
    #5 Pringles, Jun 10, 2008
  6. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    I think majority of us never doubt there was such directive existed, but it's hard to say what should be made out of it.
     
    #6 YallMean, Jun 10, 2008
  7. ROXTXIA

    ROXTXIA Member

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    Well, I don't know if it will change anything from here on out, but I hope in some small way this exonerates/vindicates JVG.

    As far as Yao, I know this just points to that series, but he's always been poorly officiated. I always thought that the league didn't want Yao to be the top player in the NBA over a homegrown product. If Yao got any respect from officials, he'd be in the Top 3 in scoring, easy.

    And Stern better polish up his lies, he's gonna need that poker face. Practice it up, Dave; can't show a sweaty upper lip or shifty eyes to the cameras. He'll start with, "These are fabrications from a man trying to cut a deal and lessen his sentence...."
     
    #7 ROXTXIA, Jun 10, 2008
  8. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    Van Gundy should apply for reimbursement. God I hope he comments on this.
     
    #8 Ziggy, Jun 10, 2008
  9. bingsha10

    bingsha10 Member

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    And where are the owners in all of this? Shouldn't they be the ones leading the charge to get to the bottom of this and not the FBI? They're selling a tainted product.


    o, yea, and JVG should definitely sue Stern's ass for defamation or something after this all comes out.
     
    #9 bingsha10, Jun 10, 2008
  10. yobod

    yobod Member

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    See, I love the fact that this is ESPN reporting this, and not some Houston-based media network, or just a blog or something. It will give automatic credence to the story, and people may actually start believing that David Stern is the absolute scum of the Earth, along with Bud Selig. As despicable as Donaghy is, you gotta love the fact that he's throwing everyone under the bus with him.
     
    #10 yobod, Jun 10, 2008
  11. sun12

    sun12 Member

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    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3436401

    Jeff Van Gundy ultimately backed off comments that a referee told him officials had targeted Yao Ming in the Houston Rockets' 2005 first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Maybe Van Gundy was right after all.

    "Team 3 lost the first two games in the series and Team 3's owner complained to NBA officials," the letter says. "Team 3's owner alleged that referees were letting a Team 4 player get away with illegal screens. NBA Executive Y told Referee Supervisor Z that the referees for that game were to enforce the screening rules strictly against that Team 4 player. Referee Supervisor Z informed the referees about his instructions. As an alternate referee for that game, Tim also received these instructions."
     
    #11 sun12, Jun 10, 2008
  12. abc2007

    abc2007 Member

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    The league should apologize to Yao and Tmac for never passing the 1st round!
     
    #12 abc2007, Jun 10, 2008
  13. abc2007

    abc2007 Member

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    The nba league should apologize to Yao and Tmac for never passing the 1st round!
     
    #13 abc2007, Jun 10, 2008
  14. abc2007

    abc2007 Member

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    The league should take away mavs' first round pick, and give it to the rockets.
     
    #14 abc2007, Jun 10, 2008
  15. Pocket Rockets

    Pocket Rockets Member

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    thats not good enough...we couldve beaten the suns in the 2nd round and played the spurs in conf finals....

    history would then have changed for us
     
    #15 Pocket Rockets, Jun 10, 2008
  16. Angkor Wat

    Angkor Wat Member

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    Of course this had to be the series that was "tampered with". Who can forget the infamous Finley out-of-bounds steal?
     
    #16 Angkor Wat, Jun 10, 2008
  17. Pringles

    Pringles Member

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    we're discussing this in the nba forum. our present coach rick might have gotten screwed too. (of course, most of us know that...)
     
    #17 Pringles, Jun 10, 2008
  18. smoothie

    smoothie Jabari Jungle

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    exactly.

    it drives me mad to think of what if's, but it's nice to know we weren't all homers when complaining abut the refs calling moving screens on yao all series.
     
    #18 smoothie, Jun 10, 2008
  19. seclusion

    seclusion rip chadwick

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    doesn't surprise me one bit.
     
    #19 seclusion, Jun 10, 2008
  20. Untraceable

    Untraceable Member

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    Like it was yesterday!...I went crazy hollering at the tv screen like the ref's could actually hear me
     
    #20 Untraceable, Jun 10, 2008
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