NBA 2024-25

The nature of conspiracy theories is to string together some anomalies and declare them evidence of grand malfeasance that non-believers are simply too blind to see. It gets kinda tiring. 

If the NBA has the power and motives described, they've been really spotty in how they use them. You'd have to consider the hundreds of games and transactions that squelched their nefarious master plan.

Silver might be the most liked and respected of the major sports execs, having expanded the NBA's influence worldwide and making owners, players and the league s#!tloads of money. Meanwhile, the NBA has been headquartered in New York since 1946, but that hasn't helped the Knicks. 

Competition has been exceptional and unpredictable. The league will have 7 different champions in the last 7 years. Rating took a dip this year and networks won't like the small market playoff match-ups, but there we are. 

Honestly, I can't blame anyone for raising an eyebrow at Dallas getting Flagg with those 1.8% odds. But the nature of odds is that a slim one will occasionally prevail given multiple sports and multiple lotteries. Who knows. 

The one I never understood was how the league could step in and prevent Chris Paul from going to the Lakers. That's a free market decision and might just as easily apply to Kevin Durant going to the Warriors or LeBron to the Heat. But that was a conspiracy in broad daylight. The NBA didn't hide it, they just never properly explained going over an owners head that way.  

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The people that love the conspiracies WANT them to be real.  

The NBA loves that it creates some level of controversy.  

But again, fixing the lotto is not happening.  One team has to win the first pick and even the team with the best odds only ends up with like a 15% chance to get the pick.  

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
The nature of conspiracy theories is to string together some anomalies and declare them evidence of grand malfeasance that non-believers are simply too blind to see. It gets kinda tiring. 
Click to expand...
Why get tired with somebody's sport opinions that differ, and then call it a conspiracy theory because of it?  

I have reasonable thoughts and opinions on sport subjects.  I don't claim to be right. But also,  I do not believe every single thing I hear or see.  I also had differing thoughts with Covid-19 when it came out, and then the Science and masks and vaccines and stuff.  

But most of all,  I am not conspiring.  I am only shooting the s#!t and chatting on HB.   :)

 
teachercd said:
The people that love the conspiracies WANT them to be real.  

The NBA loves that it creates some level of controversy.  

But again, fixing the lotto is not happening.  One team has to win the first pick and even the team with the best odds only ends up with like a 15% chance to get the pick.  
Click to expand...
I love a good conspiracy, because it can be enjoyable and fun!  

Yes the NBA is a business, having some of their team franchises with values between $4 billion and $8 billion dollars.  So, it is possible that the NBA can make things happen with that much leverage.  

Fixing the lottery is possible.  Even though they do the selection order behind a wall (with ping pong balls) and then the "results" are placed into envelopes because they already know.  And then walk out to a podium in front of people.  So, yeah it kind of can be manipulated a tiny bit if they wanted to - months in advance.  Betting is also a big part of it too.  And TV networks.  I mean, they don't just throw darts at a dartboard in front people with those odds  lol  

 
Last edited by a moderator:
admo said:
I love a good conspiracy, because it can be enjoyable and fun!  

Yes the NBA is a business, having some of their team franchises with values between $4 billion and $8 billion dollars.  So, it is possible that the NBA can make things happen with that much leverage.  

Fixing the lottery is possible.  Even though they do the selection order behind a wall (with ping pong balls) and then the "results" are placed into envelopes because they already know.  And then walk out to a podium in front of people.  So, yeah it kind of can be manipulated a tiny bit if they wanted to - months in advance.  Betting is also a big part of it too.  And TV networks.  I mean, they don't just throw darts at a dartboard in front people with those odds  lol  
Click to expand...
And isn't the entire process still hidden?  

 
admo said:
Why get tired with somebody's sport opinions that differ, and then call it a conspiracy theory because of it?  

I have reasonable thoughts and opinions on sport subjects.  I don't claim to be right. But also,  I do not believe every single thing I hear or see.  I also had differing thoughts with Covid-19 when it came out, and then the Science and masks and vaccines and stuff.  

But most of all,  I am not conspiring.  I am only shooting the s#!t and chatting on HB.   :)
Click to expand...


I hear you. But there was a post or two where you leaned a lot angrier than fun and that was killing my sports chat vibe. Maybe somewhere in there you admitted you weren't even watching the NBA and had largely given up on the sport.

Just trying to keep you in the fold as this thread is already underpopulated. 

 
My goddaughter is part of the security team for the California Lottery. It's pretty crazy how many safeguards they have in place, including five employees who accompany the ping pong balls everywhere. 

If I had to rig the NBA lottery, casually tapping one envelope to create a ridge is pretty brilliant. I wonder if they have footage of whoever picked the envelope feeling around for it.  

 
Guy Chamberlin said:
If I had to rig the NBA lottery, casually tapping one envelope to create a ridge is pretty brilliant. I wonder if they have footage of whoever picked the envelope feeling around for it.  
Click to expand...


The video I posted shows Stern flipping over several envelopes before pulling the one with the bent corner.  If they just mixed up all the envelops in the hopper, it doesn't seem like he would need to further mix them by flipping some over.

 
Mavric said:
The video I posted shows Stern flipping over several envelopes before pulling the one with the bent corner.  If they just mixed up all the envelops in the hopper, it doesn't seem like he would need to further mix them by flipping some over.
Click to expand...
I thought the prevailing theory was they put one in the freezer and stern was feeling around for the cold envelope?

 
Jason Sitoke said:
I thought the prevailing theory was they put one in the freezer and stern was feeling around for the cold envelope?
Click to expand...


There is a theory on that.  But if it's true, he happened to grab the cold envelope on the first try.  As you can see in the video.  Where you can also see the bent corner.

 
So the guy who brings the blank envelopes in had to know which one was the Knicks before he threw it in. The toss, which flipped backwards a bit awkwardly, looked kinda lucky if it was the key to the plot. Guy bringing the envelopes in could have bent the corner of the Knicks envelope just as subtly before any of it went on video, and not had to worry about nailing the toss. It's fun speculation, still not sure I'd bet the farm on it. 

Not quite a conspiracy, but the true stories of cheating at the highest levels of professional bridge are kind of amusing. They totally know some of the teams are cheating, and part of these tournaments are now about judges and spectators trying to figure out how:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/26/arts/contract-bridge-cheating.html

 
You guys

That's exactly what I am saying - to have thoughts about other possibilities - when it comes to billion dollar corporations running the field - an alternative theory is okay to have, okay to discuss and agree with partly, and always free to listen to and think upon it..... because it is entertaining.  I do that and have thoughts immediately called "conspiracy theory" and it is absolutely okay.  Because I love it and I enjoy it.  Even though I am not conspiring and battling tooth and nail for you to believe what I might say.

I had also heard about the frozen envelope a long time ago, but that thought (or theory) would have come from an insider.  And since I never heard who came up with that......I felt it was 50/50.  Like Louis CK saying "Of course, but maybe".

But the way @Mavric showed us the video of the dude banging just one envelope, and Stern staring it down, then flipping it when he did not need to....  I mean the bottom line is the billion dollar business is partially rigged - as they see fit.   :P

Now please point me to the threads about Area 51 and JFK so I can have some fun and entertainment - over a cocktail and a pint of beers and wings!  :woo   :wasted

 
teachercd said:
And isn't the entire process still hidden?  
Click to expand...
Yes behind the NBA curtains.  So you can trust them  ;)

pPHovYZ.gif


 
Back
Top