Level of trust in the league

[SHAQATTACK]

Adam ? Honest Abe ? Silver

[Yuckabuck33]

I don't trust the league as far as integrity.

I do trust the league to always do whatever it considers most financially beneficial.

A team loses its only marketable player? Make sure they get the next No. 1 pick. People go to games to see star players? Make sure those guys don't get in foul trouble. On the verge of having a throwaway franchise make the Finals? Give their glamorous opponent tons of foul calls.

This sums it up well. Full agreement.

Though I don't think most game endings are (usually) rigged. However, the refs put their thumb on the scale to keep it even and a team doesn't break through if they can't play past it. They have to shut their mouths and not choke.

2008- Bennet Salvatore was dragging the Pistons to a game 6 win, meaning every Celtics series had gone 7. Only this time the Cs didn't fold after foul calls so ridiculous I threw my chair across the room and scared my kids. Celtics win game 8 and go to the Finals.
2022- Scott Foster fouls Tatum out on ridiculous calls with 3 minutes to play in a close game 4. Team didn't fold and completed the sweep.
(2024- Finals game 4, Scott Foster again calling complete BS helping the Mavs. Except, in the 1st quarter Tatum saw it and gave up, as seen in his body language. Whole team followed and the Mavs blew them out. C's complete gentleman's sweep in game 5.)
2010.... Can't go there. Too emotional.
2025- I think this team had the temperament to ignore the refs but choking on the court was still a problem. Without Tatum's injury, I don't think the refs would have stopped a Cs comeback, if it actually materialized.

Anyone who bets on the NBA though....I question your smarts. Unless you're figuring the league's biases into your bet....

[angryguy77]

https://x.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1924458052532470129


I wonder if others are going to start talking.

[Roy H.]

https://x.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1924458052532470129


I wonder if others are going to start talking.

I don't necessarily see the outcome there to be that suspicious.  The three teams with the greatest lottery odds were Minnesota, Orlando and Dallas.  Warm weather would seem to be the favorite.

[Donoghus]

https://x.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1924458052532470129


I wonder if others are going to start talking.

I don't necessarily see the outcome there to be that suspicious.  The three teams with the greatest lottery odds were Minnesota, Orlando and Dallas.  Warm weather would seem to be the favorite.

The next year is the much more suspicious lottery.  (1993)

[Phantom255x]

Everyone online I see who are saying it's not rigged are associated with the NBA in some way either in media relations or directly as a member. Like okay, it's good to hear Adam Silver say it's a fair process. Nothing suspicious!

Doncic trade. Flagg to Dallas. Ewing and NY. Cavs and getting #1s for Lebron, Pelicans getting AD, and then all the referees to begin with, etc.

Btw, San Antonio got #2 as well. Lets not forget that. Very lucky for them to get #2 to add to Wemby/Fox/Castle/CP3 in some way.

[Roy H.]

Everyone online I see who are saying it's not rigged are associated with the NBA in some way either in media relations or directly as a member. Like okay, it's good to hear Adam Silver say it's a fair process. Nothing suspicious!

Doncic trade. Flagg to Dallas. Ewing and NY. Cavs and getting #1s for Lebron, Pelicans getting AD, and then all the referees to begin with, etc.

Btw, San Antonio got #2 as well. Lets not forget that. Very lucky for them to get #2 to add to Wemby/Fox/Castle/CP3 in some way.

The questions:

1.  How would they rig it?

2.  Are the rewards worth the risk of getting caught?

It's easy to see what the incentive for the NBA is.  As Dons brought up earlier, it's less obvious to see what the benefit to Ernst and Young is.  They bring in about $50 billion per year, and it is hard to see them risking that reputation.

I suppose it depends on how many people are actually involved in the process. Presumably, it might be possible to influence one or two employees without the firm's knowledge. 

[angryguy77]

https://x.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1924458052532470129


I wonder if others are going to start talking.

I don't necessarily see the outcome there to be that suspicious.  The three teams with the greatest lottery odds were Minnesota, Orlando and Dallas.  Warm weather would seem to be the favorite.

Even shaq said this is "interesting" given how the Luca trade went down.

Stern "pulls him aside...."

Too many coincidences when you look back at things.

[angryguy77]

Everyone online I see who are saying it's not rigged are associated with the NBA in some way either in media relations or directly as a member. Like okay, it's good to hear Adam Silver say it's a fair process. Nothing suspicious!

Doncic trade. Flagg to Dallas. Ewing and NY. Cavs and getting #1s for Lebron, Pelicans getting AD, and then all the referees to begin with, etc.

Btw, San Antonio got #2 as well. Lets not forget that. Very lucky for them to get #2 to add to Wemby/Fox/Castle/CP3 in some way.

The questions:

1.  How would they rig it?

2.  Are the rewards worth the risk of getting caught?

It's easy to see what the incentive for the NBA is.  As Dons brought up earlier, it's less obvious to see what the benefit to Ernst and Young is.  They bring in about $50 billion per year, and it is hard to see them risking that reputation.

I suppose it depends on how many people are actually involved in the process. Presumably, it might be possible to influence one or two employees without the firm's knowledge.

Rich people/companies break the law and take risks to earn more money. The NBA isn't immune from corruption. Money and power can cause the most financially secure to want more.

