Breaking News: Nets 2002 Finals opponent playoff got there through cheating

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy told the feds two refs fixed the outcome of one playoff series - and that officials were told not to eject star players from games for fear of hurting ticket sales.

The bombshell allegations are contained in a court document filed Tuesday by Donaghy's lawyer. It describes the “inner workings" of the NBA in which top league executives used referees to manipulate games.

Donaghy, who pleaded guilty in Brooklyn Federal Court to charges of betting on games he officiated, told FBI agents “league officials would tell referees that they should withhold calling technical fouls on certain star players because doing so hurt ticket sales and television ratings," the document said.

Donaghy claims he was told that two refs who were “company men” acting in the interest of the NBA conspired to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.

The referees allegedly ignored flagrant fouls committed by the team that needed to win. They also reportedly called "made-up fouls" against the other team which led to the ejection of two of their players. The team favored by the refs won that night and the next game to win the series.

The document does not name the teams. The Nets were in that playoff series, losing the championship finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Donaghy also claimed a supervising referee told refs that an unidentified NBA executive did not want them to call technical fouls on star players or boot them from the game.

Donaghy told feds the league reprimanded a referee who disobeyed that edict in January 2000 and ejected an unnamed star player from a game in the first quarter.

Lawyer John Lauro filed the four-page letter to Federal Judge Carol Amon because none of the information was included in the government’s letter to the judge seeking leniency for Donaghy when he is sentenced next month.

Lauro has gone to war against Brooklyn federal prosecutors for offering plea deals to Donaghy's betting accomplices that give them less time than the disgraced ref, despite his extensive cooperation.

Donaghy claims referees have accepted autographs, free merchandise and meals from team coaches and managers. He told probers one referee used a team's practice facility to exercise and another played tennis with an NBA coach.

"These activities were against NBA rules, indeed, such inappropriate relationships could influence the outcome of games," Lauro wrote.

Lauro said he withheld the names of the teams, referees and league officials because the feds may still investigate the allegations.</div>

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketba...istle_on_n.html

 

I don't know man, Shaq just tore the Nets a new one.

 

I feel like I should be more surprised...

 

Actually, you misinterpreted the article. His claim is that the Nets were in a playoff series that was cheated to go 7 games that season. Then it is mentioned that the Nets ended up losing the finals to the Lakers.

However, the author isn't correct as in 2002, the Nets never went to a Game 7. The Lakers did go to 7 games against the Kings and Divac and Pollard fouled out that game.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxsco...0205310LAL.html

Edit: I'm changing the topic title because it isn't accurate

 

Nope...not the Nets.

They wrote that sentence wrong. They meant the Nets were in that NBA Finals.

They are talking about the Western Conference Finals...when Mike Bibby fouled Kobe's elbow with his face.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BG7 Lavigne @ Jun 10 2008, 05:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Nope...not the Nets.

They wrote that sentence wrong. They meant the Nets were in that NBA Finals.

They are talking about the Western Conference Finals...when Mike Bibby fouled Kobe's elbow with his face.</div>

Yep, the article is worded poorly. I went back and corrected my previous post as the Nets were never in a Game 7 in the 2002 Playoffs and the only series to go 7 games was Lakers-Kings.

 

Yeah. I already went through the entire playoffs. Kings vs. Lakers was the only series that went 7 games that year.

I don't think anyone is really surprised by this. Wasn't Chris Webber crying about how the series might be fixed, but he doesn't want to think that before?

 

The Nets could have beaten the Kings! I demand a rematch!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pegs @ Jun 10 2008, 06:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Nets could have beaten the Kings! I demand a rematch!</div>

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxsco...0111240SAC.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxsco...0202040NJN.html

 

I didn't read the article, but I'm declaring the Nets the 2002 NBA Champions.

Suck it, Stern!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jun 10 2008, 06:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (pegs @ Jun 10 2008, 06:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Nets could have beaten the Kings! I demand a rematch!</div>

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxsco...0111240SAC.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxsco...0202040NJN.html
</div>

There's proof!

Wait...so we lose by 1 against Sac w/o Webber, but beat them by 34 when they're with Webber? Wtf hax?

 

I just played the series on WhatIfSports and the Nets beat the Kings 4-1.

KVH was the Finals MVP.

Since this result is more legitimate than the actual one, I'm going with this from here on out.

Hang me a banner!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Jun 10 2008, 06:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I just played the series on WhatIfSports and the Nets beat the Kings 4-1.

KVH was the Finals MVP.

Since this result is more legitimate than the actual one, I'm going with this from here on out.

Hang me a banner!</div>

Well now this really sucks.

 

Kings would definitely have the odds to win over the Nets. They were a pretty impressive team. Divac, Miller, Webber, Peja, Christie, Bibby, Bobby Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu, Scott Pollard, Gerald Wallace. Pretty good team there.

However, you can never rule anything out. The Nets could have been champs. Kidd would have his ring by now. They probably could have lured some free agents a little easier too, maybe stretched their title contending run?

 

Personally I thought the 2006 Finals was more egregious.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jun 10 2008, 07:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Kings would definitely take down the Nets.</div>

Based on...what?

 

Nets would have definitely a better chance against the Kings, but I think the end result would be the same. Perhaps, we'd get maybe 2 games or so, but that's just me speculating. Either way, it's better than facing the Lakers. Shaq was just too fat to stop.