conspiracy theory much??? you are an idiot! i felt like a loser taking the time to read that let alone imagine the time it took to write it!!
teams win because they have good players! these good players and home teams may get extra calls their way because of the fans putting extra pressure on the referees by cheering/booing etc. but that is as far as you can take it !! this is just human nature not corupt referees!

would like to address the fact that the ref that cheated might have stumbled into something David Stern and his staff do want to acknowledge in fear that their plush life and their familiies would be destroyed.Hey look at Enron,nixon,Oliver North,BillClinton,G.Bush the first and the second.People will lie to save their pretty butt The nba is fixed and if its not then its a pretty good imitation of a conspiracy theory that is coming blatantly obvious to most fans.The NBA wants the celts to win so they can line their pockets using a franchise that hasn't won in 22 yrs.
Iam sorry But even if tim donaghy did cheat he might have been one of many.I see a pattern in this game.Why bother have the NBA if its going to be ffixed.Look how bush won his race to the presidency.
People will do anything to keep their life of entitlement safe and they cannot look in the mirror and see that there not perfect.IForce the NBA to look in the mirror and see their foibles and admit they are fixing or at least have a biased for certain teams.
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Do I feel the NBA protects it's assets? (those players making the league huge bucks). YES! Do I feel the NBA cheats fans by allowing referees to manipulate outcomes? Yep. If nothing is going on then why doesn't the NBA allow their current refs to openly talk without their permission? Why won't they release post game reviews of officiating even from games from 5 and 6 years ago? This is why professional sports has gone down hill, there's too much money at stake for every team to have an equal chance.

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keep believing in santa claus and bunny rabbits my friend .. Are you discounting that 80% of people in the US that believe the NBA is corrupt to its core??

Oh no .. the NBA a billion dollar industry can't be CORRUPT .. you're a conspiracy theorists !!! yeah right .. I think you believe everything Gerogre Bush says too

and yeah ... it's human nature for refs to make "bad" calls .. yeah but consistently that favours one team. AND yeah .. ONE Referee already got caught cheating !!! "yeah ... but it's conspriracy theory !!!" REad again ONE REF GOT CAUGHT already cheating games !!!

Worth noting that he was cheating for personal profit by engineering the under/over with bookies, not so much furthering the cause of specific, favoured teams. e.g., the bookies didn't really care who won, just that it was who they'd backed.

*This is someones opinion when I googled this topic, something to think about, but not sure myself


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2002 Western Conference Finals (Lakers v. Kings) -- Game 5 favored the Kings, Game 6 heavily favored the Lakers. Stern rigged the officiating to extend this highly-anticipated series to 7 games. 7 games = more $$$. The Kings were the superior team but the Lakers went on to the Finals. Stern knew a Laker 3-peat would be a goldmine for the league.

2004 NBA Finals (Lakers v. Pistons) -- the officiating in the entire series heavily favored the Pistons, giving them a disproportionate number of FTs. Stern wanted to destroy the Lakers due to Kobe's rape allegations, which negatively affected the league's image.

2006 NBA Finals (Miami v. Mavericks) -- Wade received blatant preferential treatment from the refs and shattered the record for most FT attempted in a finals series. Apparently, Stern wanted to promote Wade as the new face of the NBA.

2008 NBA Finals (Lakers v. Celtics) -- series is not over yet but game 2 was the worst-officiated game I've seen since game 6 of the 2002 WCF. Here's the kicker: Leon Powe had a monster game just when ABC dedicated a halftime segment to him. Coincidence? I think not.

