TIM DONAGHY might be headed to jail, but he probably won't take any other NBA employees with him, federal prosecutors said yesterday in a letter to the judge overseeing the ex-referee's gambling case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Goldberg, who is prosecuting the Delaware County native, told U.S. District Judge Carol Amon, of the federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., that his office investigated Donaghy's claims of rigged basketball games and corrupt NBA executives and decided not to file charges.
The investigation, Goldberg said, "did not lead to evidence of prosecutable federal offenses." [Read]
From Russ Bengston of SLAM: What ever happened to you, when did you get so bitter? Used to be a
champion, now you’re a quitter Could have done more in Miami if you only got
fitter
If you couldn’t take the fire, should have stayed out the Heat You’re so
out of shape you can barely THINK on your feet
I’m a Laker for life, you’re just another man on a journey In fact, don’t
ever speak to me, just call my attorney Keep playing with fire, you ain’t
gonna burn me
You never really could rhyme, got carried by many Kind of like how it worked
with Dwyane, Kobe and Penny [Read]
Everyone seems to be freestylin' today so I thought I'd share the best one I've come across. Courtesy of the guys over at SLAM Magazine.
"Warrior.
That is the one-word description often applied to Patrick Ewing. He was
indefatigable and relentless in pursuit of an NBA championship despite
being denied on an annual basis. Bold predictions did not always
materialize and some took them as empty promises, while others as a
will to succeed. One of the finest shooting centers to play, he left
the game as the New York Knicks' all-time leader in nearly every
significant category and the game's 13th all-time scorer with 24,815
points.
He arrived in New York after a ballyhooed college career with the
Georgetown Hoyas that included one NCAA title and appearances in two
other championship games. The team's fierce in-your-face style of
basketball created a phenomenon known as "Hoya Paranoia" and as the key
intimidating defensive presence, Ewing was tagged the "Hoya Destroya."
A media star since his schoolboy days, his anticipated arrival to the
NBA was unprecedented.
Never achieving the Holy Grail of the NBA, Ewing came painfully
close. He led the Knicks all the way to the NBA Finals in 1994 but lost
to the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in seven games, which
avenged a loss by Olajuwon's Houston Cougars to Georgetown in the 1984
NCAA championship game.
Also, at the tail end of Ewing's career with the Knicks, he was
sidelined with a partially torn Achilles tendon when the San Antonio
Spurs defeated New York in the 1999 NBA Finals.
Some hold that Ewing's failure to win a ring is the litmus test
defining his career. But timing is everything and Ewing just happened
to be born within five months of both Olajuwon and Michael Jordan,
whose Chicago Bulls defeated Ewing's Knicks in five playoff series. In
fact, from 1990 through 1998, the NBA championship went to teams that
featured either Jordan or Olajuwon." [Read]
Shaquille O'Neal took the mic at a NYC club last night, unleashing a
freestyle verbal assault directed at his arch-enemy Kobe Bryant --
blaming his former teammate for ruining his marriage and imploring him
to "Tell me how my #### tastes." [Read]
As a Lakers fan, I can't wait until LA plays Phoenix next year.
I'm
also happy that Shaquille O'Neal is finally being exposed as the
classless individual he is. It's no coincidence that he's left every team he's played for on
bad terms. O'Neal even took the opportunity to trash Pat Riley and his former Miami Heat
teammates when he landed in Phoenix.
Upon
being traded, Shaq all but promised another ring for the Suns. He
hasn't retired yet but was ousted in the first round by the San Antonio
Spurs. The very same team the Lakers dispatched of in 5 games in the
Western Conference Finals.
USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo
today announced the 12 players who will represent the United States in the Aug.
8-24 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China.
The player selections were approved by the USA Basketball Executive Committee
and will be nominated to the United States Olympic Committee to participate in
the 2008 Olympic Games. In addition to Dwight Howard, others named to the 2008
USA Basketball Senior National Team: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Carlos
Boozer (Utah Jazz), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles
Lakers), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks),
Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons), Michael
Redd (Milwaukee Bucks), Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat), and Deron Williams (Utah
Jazz).
Team
USA's minicamp begins next week. Jason Kidd, Michael Redd, Tayshaun
Prince, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, LeBron
James, Deron Williams, and Dwight Howard appear to be shoe-ins.