As to how they rig it, IDK. however the I have to think the people that created the process would best know how to undermine it as well.

So far the rewards seem to have worked somewhat. Look at what Shaq did for the league. When LA gets another star, they will benefit from higher ratings etc.

[kraidstar]

Everyone online I see who are saying it's not rigged are associated with the NBA in some way either in media relations or directly as a member. Like okay, it's good to hear Adam Silver say it's a fair process. Nothing suspicious!

Doncic trade. Flagg to Dallas. Ewing and NY. Cavs and getting #1s for Lebron, Pelicans getting AD, and then all the referees to begin with, etc.

Btw, San Antonio got #2 as well. Lets not forget that. Very lucky for them to get #2 to add to Wemby/Fox/Castle/CP3 in some way.

The questions:

1.  How would they rig it?

2.  Are the rewards worth the risk of getting caught?

It's easy to see what the incentive for the NBA is.  As Dons brought up earlier, it's less obvious to see what the benefit to Ernst and Young is.  They bring in about $50 billion per year, and it is hard to see them risking that reputation.

I suppose it depends on how many people are actually involved in the process. Presumably, it might be possible to influence one or two employees without the firm's knowledge.

Ernst and Young aren't risking anything when they're giving their client exactly what they want. Put a stamp on something and certain people will buy its authenticity no matter what.

And E&Y got caught in a major scandal themselves just a few years ago. I doubt they are pillars of integrity.

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/28/1108044858/accounting-giant-ernst-young-admits-its-employees-cheated-on-ethics-exams

[Donoghus]

This seems to sum it up pretty well.

So let me get this straight, this $50+b entity with thousands of partners in the US alone each with their own equity and earnings at stake will sign off on risking the firm reputation more by allowing that engagement team to knowingly sign off on a fraudulent process for what is essentially a marketing / pr engagement that will get significant popular media attention if its found out they knowingly signed off on a fraudulent process all in the name of doing what the customer wants for some reason.

[kraidstar]

Everyone online I see who are saying it's not rigged are associated with the NBA in some way either in media relations or directly as a member. Like okay, it's good to hear Adam Silver say it's a fair process. Nothing suspicious!

Doncic trade. Flagg to Dallas. Ewing and NY. Cavs and getting #1s for Lebron, Pelicans getting AD, and then all the referees to begin with, etc.

Btw, San Antonio got #2 as well. Lets not forget that. Very lucky for them to get #2 to add to Wemby/Fox/Castle/CP3 in some way.

The questions:

1.  How would they rig it?

2.  Are the rewards worth the risk of getting caught?

It's easy to see what the incentive for the NBA is.  As Dons brought up earlier, it's less obvious to see what the benefit to Ernst and Young is.  They bring in about $50 billion per year, and it is hard to see them risking that reputation.

I suppose it depends on how many people are actually involved in the process. Presumably, it might be possible to influence one or two employees without the firm's knowledge.

Rich people/companies break the law and take risks to earn more money. The NBA isn't immune from corruption. Money and power can cause the most financially secure to want more.

As to how they rig it, IDK. however the I have to think the people that created the process would best know how to undermine it as well.

So far the rewards seem to have worked somewhat. Look at what Shaq did for the league. When LA gets another star, they will benefit from higher ratings etc.

I think the league is run a lot like the mafia. Once you buy in, it's not to your benefit to talk about it regardless of how you feel about something.

Favors get passed around. Rules get bent and broken. Egos are massaged, debts eventually paid. Everyone makes money.

Tim Donaghy described Dick Bavetta's mentality of guiding series to seven games (paraphrasing): "Three games each is fair, everybody wins."

[kraidstar]

This seems to sum it up pretty well.

So let me get this straight, this $50+b entity with thousands of partners in the US alone each with their own equity and earnings at stake will sign off on risking the firm reputation more by allowing that engagement team to knowingly sign off on a fraudulent process for what is essentially a marketing / pr engagement that will get significant popular media attention if its found out they knowingly signed off on a fraudulent process all in the name of doing what the customer wants for some reason.

Giving the customer what they want is good business actually.

[Roy H.]

This seems to sum it up pretty well.

So let me get this straight, this $50+b entity with thousands of partners in the US alone each with their own equity and earnings at stake will sign off on risking the firm reputation more by allowing that engagement team to knowingly sign off on a fraudulent process for what is essentially a marketing / pr engagement that will get significant popular media attention if its found out they knowingly signed off on a fraudulent process all in the name of doing what the customer wants for some reason.

Giving the customer what they want is good business actually.

Not when the service you're selling is integrity, though.  The NBA is just a small fraction of their revenue.

[Donoghus]

This seems to sum it up pretty well.

So let me get this straight, this $50+b entity with thousands of partners in the US alone each with their own equity and earnings at stake will sign off on risking the firm reputation more by allowing that engagement team to knowingly sign off on a fraudulent process for what is essentially a marketing / pr engagement that will get significant popular media attention if its found out they knowingly signed off on a fraudulent process all in the name of doing what the customer wants for some reason.

Giving the customer what they want is good business actually.

Sure, if you're not subject to regulatory agencies, insurance, licensing, etc...