Yes, the NBA is corrupt. And I believe it began after the Jordan era when Stern was struggling to fill in the void left by MJ.

there's too many coincidences in the NBA for it not to be shaky. And the Lakers and Celtics trades when they get star players for peanuts and loose change and lo and behold its a Lekers-Celtics finals. Everybody who's watched games know there are "superstar" treatment, travels not called, carrying in the NBA .. even the commentators say oh the refs are calling it "loose'" or "tight" ..ha, excuse me, but aren't rules .. rules !!! frankly the refs can change the course of a game as basketball is a game of momentum .... look at Game 6 02 of Lak-Sac if you don't believe me ...

that in itself present the first problems to address.. why should that should be accepted as "oh its the way it is"

it's hard to deny the league is all about money rather then sport ..I mean this is a league where players can get 20 million in ONE year and you have moron players (Marion) who thinks he isn't getting paid enough at 17 million !!! .... talk about living in fantasy land ..

But anyway how deep it is who knows but NBA has an image problem in the US. Instead of smirking about Stern needs to acknowledge this
i) uphold rules and keep it consistent
ii) be transparent
iii) get rid of lawyer Sterns

I'm not into conspiracy theories but there are a lot of background dealings going on (and there always is when billions of dollars change hands - there always is - big business show that all the time) so i wouldn't be suprised at all should they find this to be deeper.

its corrupted, but what can you do. I just stopped buying NBA stuff and watch it only for entertainment now

I guess the only things that can change is to hit them where it hurts .. in the HIP pocket where the $$$$ is rolling (maybe when they no longer can pay millions in salaries for overrated players)in OR if they get investigated by the authorthies ...
if its true then its real shame really is .. I used to love this game .. espcially in the 90s when you had the truly great players like Jordan, Barkly, Stockton, Olajuwon etc ... the weasal Stern has to go .. whether theres more or not .. all his denials and smirks and arrogant manner and the way he fines anyone who says anything about the refs get real shady and is a real control freak ... i sort of watch it with a grain of salt now .. going the way of boxing. Still exciting to watch now and then ..but ....

can't believe I fought so hard with ESPN to get them to show more games !!! but now if its just entertainment .. well I don't know if i wanted entertainment I'd watch Iron Man or The Hulk in the movies or something ... yeah superheroes do exists people. lol

Maybe has a hand in why some of the superstars don't perform as well on the international stage?

As well as different rules of course.

Yes yes, I believe it all.

David Stern was the actual JFK shooter and a quota of international players, including Ginobili, Yao, and Parker were all involved in 9/11...

yes yes .. and you also beleive there's weopens of mass destruction in Iraq, and athletes don't use enhancement drugs, ben johnson is clean, actors don't tax cheat, companies don't have a monopoly on oil and global warming is all made up, nazi holocaust was dreamed up by jews, shapelle corby is innocnet and banks don't overcharge ..yes it's this type of naivety that big busines thrives on !!! that is why crap keeps happening over and over again and things don't chnage for the better. open your eyes ..read what's happening what all the sports scandals in the States that have been proven and don't sheltered fantasy land world ..before you just sarcastically dismiss you frankly don't undertsand my friend ..you sound like Stern with all is arrogant denials ..how much does he pay you to shut up ??

How much clearer can we fans (and former fans like me), be about this: WE THINK WE WERE ROBBED and nothing you can do or say is going to convince us otherwise! Maybe writers like Mac and Kriedler shoud read Donaghy's letter again. Donaghy referred to the 02 officiating crew as "company men." Last time I heard that euphemism I was watching "The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Story of Enron." Shortsighted journalists, NBA owners and observers can discredit the allegations on the strength their author is not a credible witness all they want----but NO ONE can deny that in the NBA **all** referees report to Stern, and hence his power is absolute, and history has proved ad infinitum that POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY


if the nba wants to be viewed as a good league then this is the "fix" they need, i know its outrageous, but START CALLING THE GAME AS INTENDED....where if you clear space with ur butt, arms or anything its a offensive foul, start calling traveling and carrying...stop allowing this HOP SKIP stuff. lastly end these "superstar" calls the game has been a kinda joke ever since they laxed rules when michael jordan came into the league. also drug test for "ILLEGAL" drugs i know its a reach but ummmm DO IT.. tv ratings arent worth your leagues integrity.

