Donaghy Says Stern Told Refs To Manipulate 2005 Mavs-Rockets Series

[Lakas Fan Yo]

Donaghy on Houston Sports radio 790 talking about the 2005 Mavs-Rockets series:

Interviewer: "Is it true that there was smoke [referring to David Stern ordering the refs to "ref Yao Ming differently"] to the fire before the 2005 Mavs-Rockets playoff series"?

Donaghy: "Not smoke, but a blaze."

Then Donaghy says that Stern ordered the refs to specifically single out Yao for foul calls starting with game 3 of the series.

Then I saw this.............Donaghy: "And that's why T-Mac never got out of the first round."

Jeff Van Gundy got fined $100,000 by Stern and threatened with losing his job because he said that he was told by Stu Jackson in the NBA office in New York (an old friend of his) that Stern had ordered the refs to "ref Yao Ming differently". Van Gundy complained about this to the media and as ESPN and TNT said he implicated that Stern was rigging the playoff series.

Stern went nuts and threatened Van Gundy and fined him $100,000 and seemingly got away with it. Now Donaghy said that STERN HIMSELF ordered that series to be reffed differently.

Donaghy then specifically mentions game 5 of the 2005 Mavs-Rockets series. Now look at this:



As you can see Michael Finley is out of bounds at the end of game 5 where he touched the ball and yet the refs gave the ball to the Mavs instead of the Rockets. This call led to Dallas winning game 5, instead of Houston.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

will this be the end of the road for mr. stern?

[iamgine]

Hmm, I wonder if Van Gundy will back this up.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Hmm, I wonder if Van Gundy will back this up.

i doubt it, he'll probably keep quiet in fear of being "black-balled".

[oh the horror]

will this be the end of the road for mr. stern?

You have to wonder what is going to happen at this point. Thats a lot of heat though....one can only question if Stern will defend himself, step down, or continue on like nothing is happening.

[ronnymac]

That Series Should have never got to 7 games. we got some of the worst officiating i have seen in my 16 years as a rockets fan. that was worst then any offciating we would get even in utah in the mid 90's. i honestly after game 3,4 5 suspected something was not right. Dirk and Erica Dampier were setting some of the most dubios supposed screens i've ever seen. they were moving on almost everyone of them. McGrady was getting hit left and right with some astonishing no calls and yao was badly treated that Van Gundy was fined a 100 thou for mentioning it. **** you stern. that rockets team could have gone all the way.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

You have to wonder what is going to happen at this point. Thats a lot of heat though....one can only question if Stern will defend himself, step down, or continue on like nothing is happening.

will congress get involved like they did steroids? i hope so...

[ChuckOakley]

will this be the end of the road for mr. stern?

Please......Most companies/business are run the same way.. by some ulta-powerful and generally corrupt man who only cares about making money and his/his companies image to the general public.

Stern's been getting away with this for decades. Nothing will change now.

[beasly15]

it's official: F*CK STERN!

[oh the horror]

Its very frustrating as a basketball fan to hear, or read any of this.

[NoGunzJustSkillz]

Please......Most companies/business are run the same way.. by some ulta-powerful and generally corrupt man who only cares about making money and his/his companies image to the general public.

Stern's been getting away with this for decades. Nothing will change now.

yeah this ain't serious at all...i mean he's possibly taking money from owners by "rigging" basketball games. i doubt the rockets owner cares at all.

[magnax1]

Series I'm 90% sure were rigged are
07 Suns-Spurs
02 Kings-Lakers
02 Kings-Mavericks
03TWolves-Lakers
98 Jazz-Bulls
I dont really think the 06 finals were rigged, the Heat had been getting those calls during the regular season too.

[ronnymac]

The blazers got screwed in 2000 we got screwed in 05 and the poor kings got bent over in 02.

[justin43]

This will only feed conspiracy theories. I don't like these developments in the slightest. I can already picture some people claiming that the NBA is nothing more than the WWE, which is false. I sense some deception and half-truths in his statements. I am sure that the refs have personal biases and that they sometimes miss calls, but to say that they did it on purpose is another matter.

[oh the horror]

This will only feed conspiracy theories. I don't like these developments in the slightest. I can already picture some people claiming that the NBA is nothing more than the WWE, which is false. I sense some deception and half-truths in his statements. I am sure that the refs have personal biases and that they sometimes miss calls, but to say that they did it on purpose is another matter.

Well now all it creates is the atmosphere that if someone's team doesnt win, its because it was rigged. Paranoia will be at an all time high.