Consider the reality, not the source -Part 3: NBA personnel reactions to the 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 6 officiating and Donaghy allegations

This is part of the continued coverage by ShotsHeard about the worst officiated game in NBA history; Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Before Tim Donaghy alleged improprieties by the NBA that may have affected Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, ShotsHeard had already called it the worst officiated game in history.

Part 3 of 'Consider the reality, not the source', examines reactions of players and media members to the officiating in Game 6 of the 2oo2 Western Conference Finals and to the Donaghy allegations that the NBA fixed that game.

Rick Adelman’s post-Game 6 reaction

"I feel sorry for our team, because they did everything they could to win the game,'' Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said. "It's a shame, a real shame….Our big guys get 20 fouls, and Shaq gets four. You tell me. Obviously, they got the game called the way they wanted to get it called."

Perhaps Adeleman left who “they” was for the sake of CYA (cover your expletive). They could be the Lakers and surely the Lakers took what they could get. The Lakers players towed the line and did not cross over to make a stance for fairness. “They” more appropriately did mean the NBA, who got their Game 7 and millions more in revenues.


Vlade Divac’s post-Game 6 reaction

"I knew before the game I'm going to be out,'' Divac said. "Shaq (fouled out) up there, I (fouled out) right here.''

Scott Pollard’s original reaction to the Donaghy allegations said prior to Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals

"My first thought [upon hearing Donaghy's allegation] was: I knew it," Pollard said Tuesday night. "I'm not going to say there was a conspiracy. I just think something wasn't right. It was unfair. We didn't have a chance to win that game....I’m sure Sacramento people are saying they knew it all along, and I could say that, too. Early in that game, it kind of slapped us in the face.....And Vlade and I both fouled out. I don’t think we ever both fouled out of the same game.”

Later, Scott Pollard does a near 180 degree spin

Pollard told reporters that it was too big of a conspiracy to keep as a secret for that long. He also acknowledged that it was a desperate move on Donaghy's part to alleviate his prison sentence.

"For a guy that wasn't at that game, didn't ref that game, to come out and say that, and in the situation he's in, I guess you could kind of say you could equate that to Charles Manson saying something about the Boston Strangler. He's in the business, but he doesn't really have a lot of credibility. He wasn't there."

Pollard did not completely close the door on the idea that their could have been corruption, but tried to coax himself into closure saying,

“If it’s proven that it’s true - and I don’t know how it would ever be proven - that would hurt. I’d much rather live with human error than human interference.”

My guess would be that someone got in the Celtic big man's ear and reminded him that any discrediting of the Lakers' 2002 champion status could be used as motivation in the Finals by current Lakers Kobe Bryant, Derrick Fisher and Coach Phil Jackson who were all part of the 2002 Lakers organization.

Irregardless of the current championship at hand that Pollard did not play one minute in, he may have simply thought it better to be more diplomatic. However to a man, Pollard's original knee-jerk reaction probably represents how all of the 2002 Sacramento Kings feel.

Phil Jackson’s reaction to Donaghy’s 2006 Western Conference Finals Game 6 officiating improprieties, coming prior to Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals

"He's a singing, cooperating witness trying to get as light a sentence as he can......Was that after the fifth game, after we had the game stolen away from us on a bad call?"

Reportedly, Jackson was referring to a game-changing play by Kings guard Mike Bibby in the final moments. I must say I am a bit stunned that Phil to justify the worst officiated game in history on one solitary call that he deems the referees should have made. It’s as if he does is willing to be completely oblivious to any possible impropriety that handed him his ring.

Yet if Phil implied that the Lakers got the benefit of bad officiating, you would not have known it in the Game 6 post-game press conference. Sac Bee sports columnist Ailene Viosin wrote about how annoyed she was as she watched “Phil Jackson's too-coy comments and watched him struggle to keep a straight face.”


Phil Jackson offers a solution to prevent future officiating conflicts of interests

Phil Jackson has called for their to be the NBA referees to be independent of NBA authority. The move would create more fairness and objectivity, Jackson believes.

Doug Christie's reaction to the Donaghy allegations

"I would definitely say that there was something going on beyond a poorly officiated game. Look at the statistics. This week, everyone made a big deal out of the Lakers shooting 10 free throws to the Celtics 38 (in Game 2). But in this game, you're talking about a team shooting 27 free throws in the closing quarter of a decisive game that would put out the defending champs."

Christie said he did not even remember who the referees were and that he stopped short of accusing the NBA of telling its refs to fix the game. He added,

"How can you fix a game? I don't even know if it's possible, but one way would be to slow the clock down and get free shots."

Doug Christie's solution to limit future officiating issues

Doug Christie opined that the NBA should get a fourth official and have each official responsible for a quarter of the court. The idea completely goes against tradition but is not without it's merits. Christie said,

"The league is making enough money (to afford an additional official). It's not going to hurt anything. If there's a questionable call, let them get together and try to get the call right. That would earn the respect of fans and players."

David Stern diminishes Donaghy's character, implies FBI exoneration of charges

NBA commissioner David Stern noted that Donaghy is a convicted felon attempting to lessen his prison sentence. He said the accusations are "baseless" and implied that the FBI has already discredited the accusations.

"He turned on basically all of his colleagues in an attempt to demonstrate that he is not the only one who engaged in criminal activity...The U.S. Attorney's office, the FBI, have fully investigated it, and Mr. Donaghy is the only one who is guilty of a crime. And he's going to be sentenced for that crime, regardless of these desperate attempts to implicate as many people as he can."

The FBI has not fully investigated it, according to Game 6 referee Bob Delaney

According to Bob Delaney, one of the three referees for Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the FBI has never asked him any questions regarding that game. However, Delaney did point out that the FBI did have questions for him regarding Dick Bavetta, one of the other Game 6 referees.

There is no word yet, on the content of the questions the FBI asked Delaney about Bavetta. Given that the referees cannot speak to the media without NBA permission, we should not expect to find out any time soon, if ever.


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