who changed the title ..there's NO conspiracy theory here .. only a dirty league denying everything. and oh waht ..when people were saying Barry Bonds in baseball .. used drugs .. and many records broken used drugs ..it was conspracy theory until everyhting came out ..why is it so hard for people to belive what Americans (or those with no vested interests) know ..that big business cheat all the time and sport is all about entertainment and $$$$ specially when billions are involved. You're naive to think they leave everything chance .. 500 million dollar contacts with TV stations who want big ratings to chance ??? ..there's multiple examples of politicans and big business manipulating things and yet its a conspiracy theory right ... what naive fntasy world do y'al live in ?? or maybe most people are like 15 years old and its too deep a topic to talk abuot??.

They're theories. Calling them 'conspiracy theories' does not necessarily determine them to be false.

The title adjustment is fair as it gives the majority of people an accurate idea of what to expect. The previous title of "the NBA Entertainment" did not do that.

Agree with some of your points dcanwade... there are Conspiracies out there...
But, what is your opinion of Game 6 of this years Finals. Did the Celtics win by 40 because of a fluke/pre-empted? I personally dont think so.
Celtics dominated the game. Kobe, and the Europeans all went missing for LA.
The same when LA lost at home... the Celtics were a better side. No-one consipired to that. They were just better...
You need to put the Ball in the Basket to Win. The Lakers couldn't do this... No conspiracies...

The Finals were legit... The NBA had won given the fact the the Lakers and Celtics made it. The NBA couldn't care less who one the series, they were never going to lose with these two teams or drop ratings.

It doesn't get much bigger than a Boston V LA final.

I think this is a stupid post as well. If this was true I'm surprised New York hasn't won various championships lately. The commissioner of the NBA as with all sports commissioners want specific teams to do extra well. However, saying they sway games by the officiating and other ways is rubbish!

These superstar players that get lots of calls get these calls because they are basically unstoppable as offence is superior to defence. These players have played all their life and got the game down to a fine art where they have the ability to often draw contact to get to the line. Also Home teams are always going to get majority of the calls that is just normal!

There is no way possible that the commissioner could fix games and who wins considering there is so many teams and private owners.

Absolutely stupid Theory!

OMG..... night shift does mess with the mind...

one = won

tard.....

The NBA would've missed out if it were a 4 or 5 game series tho TR. Hence the game 2 officiating?? With Boston underdogs the last thing they needed was a tied series heading back to LA and potentially no game 6.

Agree that Celtics would've won anyway tho - they stepped up a gear when it mattered most and when few people thought they had it in them.

Why is it normal for the home team to get the majority of calls. Refs should be professional enough not to be influenced by crowds...

Home court advantage is weird and why is it so influential (probably another thread for this topic)??? It's not like the conditions change much. Baskets are the same size league wide, court dimensions don't change, ball size doesn't change, the lines don't suddenly get smaller or bigger, but why does the home court team seem to get more advantage. How do the Bulls go 72-10 in a season when 'home court advantage' is so dominant. I'm not trying to prove a point, I'm just asking how does home court become so much an advantage to the home team.

KingJames, seriously watch that Game 6 of the Lakers and Kings, and if you think nothing is suss then fair enough. I simply can't watch that game and not think corruption.

Remember that in the last season Stern has gotten stuck into Dolan and the Knicks. Stern can't influence someone like Isiah Thomas and who he signs. The Knicks were still making the league money regardless of how they perform on the court. Sure a better Knicks will bring even more money but with the Lakers and Celtics resurgence, 2 out of the big 4 teams are elite teams (Celtics/Lakers/Knicks/Bulls who also happen to be the four largest markets in the NBA). One of those big 4 happen to jag the 1st pick in the draft coming from 9th in the lottery.

There are more games played in the NBA than just a simple basketball game.

