NBA Voodoo: David Stern Fixes the Playoffs

A Different Drummer ^ | 5 June 2002 | Nicholas Stix

[mrustow]

Article argues that NBA Commissioner David Stern wanted so much for the Los Angeles Lakers to extend their two-consecutive NBA championships to a "threepeat," that he fixed the Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings.

[Skooz]

No, I remember the Missing Link. This guy was always on a chain outside the ring. He never spoke to anyone (he learned no language in the cave, you see), just shook his head alot and grimmaced.

"...they found him in a cave..."

[Taliesan]

I thought the officiating was bad the other night too, (I was rooting for them) but the simple fact remains that if the Kings had hit their foul shots they would be playing for the championship.

Nobody did that to them. They did it.

[Skooz]

No, not "The Animal," either. He was a huge black or Samoan-looking guy, if I recall correctly. I know they found him somewhere in the Pacific or maybe the Canary Islands or something.

Come to think of it, I am almost certain he was black.

[pepsionice]

It has become so obvious. One has to go back and look at tapes from the 70s and grasp the fact that most of these were likely rigged. So sad.

[Taliesan]

Larry Bird being a dead-beat Dad

really?

[Night Hides Not]

Larry has an out of wedlock daughter. I can't remember which magazine I saw the story in, but a few years ago this young lady was playing on her high school team. From what I recall, she was a pretty good player.

She wore #33, of course. Larry never spent any time with her, and I don't know if he was paying child support. I think he saw her play one game during her high school career.

I apologize for the scanty details, and I hope that Larry has gotten to know his daughter, now that he's a father with his current wife.

Can any Freepers out there provide more info?

[knews_hound]

A point that Laker Fans will NEVER concede.

[knews_hound]

As one of the "Three Stooges" (please dont make me hit the button by your resorting to name calling) I have to say I am amazed that you cannot see the obvious.

The are different rules for Shaq.

Period.

End of statement.

From his traveling, camping in the paint, stepping over the foul line and shouldering players out of the way.

Tell you what, if Shaq were called for even half the fouls he regularly makes, he would be gone by the half in every game.

Much easier to name call and insult though.

Personally, I am done with the NBA playoffs and this thread.

Cheers,

knews hound

[diamond6]

Silly, huh? Just like Jordan against Utah. Why is that 1500 meals were served that night and only one involved food poisoning? You can't defend what happened in Game 5 though, can you?

[willieroe]

Shaq himself has admitted that the pain and inflammation from his arthritic toe did not allow him to get anywhere near his top physical condition this year. His offensive floor game has reverted back to where it was four-five years ago. I wouldn't look for Shaq to stick around the NBA too much longer.

[diamond6]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! No answers for my questions about Game 5, huh? I know Shaq sometimes charges into opponents without a call. However, I also know that opponents have great difficulty guarding a man that is 100 heavier than anybody taking him. Every time someone takes him they are hanging on him with their arms, hands, knees, etc. That is undisputed. But I see how you shift the focus of my questions and debate on something you feel you have a stronger argument on. Get used to it, because the Lakers are better than your Queens.

[FreeTally]

I don't hear you! The silence from the Three Stoodges is deafening? Do you have no defense for my comments in posts 106 and 115?

Why would anyone respond to your "food poisoning" remarks?

[diamond6]

No defense of Game 5, huh?

[rdb3]

I don't think the NBA is fixed--I think it is broken and needs fixing.

I totally agree, but I don't think that it's the officials.

It's the game!

Basketball is one beautiful sport (not my favorite, but still beautiful). It's beauty lies in its simplicity. Middle- and high-schools play it this way. Colleges play it this way. The NBA makes it appear as believeable as the WWF.

Here's what I mean. In high school and college, you could play a lot of different defenses. Box-and-1, 2-3, 3-2, 1-3-1, man-to-man, man-press, zone-press, etc. Slam dunks are cool, but I love to see Duke or Ohio State get after a team with an iron-clad man-to-man defense.

But until this season, the NBA prohibited zone defenses! They used to call "illegal defense." Illegal? A foul is a foul, but why is it "illegal" to defend my goal in any way I want as long as I don't commit a foul? They said they did this to increase scoring. The problem wasn't the defense. The problem was and still is the offense. These cats can't shoot the rock like they used to. Remember 135-131 games WITHOUT the benefit of a three-point line?

The NBA is indeed in need of help. But they have to get out of their own way first.

[mountaineer]

It's not up to me to "defend" game 5. I don't represent the NBA, its officials, the Lakers or the Kings. I am merely an observer, and I observed nowhere near as many bad calls in game 5 as in game 6. Further, the bad calls in game 6 were overwhelmingly against the Kings. Lay off it.

[FreeTally]

Its pointless arguing with Laker fans who fawn over a player that can't play by the rules. They respond with "but players hang all over Shaq". Yeh, no sh!t. What else are you going to do if they wont call him for charging and travelling?

I hadn't seriously watched the NBA for years, and had just heard how bad the officiating had gotten. Then I got sucked in to this series. I wont make the mistake again.

[FreeTally]

No defense of Game 5, huh?

I think that mountaineer said all that needs to be said in #195.

[gubamyster]

Vlade became expendible because of Shaq, and then the trade for Kobe. If LA could have ditched Elden Campbell instead of Divac, I'm sure they would have.

That's right - because of Shaq. Lakers needed the man to bring them the rings, and Vlade is not the guy. Even if Vlade had stayed (which would have been difficult under the salary cap) he would have only been a supporting player to Shaq & Kobe.

[diamond6]

I hadn't seriously watched the NBA for years, and had just heard how bad the officiating had gotten. Then I got sucked in to this series. I wont make the mistake again.

Thank God. I thought we were going to have to listen to your gibberish next year after the Lakers win the championship yet again.

[SlickWillard]

Larry has an out of wedlock daughter. Can any Freepers out there provide more info?

As far as I can tell, the original SI article is not to be found online [which, I have no doubt, is precisely how Bird & his lawyers wish to keep things].

Corrie Bird is a dead ringer for her famous father, Larry Bird. Her bedroom, according to Sports Illustrated, was for years a shrine to him (children offer worship even to the most undeserving parents). Bird, who was once married to Corrie's mother -- though not at the time she was conceived -- has provided financial support for Corrie but has actually seen his daughter only once or twice. Her eager letters, report cards and school pictures -- all sent certified mail -- fell into a black hole of silence. Corrie, now 20, keeps hoping things will change. "I've never gotten so mad that I haven't wanted to see him," she confesses.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/charen050898.html

Corrie Bird would like to attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for her famous father. But she probably won’t see Larry Bird honored Friday at Springfield, Mass., at least not in person... ‘‘And I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think it would be neat, but . . .’’
http://specials.tribstar.com/bird/corrie.htm

Within a year they were divorced, but, as a final blow, Bird discovered after the marriage had ended that his former wife was pregnant. Their daughter, Corrie, was born in August 1977, before his junior year. Bird says he isn't allowed to spend much time with his little girl. He and his ex-wife aren't friendly, and however much he loves his child, he still flagellates himself for the youthful union that produced Corrie.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1998/bird/flashbacks/1988flash.html

Bird says he isn't allowed to spend much time with his little girl - That's a lie; for twenty years, the poor girl begged and pleaded with him to talk to her.

and however much he loves his child, he still flagellates himself for the youthful union that produced Corrie - The amazing thing is that she was not murdered in her mother's womb.