Joe
Johnson, Tyson Chandler, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Mike Miller, Brad Miller, Luke Ridnour, Antawn Jamison, JJ Redick, Shawn
Marion, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom, Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen, Gilbert
Arenas, and Adam Morrison are vying for the 2 roster spots.
Of those players, I would select Carlos Boozer and Tyson Chandler.
I
think Coach K will start the 6-8, 250 pound LeBron James at power forward in an attempt to
jumpstart the fastbreak and capitalize on the US's athleticism. If
that's the case, Boozer becomes his backup. Chris Bosh is a very good player but he's not the shot blocker or finisher at the basket that Chandler is.
I'm surprised that Tayshaun Prince is rumored to have been selected. Outside shooting is a premium in the international game. Prince scores most of his points off of post-up opportunities. The international game is also much more physical. It will be interesting to see how Prince's slight build translates to a differently officiated ballgame.
Mike Miller or Bruce Bowen would have been a better fit.
The Boston Celtics are the 2008 NBA champions. Congratulations to the Celtics and their fans.
I didn't pick the Celtics to win the NBA championship. I picked the
Lakers over the Celtics in 6 games. But I did pick Boston to advance
out of the Eastern Conference before the season began. I broke down
the teams I considered to be championship contenders two months ago yesterday.
My concerns with the Lakers (inside scoring, defense) came to the forefront versus the Celtics. Pau Gasol wilted under the pressure and Paul Pierce TORCHED Radmonovich and Walton. When Pierce and Allen penetrated the defense, there was no one to protect the basket.
My only concern with the Celtics was their coaching staff. I wasn't convinced
that Doc Rivers was capable of making the in-game adjustments that
would be necessary to win the NBA championship.
I was wrong.
Doc Rivers was more than capable. Not only did he make perfect
adjustments but he outcoached Phil Jackson -- a championship strategist with 9 rings. Rivers was inspirational.
He implored his team to "never stop believing" and to "never give up."
The Celtics were an extension of him. They followed his lead in
fighting back from a 24-point deficit in Game 4. Looking back, the
Celtics won the NBA championship that night.
In total, I missed four picks in the 2008 NBA playoffs. I picked the
Wizards to beat the Cavaliers, the Mavericks to beat the Hornets, the
Magic to beat the Pistons, and the Lakers to beat the Celtics.
But the only pick I regret making was the Mavs over the Hornets.
Honestly, I hadn't watched the Hornets as much during the regular
season as I probably should have. New Orleans was a great team and
would have matched up well against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tyson Chandler and David West would have been
a nightmare matchup for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Especially
considering Gasol and Odom's struggles versus Kendrick Perkins and
Kevin Garnett.
The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled towards the end of the season before
being awoken by the mindless trash-talk of DeShawn Stevenson and
Gilbert Arenas. Arenas' injury didn't help the Wizards cause either.
Match-ups (the Pistons and Cavaliers were better defensively than the
Lakes) played a part in Boston's early round struggles. But the Celtics simply weren't as good in the opening rounds as the team that won 66 regular season games. To their credit, they got stronger as the playoffs progressed -- and they learned to win on the road in the process.
The Celtics won the
first two rounds with only 2/3 of their 'Big 3'. Ray Allen struggled
mightily versus the Hawks, Cavs, and through the first five games versus the Pistons but increased his shooting
percentage in each round. Allen shot 50% from the field and 52% from
the 3-point line versus LA.
Ray was every bit as deserving of MVP as Paul Pierce.
All in all, it was a fitting ending to a season for the ages. With no
games scheduled for tonight, I'm already getting the basketball withdrawals. Thankfully, the Olympics are right around the corner!
Eighteen of those 50 — were players from two franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
That’s 36%.
Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Bill Russell, Bill
Sharman, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate
Archibald, Sam Jones, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor,
Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, James Worthy, and
Magic Johnson.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, I’ll profile (nba.com, youtube, basketball-reference.com) one of those Lakers-Celtics legends daily.
"One of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and
one of the most prolific scorers in league history. He owns a career
scoring average of 25.6 points, the ninth-highest in league history,
and ranks 11th all-time in scoring (25,908) in 1,013 career games. The
16-year veteran is a career 58-percent shooter, third-highest in NBA
history, and has led the league in field goal accuracy nine times,
matching Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record. O’Neal has averaged 11.5
rebounds (21st-NBA history) and grabbed 11,630 (21st) boards as a
member of the Orlando Magic (1992-97), Los Angeles Lakers (1997-2004)
and Miami Heat (2005-2008). The three-time NBA All-Defensive Second
Team honoree (2000, 2001, 2003) ranks 8th all-time in blocks (2,485).