I agree Oden, but what the Lakers/Celtics final series did was make the NBA important again. The past few season the NBA has been in the media for the wrong reasons. Corrupt refs, players doing dumb things, fights, firearms, drugs, sexual assaults, masturbation with driving and shining the wrong kind of light onto the league.

A Celtics/Lakers final made the league shine in the right way again. It bought back the old school fans. It relived the glory years of the 1980's where the league was beyond all the troubles. Magic and Bird ruled the world, the two most storied franchises in the NBA were important, dominating the league and winning fans.

It's funny that it always the same teams. Lakers dominate for a while, then Detroit come along in the East, the Cavs start to matter again and become one of the better teams in the East. A bulls resurgence (number 1 pick), Lakers and Celtics matter again. I expect the Knicks to vastly improve over the next two years.

Is Stern looking for a time machine to take the league back to it's glory of the 1980's late 1990's????

nothing currupt about the spurs

I work in the advertising industry .. and I can tell you that we do not and never have given wrong information about our products to consumers ...

tinman..... you also don't have a heart.....

NBA RULES

The home team is going to get the lion's share of the calls.

The most popular player that happens to be in the game is going to get the benefit of the officiating.

If the officiating calls start piling up inordinately against one team, then in either the 2nd portion of the game or the next game entirely, you will see the calls start to pile up the opposite way.

Fans, coaches, players and commentators know all of this, talk about it openly and strategize game plans accordingly.

If the officiating calls in end up being inordinately lopsided; there is a high probability that it is to the benefit of a team that either (1) is in one of the biggest markets or (2) has one of the elite popular players in the sport.

Guess what professional sport I'm talking about?

"Refgate" is simply the straw that is breaking the camel's back. The NBA product is broken and has been for a long time. Tell me what other professional sport operates in the manner I've described above besides the WWE?
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C'mon. In the first season after the Donaghy scandal broke, the Celtics and Lakers are in the finals. How stupid does the NBA think we are?
... well pretty stupid judging from some of the denials coming in even on this forum

Did Stern force Gasol to LA?

get off the pot!

Who cares if it's fixed? I know pro wrestling is fixed but it can still be entertaining. How can any serious sports fan watch LaBron James take five steps, bulling his way through defenders to win a playoff game and take the officiating seriosly? This kind of stuff happens all the time in the NBA. It's a joke! It's there to entertain and show off star power! It's for making money! How else are NBA pla-yas going to support a posse, buy premium weed, have a stable of hoes without the green? It's not a game to take seriously. If you want real basketball watch college ball. If the NBA was so great their players wouldn't get beat by Greece when they actually enforce rules.

Whaaat? Pro Wrestling is fixed? Never. That would make it just like the NBA!

I still like this part from earlier...
"2008 NBA Finals (Lakers v. Celtics) -- series is not over yet but game 2 was the worst-officiated game I've seen since game 6 of the 2002 WCF. Here's the kicker: Leon Powe had a monster game just when ABC dedicated a halftime segment to him. Coincidence? I think not."
Bahahahahaha, that sh*t is funny!
If you watched the game you would have seen that the Lakers just didn't respect him enough to play defence against him. He had 3 easy dunks, let me guess the umpire laid a shepard on Gasol when Powe dribbled the full length of the court for a dunk??? Don't you think that the NBA would have had segments for just about all players from both teams already done, so that if any one player is playing well by halftime they would show a real tear jerking story to help the NBA's image??? Wake up you idiot!

hmm ..conspiracy theory or not .. funny shit goes on in the NBA .(.c'mon superstar trades and out of 30 teams we get a Lakers-Celtics finals) .. that nobody can just flat out deny everything .. watch Game 6 of sac-lak for which there was an uproar in the States and try and say that game is on the level. In any case nobody can deny that theres homecourt advantage, theres superstar treatment and players travel and carry the ball all the time .. so they at least should get independent refs NOT controlled by Stern or make them accuntable and not fine players for speaking out

this is what Rasheed Wallace had to say even before this was out last year

"I still don't think they (Cavaliers) beat us, we beat ourselves," Wallace said. "And I think we also fell victim to that personal NBA thing where they are trying to make it a world game and get (television) ratings. They wanted to put their darling in there (the NBA Finals) and they did, and look what ended up happening.

