Every year, conspiracy theorists find more and more reasons to think the NBA is as fake as professional wrestling. Some may be coincidences, but after so many coincidences, is it something more? It’s hard to believe the NBA would plan for a team as mundane as the Spurs to win this many titles, but maybe that’s what they WANT us to believe. No matter what your personal opinion is on the legitimacy of the league, these theories will definitely entertain.
1. Anthony Davis’ Draft Pick
The University of Kentucky star was a lock for the first pick and everyone was hoping for their chance to add him to their roster. But guess who got the top pick and the opportunity to take him? The New Orleans Hornets who only had a 13.7% chance of landing the top spot. That may not seem like a big deal until you realize that, at the time, the NBA owned the Hornets so it desperately needed the franchise to have a superstar. To make it even better, this pre-draft lottery photo of Davis surfaced to drive the conspiracy theorists completely insane:
2. The Referees Have A History
Remember Tim Donaghy? He was the NBA referee that was fired and spent 15 months in prison after it was discovered he was betting on NBA games, including ones he officiated. It’s a questionable source of information, but Donaghy claimed in a 2014 interview that the NBA pressured officials to call playoff games in favor of teams with a bigger market. He noted the Brooklyn/Toronto series as a prime example, as there were several questionable calls that had Raptors fan wondering if something bigger was at work.
Since the NBA’s foul calling is so different from other sports is it possible for a referee to rig a game? If Tim Donaghy could do it, why couldn’t the NBA itself?
3. The 1985 Draft
In 1985, the NBA decided to start using a lottery to determine the draft order. Cards were placed into a bowl and pulled out by none other than Commissioner David Stern. The New York Knicks ended up winning the lottery and took the obvious #1 draft pick Patrick Ewing. Some believe that Stern rigged the draft for New York to get the first pick in order to rejuvenate the struggling Knicks since they’re in such a large market city.
But how did he pull it off?
Some believe the Knicks’ card was frozen beforehand so Stern would be able to feel which card to pick. The card was also slightly bent on the corner, so some see that as evidence that Stern had the card marked. Watch the video of the lottery for yourself and see if you notice anything.
Here’s a screenshot of the bent corner:
4. The Other NBA Draft Conspiracies
While the 1985 draft is definitely the most infamous, there are several other draft lotteries that had suspicious results. The Cleveland Cavs just so happened to get the first overall pick the year that Akron, Ohio native Lebron James was available. Then in 2011, after Lebron left in dramatic fashion, guess who got the top pick to help build the team back up? That’s right, the Cavs once again. Lebron wasn’t the only player to see his local team surprisingly get the top pick. In 2008, everyone knew Derrick Rose would be the first player drafted and it just so happened that his native city of Chicago got the first pick. Conspiracy or coincidence?
5. It’s All About the Ratings
There have been several occasions where players and coaches have voiced frustration and concern that the NBA was calling games in favor of teams that had bigger markets. In 2001, Ray Allen was a member of the Milwaukee Bucks going up against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. After numerous calls had gone against the smaller market Bucks Allen, along with coach Geroge Karl, Glenn Robinson, and Sam Cassell said they felt like the calls were so bad that it’s quite possible the league was against them. Ray Allen said this before Game 6:
“It behooves everybody for the league to make more money, and the league knows that Philadelphia is going to make more money with L.A. than we would with L.A.”
The 76ers went on to win the series and onto the NBA Finals.
In Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Kings were up 3-2 and are a substantially smaller market team than the Lakers are, especially in 2002. If you watched the last two games of the series, the officiating was blatantly in favor of the Lakers and, as a result, they went on to win the series. Was this David Stern pushing the officials to do whatever it takes for a marquee matchup in the NBA Finals or just a coincidence?
6. Michael Jordan’s Retirement
The conspiracy around Michael Jordan’s retirement doesn’t directly affect the game, but if it was true, it would show the depths that Stern is willing to go in order to save face for his brand. It was shocking when Jordan suddenly decided to retire in 1993 and focus on baseball, but if you believe what some think actually happened it makes much more sense.
When word came out that Jordan was a hardcore gambler some believed that he had been caught betting on NBA games. To keep his legacy and the image of the NBA intact, they believe Stern secretly suspended Jordan and they came up with the plan for him to pursue baseball for a year and then come back to the league. While it doesn’t seem like the most plausible idea, the pieces of the puzzle do fit and that’s how these conspiracies start. Some pieces may not line up perfectly, but when they do, it makes it all too real.
