About a month before the draft, new Commissioner Stern inexplicably changes the draft order with some fake excuse. Everyone thinks, weird, but oh well, it won't make any difference. Now let's get interested in this draft, with the much-ballyhooed #1 pick Ewing, whom we've read articles about for years (Bowie had gotten similar publicity from high school on, but not the relatively unknown Olajuwon and Jordan). The draft soon comes and, shock, the eternal sad sack but biggest advertising market Knicks win the lottery!!! It sure looked crooked.
The draft order had always been that the worst team drafted first, etc. Stern's cockamaney new order, which no one understood because we were used to simplicity, somehow moved the Knicks, who were something like 6th-worst, to the #1 pick in the draft. He confused everyone with a complex smokescreen and before we knew it, the result was mo' money for the NBA. He would go on to embellish other weighted class systems like the salary system, the free agent system, and a more conference-based schedule. It brought in more money at the expense of equality, fairness, and a balanced league.
(Without clicking on the link) is this the theory that sometimes a team is better off without its "star" player? As in, the Knicks making the finals in the lockout season after Ewing went down? (I'm pretty sure Bill Simmons took credit for that theory.) (After reading the first few paragraphs) Okay, it's not that one. Is it the "chilled envelope" theory?
NBA was in the tubes. NY was the basketball Mecca. Ewing to NY would make the NBA relevant. Stern ensured it happened (Ewing to NY).
It's 30 years later. Everyone is retired and can't lose their jobs. Why doesn't Kasten name his source? Similarly, why doesn't the government release its JFK files, 50 years later. Must be hiding something big. Stern was in on it.
