I don’t know if the league fixed the game, but the referees certainly did. That was an embarrassment for the league. Since I don’t believe David Stern ever punished or fired those referees, then maybe the league did want the Lakers to win. I do believe the league did fix the 2006 Finals between Miami and Dallas. Miami, and Dwayne Wade in particular, were going to the foul line on phantom calls. I felt like David Stern had a personal vendetta against Mark Cuban.
The whole Tim Donaghy thing is fascinating to me. I don’t know what’s worse, the fact the he was fixing games or that he blended in with the rest of the referees. I lean towards the second part because that would mean either more referees were betting on games or the league had an agenda. Having said that, I do believe Donaghy was a scape goat.
I think the NBA, and basketball in general, could help referees out by getting rid of the charge call. For one, it is such a subjective call to make. I also think it would bring more excitement to the game. I’ve mentioned this idea before, but I would rather watch the players try to block shots and actually play defense than to see a grown man fall to the ground because someone bumped into them.