Won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002) and
one with the Miami Heat (2006). A three-time NBA Finals MVP (2000,
2001, 2002). Shaq has pulled down the
third-most rebounds in NBA playoff history (2,401) and blocked the
third-most shots (433). " [Read]
Eighteen of those 50 — were players from two franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
That’s 36%.
Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Bill Russell, Bill
Sharman, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate
Archibald, Sam Jones, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor,
Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, James Worthy, and
Magic Johnson.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, I’ll profile (nba.com, youtube, basketball-reference.com) one of those Lakers-Celtics legends daily.
"Robert Parish played in more games than
any other player in NBA history. A 7-1 center who combined strength,
agility and remarkable endurance, Parish won three NBA championships
with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s and teamed with Larry Bird and
Kevin McHale to form one of the greatest front lines in NBA history. He
capped his career by winning yet another championship ring as a member
of the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls.
Parish, whose signature shot was a high trajectory jumper that seemed
to kiss the banners at Boston Garden before finding its way to the
basket, announced his retirement at age 43 following the 1996-97
season, his 21st in the NBA, and after playing in 1,611 games. Upon his
retirement, Parish ranked 13th in the NBA in scoring with 23,334
points, sixth in rebounds with 14,715, sixth in blocked shots with
2,361 and eighth in field goals made with 9,614.
"He's probably the best medium-range shooting big man in the history of
the game," said Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who was Parish's backup in
the Celtics' 1986 championship season.
The Warriors traded Parish to Boston in 1980, and he enjoyed a
remarkable 14-year run with the Celtics. In his tenure with the club,
the Celtics went to the playoffs 13 times, won nine Atlantic Division
titles, reached the NBA Finals five times and came away with three NBA
titles." [Read]
Eighteen of those 50 — were players from two franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
That’s 36%.
Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Bill Russell, Bill
Sharman, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate
Archibald, Sam Jones, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor,
Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, James Worthy, and
Magic Johnson.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, I’ll profile (nba.com, youtube, basketball-reference.com) one of those Lakers-Celtics legends daily.
“He was basketball’s unstoppable force,
the most awesome offensive force the game has ever seen. Asked to name
the greatest players ever to play basketball, most fans and aficionados
would put Wilt Chamberlain at or near the top of the list.
Dominating the game as few players in any
sport ever have, Chamberlain seemed capable of scoring and rebounding
at will, despite the double- and triple-teams and constant fouling
tactics that opposing teams used to try to shut him down.
As Oscar Robertson put it in the
Philadelphia Daily News when asked whether Chamberlain was the best
ever, “The books don’t lie.”
The record books are indeed heavy with
Chamberlain’s accomplishments. He was the only NBA player to score
4,000 points in a season. He set NBA single-game records for most
points (100), most consecutive field goals (18) and most rebounds (55).
Perhaps his most mind-boggling stat was the 50.4 points per game he
averaged during the 1961-62 season–and if not that, then perhaps the
48.5 minutes per game he averaged that same year.
He retired as the all-time in career
points with 31,419, which was later surpassed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. He is tops in rebounds with 23,924. He
led the NBA in scoring seven years in a row. He was the league’s top
rebounder in 11 of his 14 seasons. And as if to prove that he was not a
selfish player, he had the NBA’s highest assist total in 1967-68.” [Read]
In a four-page letter released Tuesday, Tim Donaghy, said that two
officials conspired to fix the outcome of a 2002 playoff series and
influenced several other post- and regular-season games.
Court documents filed by Donaghy's lawyer detailed the
"inner-workings" of a plot in which top league executives used referees
to manipulate the games. Donaghy claims two referees were "company men"
whose job was to extend a playoff series in 2002 to a seventh game.
The playoff series in question is the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.
"Personal fouls (resulting in obviously injured players) were
ignored even when they occurred in full view of the referees," the
document says of the unnamed series. "Conversely, the referees called
made-up fouls on Team 5 in order to give additional free throw
opportunities to Team 6."
Two players from Team 5 fouled out in the game, the document said,
and the "referees' favoring of Team 6 led to that team's victory that
night." Team 6 also went on to win Game 7 of the series, according to
the document.
My advice: Don’t take Tim Donaghy’s statement as truth.
