Donaghy pointed to game 6 of the 2002 western conference finals as one such instance. With allstar center shaquille oneal sidelined after an offseason foot. The three most infamous rigged games in nba history. But there is one series that doesnt get as much talked as the other. Zoh no he didnt new, 33 comments the kings play host to the best lakers point guard since magic johnson with isaiah thomas returning home tonight. Eight years ago, the sacramento kings were robbed of an nba championship in one of the most lopsided officiated series in sports history. Lakerskings game 6 by roland beech, founder theres been a lot of talk about this next game. So i personally wouldnt be surprised if preference was being given to kobe in the twilight of his career. Oral history of the 2002 western conference finals, kings. Many diehard nba fans swear by the theory that this series was rigged by the nba for one reason and one reason only. Why does everyone say the lakers 2002 championship was rigged. National basketball association criticisms and controversies.
So many people look at this game as a clear sign the nba is rigged. The fbi and a disgraced ref are at the center of one of the nbas biggest conspiracy theories new, 1 comment the 2002 kings lakers western conference finals. Kings lakers 2002 game 6, rigged, according to nba ref. A disgraced ref, the fbi, and the kingslakers 2002. Game 6 has always been where people pointed to evidence of this the most yet is that really the case.
A couple of years back i did an extensive breakdown of the referee calls in mavsheat game five of the nba finals. When horrys shot happened, i fell off the couch and. Our mission is to build a oneofakind, hyperlocal food andsustainability program for a worldclass sports and entertainment venue. Tim donaghy rigged games to adjust spreads and win money a few years back, too. When the kings lost game 6 of the 2002 western conference finals to the lakers, sacramento fans and a lot of the national media immediately thought something was up. But like the celtics fan said, itd be good for the nba if the lakers won it. Game 6 was the most poorly officiated big game that ive ever covered, and i. In the 2002 nba finals where the lakers faced the kings, was. Quit tossing the world delusional like its the only word you know, youre exposing yourself as a complete moron right now because game 7 was about as fair as it gets for both teams. What separated the kings and lakers in their epic 2002 series. The sacramento kings are next up for a preseason showdown that may, or. Sacramento will be wellrested but the kings have still lost four of their past five games.
Only way its rigged is if we get cavs vs warriors three years in a. Robert horry wins game 4 and saves the lakers 3peat. Nba home sports news, scores, schedules, and videos fox. When asked in a interview what your dream finals matchup would be. Series in 2002 was rigged, says disgraced former nba referee. The win forced a game 7 which of course was good for the nba as it meant more television ratings. The only unarguable rigged game in modern sports history was 2002 game 6 lakers vs kings. In 2002, the sacramento kings were robbed of an nba. And when people think a game is fixed, it stirs up more controversy than almost any other situation. Tim donaghy also says the nba routinely encouraged referees to ring up bogus fouls to manipulate results but ignore calls against star players. Games 4, 6, and 7 each could have gone the opposite way and ensured the kings the win. But then the lakers started to mount a comeback, and it was in part fueled by free throws. See also other dates, venues, and schedules for the lakers vs.
Kobe bryant and shaquille oneal vs vlade divac and chris webber. Webber bolts to the nba and floats around for a while before landing in sacramento. Blazers appear in donaghy book excerpt blazers edge. Lonzo balls doubledouble spurs 9986 victory new, 149 comments it wasnt a pretty ending but the lakers came out running against the kings. The book he is writing is a tell all about his years in the nba and how he successfully picked winners of nba games 7080% of the time.
The famous game 6 of the kings lakers series which referee. After the celtics blew out the lakers in game 1 148114 in. In 2002, a game 6 reffing scandal leads to a game 7 in which the kings lose in the most brutal of fashion. Tim donaghy is a former professional basketball referee who worked in the national basketball. I was irate when the referees inexplicably allowed a samaki walker halfcourt buzzerbeater to count at the end of the first half, even though nbcs marv albert had already hit the snack bar by the time walker released it. Discussion in lakers discussion started by trodgers, feb 19, 2019. Lakers have long been one of the nbas most exciting teams. Think about it you guys, why would the nba not want the sacramento kings the most exciting team in the league at that time to be in the nba finals. The three that we rank as the most important are game 7 of the 2000 western conference finals, game 6 of the 2002 western conference finals and game 5 of the 2006 nba finals. The 2002 lakers as well as the team from our next slide are one of two teams whose championships i adamantly refuse to validate. The winner of the eastern conference finals that year was the new jersey nets. The popular though smallmarket kings led the twotime defending nba champion lakers three games to two heading into game 6 at staples center, a game which would prove to be the most infamous of the series. Nba playoffs 2002 highlights, pictures, quotes and game recaps. Page 2 presents a look back at the best games of the decade.
And in the nba playoffs in 2002, something fishy happened that is still talked about to this day. I searched this game on youtube and it brought up few videos of game. Series in 2002 was rigged, says disgraced former nba referee the. Lakers kings game 6 2002 nba playoffs officiating breakdown. He also worked game 7 of the 2000 western conference finals between the lakers and the trail blazers. Lakers vs kings 2002 was rigged now we have the official proof with donaghys testimonial. Jun 29, 2016 kings lakers 2002 game 6, rigged, according to nba ref jamin coller. These are by far the most notorious rigged games in recent memory. The controversy behind game 6 in lakers vs kings 2002 wcf. The over is 188 in the last 26 meetings in sacramento. Lakers kings game 6 by roland beech, founder theres been a lot of talk about this next game. It took less than 500 minutes together on the court for ball and williamson to become the nbas most.