"This game ain't basketball anymore, it's entertainment," Wallace said. "It's starting to get like the WWF. There ain't no real wrestling anymore either. It's all fake."

the NBA should either have its own rules and say yes travelling and carrying is allowed and yes superstars don't foul out and have leeway and be consistent about it OR simply the FOLLOW the rules of basketball .. WE will find out soon enough

I for one fought so hard to get ESPN to show more playoff games ..which did happen eventualy .. but why they weren't showing it in the first place ..when they had the rights is beyond me (NBA was/is more popular then strongman,drag racing,poker etc)right?..
BUT they didn't for Aus fans ?? small market right? not enough profit in AUS to warrant the effort .. so anyways to say that NBA doesn't care about profit margins and treats certain teams/markets all the same is living in denial .. we've had that first hand with ESPN controlled NBA ...(I still got to laugh about how for months they advertised a double header should it go game 6 BOS-CAVS ..then on the day of the game they pull it off air .. to show a rained out baseball game) so now we know how small market teams must feel getting shafted .. jst like small market fans in AUS by ESPN

That's the decision of the TV networks, not so much the NBA themselves.

No one's denying that the NBA are a business. It's just that some of the theories are far fetched. e.g., sure Stern liked getting Lakers-Celtics, but that doesn't mean he engineered it by forcing Memphis to trade Gasol cheap or the Timberwolves to give up Garnett.

yeah ..some are far fetched ..it's hard to prove even if its real ..(but everyone thought the Holocaust was far fetched during the war .. oh a civilised country like Germany can't possibly do that ..!!) that nothing suprises me anymore Isaac especially when you have the type of money involved. When a player can earn 20 million a year you think they aren't going to protect their investments ?? ... In any case the fact that so many question the NBA and are not suprised have to tell you something ... And no its not just the networks the NBA and ESPN/ABC go hand to hand.

if the NBA were serious
i) then review said games
ii) have independent refs
iii) call games by the rules
iv) have an external investigation
v)stop being so smug and arogant and actually listen to concerns of fans/players.coaches etc

Regardless of whether Donaughy is a lone wolf or NOt the fact is Stern hired the guy, he says NBA has the strictest reviews of any sport yet its an external source that found Donaughy out not the NBA ..so yes they are partly responsible

Clean up its image basically

Of course the game is geared towards certain teams. I think the best comment to describe this was during game 2 when Jeff Van Gundy pointed out that there were 3 instances within 30 seconds of 4-5 step drives to the hoop. The corresponding answer to that question was "if the rules were followed to the letter; 95% of offensive plays would be called for travelling violations".

The league is blatantly light on following the rulebook due to the entertainment prospects from high-flyers.

When you come off of the retirement of a guy like MJ; who had the naturally ability to leap close to 7-8ft away from the hoop with a natural 2-step dunk... then have to fill the void with players that are good... but not "Jordan" good; you have to bend the rules so the same atmosphere that players like Jordan etc.; can be generated.

Unfortunately that becomes the end of most sports; it's all about the names and the faces of the teams as opposed to the game aspect. You've seen how many of the players badger and harass the refs about plays; most leagues would be calling techs after a few seconds of banter. If the paychecks dropped or the salary ratings were based on performance, then overall the league would be better monitored and cheating etc. could be uncovered easier.

