The National Basketball Association has become one of the biggest institutions in the sports and entertainment world. With all that public attention inevitably comes some rumors and misinformation, but perhaps none greater than the allegations made about the sixth game of the 2002 Western Conference Finals.
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| Former NBA Commissioner during 2002, David Stern. Source: Style Magazine |
Here's a quick recap of the allegations made against the NBA: The Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings were engaged in a best of seven playoff series, in which the winner would advance to the NBA Finals. The Kings had already won three games, so a win in game six would seal the victory for them. On the other hand, a Lakers win in game six would force the series to continue to a seventh game, which would create increased revenues for the NBA their media affiliates through more advertising and viewership. Many people believe that game six was rigged by the NBA in order to ensure a Lakers victory, and force a seventh game. This was allegedly done by the referees unfairly calling excessive fouls against the Kings down the final stretch of the game.
This video is a great recap of the event in question, and the reactions to the controversy by sports pundits.
Video titled "Recap of the Worst Officiating in NBA History" Source: Youtube
This wasn't just any average game; this was a big make-or-break playoff match. Plus, these weren't just average claims being made, as people were actually accusing the NBA organization of intentionally cheating to alter results. The Lakers won game 6 and game 7, and went on to play in the NBA Finals, where they would eventually win the NBA championship. The Sacramento Kings, on the other hand, never made it back that far in the playoffs, and their franchise currently flounders to stay afloat in their highly competitive conference.
It was almost like ESPN was airing soap operas with the amount of drama that ensued following this incident. Now, the details of what actually happened in game 6 have been debated back and forth a million times already over the last ten years, so I won't bore you with those. For any readers still looking for discussions on whether or not the game was truly rigged, there are a few good, qualified sources here, and here.
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| Laker's Kobe Bryant throws elbow against Kings' Mike Bibby without being called for a foul. Source: Round Ball Daily |
What I want to discuss is the long-term effects that the game has had on both the franchises involved. This morning, I got the opportunity to have a brief chat with the former Vice President of Marketing and Brand Development for the Sacramento Kings, who also just happens to be one of my advertising professors at UT Austin. Professor Stephen Wille was involved with the Kings organization during the time of the controversial game, and it was part of his job to deal with the resulting blowback to the franchise. Getting his statements on the game in question really gave me another side to the story.
"Our mouths dropped open, and we couldn't believe it," was the first thing Wille said when I asked him about his reaction to the game. He was stunned because he believes the Kings played harder and with more skill during that game, yet somehow came up with the loss. It hurt worse because the loss was to the Lakers, who had been a long-time rival of the Kings, even at the front office level. According to Wille, the Lakers organization would not even return phone calls from the Kings during the playoff series.
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| Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant celebrating their NBA Finals win. Source: Comcast Sports Network |
The Kings were a franchise that had never even had a 20-win season in the few years before they made their playoff run in 2002. Compared to the Lakers, who are a storied franchise with 16 NBA Finals championships, this was the biggest stage in franchise history for the Kings. The Kings knew this, Stephen Wille knew this, and the entire city of Sacramento knew this.
Kings fans are often considered some of the loudest fans in pro-sports, and Wille recalls the atmosphere of game six as being electrified by the fan excitement. As the game and the referee's calls took a turn for the worse, the fans grew even more frenzied. Suddenly, the whole building was in an uproar as the referees continued to make perceivably egregious foul calls. Within a few minutes, the fourth quarter ended, and the Lakers stunned the arena by coming out with the win.
This was Wille's account of the game in question, and this is how many Kings' and NBA fans will remember the game as well. The Lakers went on to win that years NBA Finals, and Lakers' superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant secured their place in history on their way to a three-peat NBA championship performance. For the Kings, however, nothing would ever be the same. The team was never able to capture that level of success again. The excitement and buzz around this young, on-the-rise franchise began to die down. The Sacramento Kings had the prize right before their eyes, but because they were unable to secure the victory, the team has faced a tumultuous few years following the controversial game.
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| Kings' players Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, and Vlade Divac (left to right) Source: Angel Fire |
In 2014, the Kings currently clock in amongst the bottom three teams in its conference. They have not made significant playoff noise in the last decade. The only time the Kings have gotten as much media attention as they did in 2002 was last year, when owners were forced to discuss closing down the franchise and moving the team to Seattle. This is the state of the Kings franchise now, and it hurts many to think about what may have happened had they beaten the Lakers in 2002. Maybe they would have gone on to win it all, and secured their place in history and the hearts and minds of sports fans. Maybe the success would have been enough to attract star talent around the NBA to come play in Sacramento, and maybe the team wouldn't be in the dismal state it is in today.
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| Despite having young talent such as Ben McLemore, pictured in the NBA dunk contest, the Kings find themselves in another disappointing season. Source: Twitter, @MySportsLegio |
That's pretty much all we can do, consider the "maybe's" and "what if's" involved, but the reality of the situation is the Kings did not get the win in game six. Whether it was the result of an unfair covert campaign by the NBA, or simply a coincidental bad night for the the referees, what happened in that game forever changed the future of the Sacramento Kings organization.
As fans, we often get caught up in the hype of the game. When we turn the TV off, or leave the stadium, the game ends for us, and we go on with our lives. The Kings wish they had that luxury, but when they walked off the court on May 31, 2002, they knew their organization would never be the same. The people involved, such as Stephen Wille, knew that there was an opportunity snatched from their grasp. This incident happened over ten years ago, but it still affects the Kings organization today, and this is a side of sports that many fans don't ever really stop to consider. Some moments in sports make for great stories and ESPN features; others can haunt an entire organization for years to come.
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