When the kings and lakers clashed in the 2002 western conference finals, many felt that the nba itself rigged the series to make sure the lakers won. And one might add, in a 106102 lakers victory, this officiating took away what would have been a sacramento series victory in 6 games. The 2002 sacramento kings and the fixed western conference finals. The end of a rivalry 2002 western conference finals, game 7. The nba is the most rigged product in the world utah should of never won game 5. But the lakers did win that title in 2002, and it was 9 years ago so people should move on from it. With the 2010 nba playoffs in full swing, we felt it was time to tell this story. The 2001 nba playoffs was the postseason tournament of the national basketball associations 200001 season. The lakers won game 6, attempting 18 more free throws than the kings in the fourth quarter, and went on to win the 2002 nba finals.
Jun 11, 2008 series in 2002 was rigged, says disgraced former nba referee. I dont want to say on the same page but they were in the same book. The book is filled with tons of alleged anecdotes to this degree, including one. Referees a, f and g were officiating a playoff series between teams 5 and 6 in may of 2002. Robert horry game winner chick hearn some highlights from one of the greatest nba games. When the kings and the lakers met in the 2003 preseason, the. It is about his knowledge of special relationships between referees and players and coaches, as well as the nbas manipulation of games and playoff series. In game 6, the kings intentionally fouled the lakers 3 times at the end of the game which the kings were still in giving the lakers 6 extra free throws, cutting that 15 free throw attempt advantage down to only 9. The lakers entered the season as the threetime defending champions, having defeated the new jersey nets in four straight games in the 2002 nba finals, winning their fourteenth nba championship.
That series my friend is the 2007 suns vs spurs matchup. A lot of people believe this game was fixed to make the finals more interesting. The lakers became known for their showtime style of play and entertaining millions across the globe. The refs rigged the game for the lakers to the point that the kings. The 2002 series certainly wasnt the first or last time bavetta weighed in on an important game. Hackashaq, inconsistent officiating, poisoned room service, and the road to the last threepeat. Allegations have long existed that game 6 of the 2002 western conference finals between the lakers and kings was fixed. Along with being a popular article, it led to frequent emails requesting i. I just heard that donnaghy has filed a report that says that two unknown refs rigged a game in order to extend the series to 7 in 2002 the only game was the kings lakers series to go to 7. The kings, their fans and many in the news media were outraged by the.
In the show, critically acclaimed sportswriter roland lazenby brings the story of this charismatic team to life in an unprecedented oral history, featuring such legendary players as wilt chamberlain, jerry west, kareem abdul jabbar, and magic johnson, along. Unique perspectives on the daily sports topics that matter most. Feb 08, 2017 watched the entire game live im assumming youre talking about game 7 of the western conference finals. Court documents filed tuesday by donaghys lawyer detailed the inner workings of a plot in which top league executives used referees to manipulate the games, the report said. Lakers game 6 2002 wcf im sure many of you know why this game is infamous, its the game by far most referenced when talking about nba game rigging or suspicious reffing. Diehard laker fan ryan and lifelong kings fan zack pore over the footage and details, in an attempt to settle it once and for all. And i totally agree with your points about the spurs and the pistons. The 2002 nba playoffs were the postseason tournament of the national basketball associations 200102 season. David stern at the time commissioner of the nba replied lakers vs. In the 2002 nba finals where the lakers faced the kings. What if the 2002 sacramento kings were not screwed by the. It really deserves its own article, maybe even its own book one day. The first definitive oral history of the ever popular l.
How and why game 6 of the 2002 wcf lakers vs kings might have been fixed. The series was rigged, but i only see game 6 as the rigged game. The zion williamsonlonzo ball connection has the pelicans and the nba eager for more. Seatgeek is the largest ticket hub on the web which means your chances are increased at finding the right tickets at the right price lets go. Nov 10, 2016 the lakers will get hot, make a game of it and end up losing by less than 12, to which a million lakers fans will exclaim at once. The famous game 6 of the kings lakers series which.
Webber had 21pts, rebs and bibby hit a clutch 3pointer in the 4th quarter, as the kings evened the bestofseven western conference finals series. A former referee at the center of a gambling scandal has alleged that nba referees rigged a 2002 playoff series to force it to seven games. In game 6, the lakers were the beneficiary of several questionable calls which helped lead them to victory. It was the sixth game of a sevengame series, and a. A decade later, questionable officiating still haunts what might be the greatest playoff series ever played, writes matt gallagher.
I was at my cousins birthday party, watching as my beloved kings imploded. Watched the entire game live im assumming youre talking about game 7 of the western conference finals. The lakers went on to win the 2002 nba championship. David stern has rigged hundreds of games in his 24 years in office. Dec 19, 2011 this upcoming nba season marks the 10 year anniversary of the greatest tragedy in sports history.
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