"When you come off of the retirement of a guy like MJ; who had the naturally ability to leap close to 7-8ft away from the hoop with a natural 2-step dunk"

lol, that's a good one. Every clip i've seen involving Jordan he's travelling. And the travelling call was even more lax in the 90s than it was today, in the 90's it was just plain ridiculous

WOW...5000+ words in this post,


Why is it that conspiracy theorists have the time to write so many words?

it's an interesting topic .. i see you don't find it a serious issue worth discussing .. but it effects the intergrity of the game. Too deep a topic for you maybe son.. maybe easier to discuss the latest trade or who's wheter the Hornets look better in Teal or Gold .. so put it in the too hard its all conspiracy topic ??? If you fail to realise the NBA has some issues then it will never resolved but again if all is revealed to be proven (and you can kiss my big hairy butt and apolgise) .. and it's all entertainment anyway ..as long as ur entertained it doesn't really matter ...

No one's discounting all the issues, just not jumping on board with all of them!

Agreed with Isaac, Some of these issues are present.

IMO I think the NBA should be reffed the same as we all get reffed. Would make it for easier for all leagues to enter, dam mite even make some of the US guys learn their fundamentals.

yeah could never understand the different rules for diffferent players thing ... I'm sure I could look a step better too if I was allowed to hop, skip and travel in games, not to mention carry and ball people over .... well guess sport imitates life .. different RULES for different people

With all these theories floating around - what about the owners of the NBA franchises? Would they allow their teams to get beaten in the playoffs due to NBA controlling the outcome of key series? Yes, the NBA certainly gains from a LAL V BOS final, but franchise owners also increase the revenue and worth of the franchise as they have more success. Do you think the Spurs ownership, of the Maloof brothers who own the Kings would accept the NBA's decision to allow the Lakers a pass to the Finals? It is worth too much to each team in dollars to allow these theroies to exist. If the NBA owned all teams, then it might be more believable.

I laughed at the earlier suggestion that the 2004 NBA finals were officiated heavily in Detroits favour, because Stern was angered by Kobe's off court stuff. The Pistons won because the Lakers were internally self destructing, Karl Malone was injured in game 4, and Kobe was intent on forcing fade aways from 25 feet. Detroit was just too efficent and played excellent Defence.

I think the ownesrs themselves don't have anything to do with it .. but Stern and the refs have way too much control of the game and literally change outcomes.I mean how hard is it to call phantom calls a-la D-Wade and not only changes momentum of the game but give freebie points You only have to watch Gm6 Sac-Lak 2006 to see how see how bias they were to the Kings to see that and it cost the Kings the series and an ultimate NBA Championship. It seems like the refs can call it anyway they like and not answer to anybody. In fact Stern fines anybody who even questions a ref. that in itself is a problem .... that has to be addressed and also the rules of basketball in the NBA has to be consistent. Either they call a travel or they don't and whether its a superstar or not.

What a joke this trial has become. Donaghy has done nothing more than the NBA has done for decades.

The difference is that the NBA "rigs" games by very subtle coercion of its officials. They never, ever SAY, please call this game X way so that big-market-team Y wins. Refs KNOW who the NBA wants to win. They KNOW the money and TV deals that will happen if team Y wins. They KNOW if the "correct" team wins, and few people are questioning the game calling, they have done their job well.

Imagine if refs were promoted and given bonuses accordingly. How would anyone know any of this was going on? Or not?

An independent, completely NON-NBA organization needs to oversee officiating int the league. If nothing else, to give refs credibility. If it looks like it's rigged, smells rigged, people say it's rigged, and the league constantly denies it's rigged, it's probably rigged. At least to some extent.

The NBA has some serious problems, and it's not in their short-term financial interest to fix them.

aint gonna do crap .. people still gonna buy d PRODUCT .... as long as BronBron can do his hippity hop thing and slam it down and we can buy d oversized and overpriced jerseys of our heroes to wear over our cloths ..we all happy. May even get myself one of those new Air Jordans what is it now? 260? Hell WWE wrestling is still popular ain't it !!! ... i still got posters of The Rock and Sting along with my new LeBronBron doing his 360 slams on me wall

Speedy, the lenience with travels is a completely separate issue IMO. Same goes with "star calls" (they happen in all leagues).

