The NBA is Fixed and if you Deny it, you're an Idiot.

I've been a basketball fan since I was 7 years old. More accurately, I've been an NBA fan since I was 7. I can still remember being the only one in my household to watch Magic versus Bird in those great Lakers versus Celtics matchups. I was enthralled even as a child by the rivalry. That was a golden time for the NBA. But the fact is, that time also got the NBA addicted to stars.

The NFL, America's favorite sport, has great parity and a ton of relatively small market champions. (San Fran, Green Bay, Pittsburg, etc) Quite simply, this is because people will watch because of how competitive, interesting, and monumental the sport is. (I mean who is going to skip the Superbowl just because it's Seattle versus Pittsburg?) But the NBA was a struggling, almost bankrupt sport before Magic and Larry Legend came onto the scene, and it had it's second boom during the Michael Jordan era. So what happened? The NBA figured out that the sport flourished and made lots more money by having charismatic stars in large markets winning championships.

Fact: The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have accounted for 30 NBA championships and 47 finals appearances combined.

Fact: The next most successful teams in finals appearances are the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons. The least successful teams in reaching the finals are Indiana, Dallas, Cleveland, Sacramento, and Utah.

Fact: There is one NBA referee who has admitted to fixing NBA games. (Tim Donaghy)

Fact: There is at least 1 other NBA referee currently being investigated by the FBI.

Fact: Tim Donaghy has submitted court documents and is risking perjury charges by claiming referees fixed game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. That game featured 27 fourth quarter free throws, the second highest total of free for a team in a quarter in NBA history.

Fact: Ralph Nader wrote a letter to the NBA asking for there to be an investigation based on the referees in that game.

Fact: Sacramento is the NBA's smallest market team. Los Angeles is the League's second biggest market and had 2 of the NBA's most marketable stars in Shaquille O'neal and Kobe Bryant.

Fact: 78% of people in the current ESPN poll believe Tim Donaghy's aligations of NBA game fixing.

Fact: The NBA lottery process is done in private.

Fact: NBA Officiatng crews aren't announced until game day. (you never know how a series is going to go and what games you'll need to fix, right?)

Now... watch a few things for yourself. Your eyes don't lie.

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East Finals 2005: Miami Heat v Detroit Pistons


Western Finals 2007: Spurs v Suns



Western Finals 2002: Kings v Lakers


East Finals 2001: 76ers v Bucks