Let me state right up front, I watched precisely two NBA games this year. Specifically Games 6 & 7 of the Western conference Finals. I deeply wish I hadn’t. I don’t want to get into whether the Kings or Lakers should be in the finals, though I welcome yur comments on it. I’m talking about perceptions.
I watched game 6, and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My wife couldn’t believe what she was seeing (FTR I used to be a Pistons fan, my wife’s a Lakers fan), nor apparently could this guy. And therein is the rub.
No matter how I look at it, as a fan or non fan of the team, it’s hard not to believe these games aren’t fixed. It’s hard to believe that officiating that horrible isn’t sanctioned at some level. I don’t believe that the NBA has integrity, so I wil no longer watch.
Can’t be fixed. If it were, the NBA would be un by the dumbest people in the world. Scandals like that don’t stay covered up, and as soon as it was made public, the league would be done.
I think they are facing a serious problem of perception (that it is fixed) and poor refs. No consistency from game to game, heck, even within games. No team should ever end up with 27 free throws in 1 quarter. The refs seem to be too easily cowed by unhappy coaches and players. I tend to think the refs just can’t quite keep up with the speed of the game.
I wish I could help you but I simply don’t enjoy NBA games anymore. I got tired of watching overpaid convicts throw temper tantrums and as a result have seen all of between 30 to 45 minutes of gametime over the last 4 or 5 years.
I don’t mean to be on a “the old days were better” bandwagon but the players actually seemed to care more about the game (than the paychecks) then. Something’s different and it just doesn’t work for me anymore.
Before the two games I mentioned above, I hadn’t watched a NBA game since 96. Part of it was what you mentioned lieu, but if I used just that reason, I’d have to stop watching the NFL too.
Mullinator perhaps fixed is too strong a word. I just can’t help the feeling when I watch, that there are two sets of rules, one for the team with the big stars and the real rules for the ‘other’ team. Maybe as the article mentioned they may come up with some kind of Instant Replay, but I doubt they’ll do that.
Oh, I fully believe there are two sets of rules. I tend to believe they are split along the lines of star player vs. regular player (with some varying degrees in each based on how high up the pecking order you rank.) Just watch a couple of games, post-game press conferences, read some articles, and you will soon see players, coaches, and highers up reference this pretty obviously.
There was a game earlier in the year where a referee rescinded a techical called on Gary Payton once it was pointed out to him that it would have been Payton’s 2nd.
if people don;t think officials kowtow to one team over another, they’re obviously not watching the nba playoffs. actually, like mullinator says, the “star” players get the calls. and if shaq and kobe get the calls, there is really now way to beat them.
and as far as talent goes, i think the nba is on an upswing. i’d venture to say it hasn’t been this good since the heyday of jordan, hakeem, and drexler. there are a lot of young guys who are amazing. look at paul pierce, tracy mcgrady, steve francis, kobe bryant, kevin garnett… these guys will hit their stride in 3-4 years, and look out, it’s another golden age for the nba. plus, you have iverson, kidd, shaq, and a ton of other veterans who still have something left and aren’t dogging it (karl malone).
but they guys don’t seem to care as much. i remember back in the day you had to fight to get traded. if a team had a decent player, they’d do anyhting they could to keep ahold of him. these days, a guy says he doesn’t like vancouver (francis) and they trade away his rights just like that. the players are so spoiled and they know they can get anything.