The owners may have limited control over refs in specific series (e.g., one game a few years ago, or Wade exploiting interpretation of a rule against Dallas) but they're not going to throw away Gasol or Garnett just to humour the league. And, fact of the matter is, this season's Finals teams got there predominantly because of those trades.

it still needs fixing AND "fixing" in the good way and that is the issue isn't it ?? the refs inconsisitencies, interpretation of rules, Sterns dicator control of the refs, the refs being under Sterns with transparency .. allows for an environment of manipulation and allows for these type of rumours to circulate. Calling Donaughy a felon is funny by the Stern cause 2 of his favourite refs (i believe Crawford and Bavetta - by memory are felons - convicted of crimes in the past).

If Sterns really cares about the fans and not just the profit margin .. then listen to the fans and implement the changes and DO the external investigations instead of giving arrogant lip service and counter suing Donaughy 1.4 million dollars for speaking out.


Bring basketball back to the game ..why should we as fans say "oh its just the way it is - its ok don't call the game properly as long as we get the highlight reels fed to us" ... don't try to manipulate things for the big markets ..let the teams play and let the better team win without help !!!

I doubt that will ever happen and pro sport is all about $$$$ rather then pure competition and as long as fans continue to just accept teh status quo ..well things don't change for the better

meant to say WITHOUT transparency .. anyways it don't really matter what AUS fans say .. the NBA couldn't care two hoots about us .. too small a market for them to bother .. that's why ESPN don't even bother televising games they have rights to here and continually piss Aus fans off ...and why NBATV is never introduced in AUS .. BUT it DOES matter in the sates .. where 80% of ffans in surveys voted theres something not quite right about the NBA and don't trust Sterns.

the States .. I meant to say ..damn I' having a bad day or this keyboard has gone funny on me

What if Stern is caring about the majority of fans, and that majority prefer flexibility with rules (travel especially) because it creates highlights?

I think there are multiple issues getting mixed up here in the criticism of the league - at least two are: what maximises fan-appeal (star calls, flexibility of rules) and what generates money (engineering results and the like).

Probably best if they're discussed separately. We know stars get calls and the rules can be a grey area. But we can't say with that same confidence that the league wanted Dallas to lose to Miami, for example. Or that they forced Memphis to deal Gasol cheaply to get the Lakers into the Finals. Making all these allegations together muddies the argument, brings the "conspiracy theorist" label, and doesn't really get an ideal discussion, IMO.

you really thinks fans don't want to see "real" basketball and just highlight reels .. you may be right .. but then the league should just be forthright about it and call it NBA Rules and not basketball rule. Change the rules to reflect that ..1) allow hip and hop to the basket as long as it ends in a dunk ii) travel is only less then 6 steps iii) carry is allowed as long as it is less then1.5 seconds iv) you can play more physical in the 4th Q of a close game as we don't call pity pat calls (well unless u happen to be Lakers or D-Wade) v) if you are a superstar u cannot foul out ... AND BE consistent about it and not when they randomly select

As long as they are CONSISTENT about the rules then thats fine !!!

well I guess in this world we live in IMAGE (and not substance) is everything after all !!!

The rules are the NBA rules, just like ours might be slightly specific to the NBL. I don't think they trumpet them as perfect basketball rules and those used are otherwise close enough to call themselves a "basketball" league. There's some level of subjectivity and lenience in most rules. Cricket gives batsmen the benefit of the doubt (doesn't make the scores any lower) while the AFL allows teams to play on to keep things moving.

The NBL is introducing the no-charge circle AFAIK and have already done away with all but one jump ball per game in the interest of making it entertaining.

well don't really care what rules they are as long as it's CONSISTENT for each team, players and regardless what time in the game. For example don't call player A for a travel when player B, (who just happens to be one of superstar highlight type guys ) can get away with it all the time

It's not quite consistent in the NBL or ABL either. Star calls happen everywhere. Might be worth a thread to hear why from local refs.