Consider the reality, not the source - Part 1: It doesn't take a convicted felon...

Convicted felon and former referee did not need to muddy the waters by alleging cheating by the NBA in Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Kings and Lakers for ShotsHeard to have already called it the worst officiated game in NBA history. ShotsHeard had already stated it was the worst officiated game in 'The refs: The Lakers' sixth man?'

The allegation by former referee and convicted felon, Tim Donaghy was that the NBA told the officials it was in the NBA’s best (monetary) interests for their to be a Game 7; or in other words for the Lakers to win. For that matter it was in the league’s interests for the Lakers to have a chance at going to the championship series (not alleged).

ShotsHeard does not know if it was a direct fix or ulterior motives that caused the refs to call the game so ridiculously poorly. However, it was one horrendous call or no-call after another. I have not seen a beginning 16-year-old Park and Recreation ref even come close to calling such a bad game.

Long ago, I heard on the radio from a guest journalist that the NBA refs received bonuses for their work in that series. I have not been able to reconfirm that though, nor in the recent storm has that concept been brought back to light as far as I know. That is the nudge-nudge, wink-wink system I long figured the NBA has used to get results.

Of course a directive or rather direct counsel from the NBA that a Game 7 would be in their business interests would in theory be more damning. But not really! Without even having the benefit of re-watching the tape, I can honestly say that not only should have the refs not got bonuses, the refs should have been reprimanded and likely suspended. The NBA implicated themselves to any clear-minded fan, a long time ago. It won’t take someone serving jail-time for us to know that the Kings got trapped in a vortex.

The NBA was not going to punish refs for keeping their cash cow, the Lakers alive. The Lakers were going for the rare three-peat which also meant gobs more money than squaring off the Sacramento and New Jersey markets. Not only was the league not going to punish the refs, they were going to reward the refs with bonuses and reinforce future desired results.

And let’s not think it’s just bonuses. Refs or ‘company men’ as Donaghy puts it, are going to be more likely to officiate more playoff games and go higher in NBA heirarchy, thus reap more financial bliss.

We may or may end up finding out what events really transpired leading up to that fateful day on May 31, 2002. The feds have keenly asked other refs about Dick Bavetta, who was one of the three refs. If Bavetta ends up being implicated in a felonious activities, then we certainly will get the ball rolling on that (no pun intended; but now that I see it; Good stuff).

But it clearly was a team effort that day. By team, I mean the team that counted the most on that day: The refs. They all made horrendous calls. Bavetta was not the ref looking right at Kobe Bryant do a horizontal pile-driving elbow into Mike Bibby’s face. It was Delaney (although any three of them could have easily called it).

ShotsHeard was in no way surprised by commissioner Stern’s snide approach to discrediting Donaghy’s accusations. Since Donaghy is a felon and has the ulterior motives of lessening his sentence, he can’t be telling the truth. Stern surmised. By that logic, Stern cannot be trusted. Stern is not a convicted felon, but he certainly had millions to gain by subtly presiding over the refs in a fashion that behooved the Lakers chances, did he not? Are we then supposed to believe that Stern is not telling the truth because he has something to gain?

Or is Stern more likely to be telling the truth because he is not a felon? Well by basketball standards his inaction to rebuke the refs for their officiating in the 2002 WCF sixth game, was criminal! To the everyday fan though, this is long forgotten . Combining that with the world's distaste for felons, Stern is banking on a quick exoneration by the media and the public.

Phil Jackson has it right in his call to have an independent body oversee the refs and thus remove the conflict of interest that the NBA currently has in overseeing fairness yet also overseeing officials who have great subjective influence on games and consequently immediate potential revenue. It would be ironic that Phil Jackson wants it, considering his teams have benefited the most from the conflict of interest. But really it’s not since Phil is fair minded but is certainly going to take advantage of what a system will let him take in the same way that a player flops for a foul. Phil likely does not like the flops called either, but he's not going to tell his players to not flop and not get calls.

Whether or not Donaghy is making everything up or he really is illuminating us on what allowed for the worst officiated game of all time, we do know that the refs were guilty on some substantial level. That is the reality and it’s a reality that David Stern has never been held accountable for. We can only hope the feds do come up with damning evidence so that the NBA can be fixed as much as Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals was fixed. Then the NBA can be the NBA and not the WWE!


View all five parts of the series: 'Consider the reality, not the source'

Part 1: It doesn't take a convicted felon...

Part 2: What transpired in Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals

Part 3: NBA personnel reactions to the 2002 Western Conference Finals officiating and Donaghy allegations

Part 4: Stern tries to whitewash the issue of NBA corruption regarding the 2002 Western Conference Finals

Part 5: 2002 Kings legacy stolen

Part 6: Another NBA smokescreen, ESPN in on the act