I always said that the Sonics lost to the Suns in the 1993 Western Conference Finals because the NBA wanted to see Barkley play Jordan in the finals. I also always also thought I was a little bit delusional when I made the said statements. Now Tim Donaghy is alleging that the NBA is in fact corrupt in that way.
NBA officials allegedly told referees not to call technical fouls on star players so that ticket sales and TV ratings of the games wouldn't be affected, a disgraced ref told the FBI according to court filings Tuesday.David Stern of course does deny the allegations.
Of course David Stern won't have to worry about angry Seattle Supersonics fans much longer. . .Speaking to the media at an NBA finals that has been increasingly overshadowed by the Donaghy scandal, the commissioner said Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals might have been officiated poorly, but honestly and not illegally.
"On behalf of my officials, I'd like to tell you that they don't engage in the criminal conduct of which Mr. Donaghy has accused them of," Stern said.
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