Philosophical question, if NBA is fixed but you never find out for sure, do you care?

[STATUTORY]

If NBA is actually rigged but we as fans never get confirmation one way or the other, does it impact your enjoyment?

[HoopologyPhD]

No, it is very likely results are pre arranged in one way or another but there is no proof. This is the way of the world not just NBA basketball, believe nothing you don't see and only half of what you do see.

[highwhey]

Get Off The Internet Ayesha!

[ImKobe]

It's still real to me damn it!

[ScalsFan21]

I've long said if I ever saw definitive proof that the NBA was "rigged", I'd stop watching. I don't know if I could ever give up basketball altogether but it would absolutely lessen my fandom, no doubt about it.

Every time I want to say "stfu" to the conspiracy theorists, I think of Game 6 in '02 WCF (and even Game 5 as well to a lesser extent) when the NBA arbitrarily decided to extend what it viewed as the "real" NBA finals to a 7th game and it was so crystal clear that it was at least partially arranged by the refs. The Kobe/Bibby play is still one of the worst calls I have ever seen in my life.

If the NBA is fixed but I never found out... I don't know. Not an easy question to answer. I'd probably still watch, I'd just care so much less. :confusedshrug:

[ImKobe]

I've long said if I ever saw definitive proof that the NBA was "rigged", I'd stop watching. I don't know if I could ever give up basketball altogether but it would absolutely lessen my fandom, no doubt about it.

Every time I want to say "stfu" to the conspiracy theorists, I think of Game 6 in '02 WCF (and even Game 5 as well to a lesser extent) when the NBA arbitrarily decided to extend what it viewed as the "real" NBA finals to a 7th game and it was so crystal clear that it was at least partially arranged by the refs. The Kobe/Bibby play is still one of the worst calls I have ever seen in my life.

If the NBA is fixed but I never found out... I don't know. Not an easy question to answer. I'd probably still watch, I'd just care so much less. :confusedshrug:

lol you cry about that game (where Kings missed so many FTs they deserved to lose) but you think there was nothing suspect about how Game 6 of these Finals was officiated or how Green was suspended.

Shaq went 13/17 from the line, you can't rig that, it was a GOAT-level FT shooting performance by Shaq Daddy

[ScalsFan21]

lol you cry about that game (where Kings missed so many FTs they deserved to lose) but you think there was nothing suspect about how Game 6 of these Finals was officiated or how Green was suspended.

That's not entirely true, I never said that at all. I think the Green suspension was the wrong thing to do and it breathed new life and momentum into Cleveland. I readily admit fouls number 5 and 6 on Curry were egregious and are very rarely called on MVP-caliber players like Steph.

Do I think Cleveland deserved Game 6 a lot more than LA deserved THEIR game 6? Hell yes. But it would be unfair for me to ignore the slanted officiating in Game 5 of the '02 WCF as well, along with the fact that SAC still had their chances in Game 6, and a home game 7 to boot.

[ImKobe]

That's not entirely true, I never said that at all. I think the Green suspension was the wrong thing to do and it breathed new life and momentum into Cleveland. I readily admit fouls number 5 and 6 on Curry were egregious and are very rarely called on MVP-caliber players like Steph.

Do I think Cleveland deserved Game 6 a lot more than LA deserved THEIR game 6? Hell yes. But it would be unfair for me to ignore the slanted officiating in Game 5 of the '02 WCF as well, along with the fact that SAC still had their chances in Game 6, and a home game 7 to boot.

Webber left Horry wide open for a game-winner

Peja AIRBALLED a wide open corner 3 at home in a Game 7 that potentially would have won the series

Kings did so many things wrong

I have no doubt NBA has made bs calls to extend series like they did this year in the Finals... Lakers had some calls go their way in Game 6 no doubt but Kobe and Shaq both had big games in Game 6 and 7

[Stringer Bell]

I don't think it is "fixed" per se with pre-arranged results, referees being told to do certain things, sit-downs with officials with Stern/Silver giving commands like Don Corleone, etc...

As far as the league taking advantage of certain opportunities that come up, that's a different story. The NBA not suspending Draymond when the Warriors were down 2-1 against OKC and game 4 was a crucial game. It turned out he sucked in game 4 and then the Warriors won the next 3, which was probably unexpected to the NBA, but if the Warriors had been up 3-0, I think they would have suspended Green for the Adams groin shot. Just like in this series. The Warriors were up 3-1 and they suspended Green. If the Green-LeBron altercation had happened in game 6, they'd probably look for reasons for Green to be able to play in game 7, claim that Green's shot was inadvertant or bring up that LeBron started the whole thing.

If the opportunity presents itself, they will do things to maximize profit or make things better for the viewer, but it's not some secret NBA Illuminati world with this blatant conspiracy.

Superstar treatment is probably another way in which the NBA attempts to make things better for the viewer. Keep the star in for the audience to watch. Jordan not getting ejected in game 4 of the 96' Finals is a prime example, and Bill Walton openly supported the NBA's superstar treatment.

It is BS though. Does a guy like Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, etc...really need help from the refs when they are already that great to begin with?

I don't know about the 2002 WCF. The calls actually went to Sacramento in game 5, that game could have easily went to LA. Game 6, the calls went to LA, and it was just crazy how many times the Lakers went to the line in the 4th quarter. You can look at it as it being "evened out", but I just look at it as the refs being terrible for 2 straight games.

I don't know about any conspiracy to make it go 7 games. If there was, I would think it's subtle and not spoken. Maybe the heads will say a comment like "Oh a good long series, that is great for the fans, for us, more revenue, more entertainment, etc..." and the refs know what the league wants. Who knows? I definitely don't think it's spoken openly and directly, that is too much risk involved to say it out in the open like that.

Funny thing, in the 1984 Finals, the Celtics took a 3-2 lead and David Stern actually openly spoke about this and said "tell Larry Bird to take it easy on us, we want it to go 7". Obviously Bird didn't take too kindly to those words. Stern said it in a joking tone, but obviously he wanted it to go 7.