Read the recaps. Study the boxscores. Watch the game again. Look at the series as a whole.
Come to your own conclusion.
For instance, everyone knows that the Lakers owned a 40-25 free
throw advantage in Game 6 -- including a staggering 27 attempts in the
4th quarter.
After fouling out in Game 6, Divac said, "I knew before the game I'd
be out of it. (O'Neal) went out (on fouls) up there (in Sacramento). It
had to be the same down here."
Divac’s explanation is the most logical explanation for Game 6 and for countless other conspiracy theories.
It’s a matter of make-up calls and homecourt advantage.
There were numerous blown calls in Game 5. The Kings received a
33-23 free throw advantage on the Lakers homecourt. The Lakers were
called for 7 more personal fouls. Shaq fouled out with 6 minutes remaining.
Officials are human. They make mistakes. It’s impossible to call a
perfect game. If all the fouls that should be called –- were called –-
the game would come to a standstill nearly every time down the floor.
The best we can hope for is consistency.
But there are bound to be calls where one team gets the benefit of
the doubt. In those situations, the home team receives that benefit –- and rightfully so.
If team ‘a’ receives the benefit from the officiating in one game, you can bet
that team ‘b’ will receive the benefit of the doubt in the
next game.
Tim Donaghy didn’t officiate the Kings-Lakers Game 6. If he had officiated it, his accusations could be substantiated.
Without having been there, I find it hard to believe Donaghy has actual evidence to back up these claims.
Instead, I think this is a sad-sacked effort to drag the NBA through the mud with the hopes of receiving a reduced sentence.
Donaghy is admitting his guilt while trying to insinuate that he's a product of a disgraced system.
Eighteen of those 50 — were players from two franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
That’s 36%.
Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Bill Russell, Bill
Sharman, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate
Archibald, Sam Jones, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor,
Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, James Worthy, and
Magic Johnson.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, I’ll profile (nba.com, youtube, basketball-reference.com) one of those Lakers-Celtics legends daily.
"Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. Larry Bird was such a player.
For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through
1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all
areas of play–as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team
player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. Bird was so
self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents’ bench
before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. He was
such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced three-pointers with
his eyes closed. Among Bird’s contemporaries, perhaps only, Earvin
“Magic” Johnson was considered a better passer, a player who he would
inextricably be linked with forever. Few played tougher than Bird, who
would leap into crowds and over press tables for loose balls.
Bird was the embodiment of “Celtics Pride.” He was a classy,
confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired
teammates to excel. Like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and
Dave Cowens, the low-key Bird force the spotlight upon himself, but
rather one who brought out the best in the players around him. But even
those legendary players didn’t fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and
dominating games as Bird did.
Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from
substandard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. With Bird as
the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA
titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. In addition to his three
championship rings, Bird piled up an awesome collection of personal
achievements. He became only the third player (and the first
non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.
He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time
member of the All-NBA First Team. He led the league in free-throw
percentage four times." [Read]
The Boston Celtics took a 2-0 lead over
the Los Angeles Lakers last night by holding off the Lakers late and
escaping with a 108-102 victory at home.
The storyline after game 1 was the Celtics advantage on the glass (46-33).
The storyline after game 2 is the Celtics advantage at the free throw line.
Boston shot 38 free throws in game 2. LA shot 10.
Credit Boston’s offense for attacking the basket and drawing fouls but game 2 was a horribly officiated ballgame.
The Lakers were robbed of at least 10 free
throw opportunities. The most notable being a lob to Gasol in the 2nd
quarter where he caught the ball in mid-air, finished, and was raked
across the forearm and sent to the floor. No whistle.
With the Lakers leading 19-18 in the first
quarter, Kobe Bryant was whistled for two questionable fouls within a
minute and four seconds of one another. The first call took place under
the Celtics basket when Bryant and Allen were jockeying for position on
the baseline, the second came with Bryant sealing Allen on a post-up
opportunity on the elbow. Neither call was warranted.
With Bryant forced to the bench due to
foul trouble, the Celtics went on a 12-3 run before Phil Jackson was
forced to burn a timeout to get Kobe back in the game at the 9:40 mark
of the second quarter.
Once again, Paul Pierce led the way for
the Celtics. Pierce scored 28 points on 9-for-16 from the field and
4-of-4 from the 3-point line. Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton, and
Trevor Ariza (7 minutes) have been completely ineffective defending
Pierce in this series. They’ve fallen for nearly every pumpfake he’s
thrown at them and that’s allowed Pierce to get into the paint, draw
fouls, and create for others.
Time after time, Rajon Rondo penetrated
the Lakers defense and got open looks and easy buckets for his
teammates. Rondo finished with 16 assists. Four short of the Lakers
total as a team.
Leon Powe came off the bench and provided
instant offense for Boston. Powe was 6-of-7 from the field and 9-of-13
from the free throw line, scoring 21 points. Powe shot more free throws
than the entire Lakers team and scored nearly as many points as the entire
Lakers bench.
After shooting just 42% from the field in game 1, the Lakers shot 49% from the field in game 2.
The Lakers posted Kobe up on multiple
possessions but it came at the expense of their offensive continuity.
Once again, there was little ball movement. Pau Gasol shot 67% from the
field but received only 12 shot attempts. Lamar Odom scored 10 points
but was ineffective.
Odom lives off the strong to weakside
passes that put the defense out of position and allow him to catch the
ball at the free throw line extended. Those passes have been few and
far between in this series.
The lone brightspot offensively for the Lakers has been the Bryant-Gasol pick-and-roll.
But the Lakers haven’t run that play enough.
Of even larger concern to the Lakers is their defense.
They’ve been unable to keep Pierce, Allen,
and Rondo out of the paint. They’ve given up too many back-breaking
3-pointers in transition. And they’ve failed to match the physicality
of the Celtics.
If LA is to have a chance of evening this
series on their homecourt and forcing an elimination game in Boston,
several adjustments are in order.
1. Place Kobe on Pierce
Pierce is averaging 25 points a game on
63% from the field and 88% from the 3-point line. The only Laker who
has slowed Pierce down for stretches has been Bryant. Foul trouble is a
concern but Coach Jackson has to trust Kobe to play smart and not
fall for the shots fakes and jab steps that Pierce utilizes.
The Lakers have received next to nothing
from their shooting forwards so the most logical solution is to play
Bryant at shooting foward and insert Vujacic at shooting guard.
Shooting forward Trevor Ariza is a
reliable defender but he’s still working himself back from injury and
received only 7 minutes of playing time in game 2. It’s hard to
believe Trevor couldn’t produce more than Luke Walton has. Walton is
averaging 1 point and shooting 25% through the first two games of the
NBA Finals.
2. Stop dribble penetration
Second year point guard Rajon Rondo is
outplaying veteran point guard Derek Fisher. Fisher is shooting just
41% from the field and 29% from the 3-point line. He has been incapable
of keeping Rondo in front of him defensively. Reserve Jordan Farmar has
been effective defending Rajon but is averaging only 13 minutes a game
while shooting 57% from the field and 75% from the 3-point line.
Despite a sprained knee, Pierce has routinely driven past Radmonovic and Walton as if they were running in sand.
3. Get back in transition
The Celtics have hit several game changing
3-pointers in transition where the Lakers failed to locate their
defensive assignments on the run.
4. Check out
Although the Lakers rebounded well in game
2, they still allowed the Celtics 10 offensive rebounds. Second chance
points after a solid defensive possession take the wind out of a
defense’s sails. The Celtics are getting second chance opportunities
because the Lakers — 1 through 5 — are failing to put a body on their
man after the shot goes up.
5. Continue to trust in their bench
The Lakers have received significant
contributions from their bench during the playoffs. But they’re still a
relatively inexperienced bunch. Inexperienced players rarely contribute
on the road, much less in the NBA Finals. The familiar surroundings of
the Staples Center should help them get back on track.
6. Reverse the basketball
It's
Kobe's responsibility to move the ball and create for his teammates
against the NBA's best defense. Bryant is a great mid-range
jumpshooter and connected on a good percentage last night but the
Lakers have to make the Celtics work for full 24 second possessions
rather than settle for one pass and a contested jumper nearly every
time down the floor.
For the Celtics to steal a game in LA or
close the series out on the Lakers homecourt, they’ll need to carry
their defensive intensity and offensive execution to the West Coast but
with the knowledge that they won’t enjoy the homecourt officiating they
received in game 2.
I love basketball. While many basketball fans enjoy the month of March, I prefer the months of April, May, and June. My favorite team is the Los Angeles Lakers. However, my loyalty to the Lakers will not prevent me from giving my unbiased opinion on each and every team and player in the league. I look forward to productive chats, heated debates, and honest opinions.
