Portland Trail Blazers Joel Przybilla Reinjures Knee In Shower
Ouch
It’s amazing the Portland Trail Blazers are still hanging around in the Western Conference playoff chase with the rash of injuries the team has faced this season. No other team in the NBA has faced as many injuries as the Trail Blazers and the injury bug is biting them even in rehab.
Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla reinjured his surgically repaired right knee and will require another surgery. Przybilla reinjured the knee when he slipped while entering the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He immediately flew to Portland and had a magnetic resonance imaging test. The MRI showed a tear of the patella tendon that was repaired.
Przybilla, 30, ruptured his right patella tendon in a Dec. 22 game at Dallas. He was 10 weeks post-operation and had just started to walk without a brace.
The team said there now is no timetable for his return, if he does ever return to the court. The injury does all but guarantees he will exercise his option to return next season to the Blazers at more than $6 million.
Przybilla was an important piece on the court as well as in the locker room and was voted by his teammates as a co-captain along with Brandon Roy.
Hair Wars: Greg Oden
Brother Dreads
Portland Trail Blazers Greg Oden is calling his new hairstyle “brother dreads” and will try to go full dreads by the summer. I call it nasty.
(Diss It)
Is Brandon Roy’s Season Over?
Say It Ain't So
The Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy told reporters after the game he is worried that his season could be in jeopardy as his hamstring is not progressing. That has him very frustrated.
Roy returned to action the first time last night after missing 15 games because of the hamstring he played 15 minutes and looked uncomfortable. He was 2 of 7 from the floor, then did not play in the second half.
After the game, Roy said, “I think if this [pain] is with me the whole season then I don’t really have a shot at playing. This is bad. I don’t know. It’s something I have to talk to coach about. It’s to the point where I can’t play because it hurts too bad.”
If Roy is done for the season, you can kiss the playoffs goodbye for this club. Even with their admirable performance without him to keep the team afloat, there’s just not enough offense. Losing Roy would be a catastrophic for this team’s outlook both short-term and long-term for deciding if this core is on track to contend for the Finals.
Marcus Camby Traded For Travis Outlaw & Steve Blake
Moving Day
The Portland Trail Blazers are picking up needed help on the interior, acquiring Marcus Camby from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard Steve Blake and forward Travis Outlaw.
The Blazers are currently in eighth place in the competitive Western Conference despite a litany of injuries. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla are both out for the season with injuries. All-Star Brandon Roy hasn’t played since Jan. 20 with a hamstring injury. Camby gives the Blazers instant help in their depleted middle.
In Portland, Camby will team with another veteran in Juwan Howard to solidify the Blazers post. The lanky veteran is a former defensive player of the year and two-time member of the NBA all-defensive team. In 51 games this season with the Clippers, the 14-year veteran is averaging 7.7 points and 12 rebounds per game.
The Blazers were able to part with Blake because of the development of Jerryd Bayless and the presence of Andre Miller. He began this season in the Blazers’ starting lineup as well before taking on a reserve role in December. In 51 games, Blake was averaging 7.6 points and 27 minutes per game for the Blazers.
Outlaw has been one of Portland’s key reserves during the Blazers turnaround in recent seasons. He was the longest-tenured Blazers player after being drafted in the first-round of the 2003 draft by Portland. This season, Outlaw has been limited to just 11 games after breaking his left foot on Nov. 14 at Charlotte. In those limited opportunities, Outlaw was averaging 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Clippers: Winners/Trail Blazers: Winners
Juan Dixon Test Positive For Steriods In Europe
"Damn homie, in high school you was the man, homie"
Another athlete has been suspended indefinitely from play but this time the player isn’t affiliated with baseball. It’s former Maryland star Juan Dixon, who is the program’s all-time points leader, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and was indefinitely suspended by the International Basketball Federation. Dixon is currently playing in Europe for the Spanish team Unicaja. He took the drug test in November.
He was drafted by the Washington Wizards, then played with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons and was cut by the Atlanta Hawks last October before resorting to earning a paycheck overseas.
Dallas Women Love Them Some Rudy Fernandez
Doesn't Get Any Easier Than That
Back on Saturday night the Portland Trail Blazers where in Dallas visiting the Mavericks but during a timeout with 41 seconds left in the fourth quarter two women walked onto the court to hug Rudy Fernandez.
One woman wrapped her arms around the waist of Blazers guard Fernandez from behind. Fernandez, who was not in the game but focused on the plays being diagrammed by coach Nate McMillan, was stunned.
“I was surprised,’’ Fernandez said. “I was listening to the coach on the bench and behind me, she touches me and says, ‘Rudy, I love you. Nice to meet you. Good game.’
“I said, ‘What?’’
Blazers guard Jerryd Bayless, who was on the perimeter of the huddle, said he saw the whole event transpire.
“They were drunk, obviously,’’ Bayless said. “I was actually close to Rudy, but when I saw them coming, and once they got onto the court, I stepped back.’’
The women were ushered away from the huddle, and amazingly allowed to return to their courtside seats under the basket and watch the remainder of the game, which went to overtime. McMillan said he hadn’t heard of the incident, but was wide-eyed when told the details on Tuesday.
“What about security?’’ McMillan asked. “That’s not good. I mean, really. If they came out on the floor …’’
So the women where allowed to return to their seats? Yep that’s some good security right there. Hope it’s a little for the All-Star game in two weeks.
NBA Announces All-Star Reserves
February 14, 2010
The NBA is set to announce the All-Star reserves during tonight’s TNT games but Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski got a hold of a leaked list of the 2010 NBA All-Star reserves
Eastern Conference Reserves:
Rajon Rondo – Boston Celtics
Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
Chris Bosh – Toronto Raptors
Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats
Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford – Atlanta Hawks
Western Conference Reserves:
Deron Williams – Utah Jazz
Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder
Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
Zach Randolph – Memphis Grizzlies
Brandon Roy – Portland Blazers
It will be the All-Star debuts for seven players: Williams of Utah, Chicago’s Rose, Boston’s Rondo, Charlotte’s Wallace, Memphis Randolph, Atlanta’s Horford and Oklahoma City’s Durant.
Among the notable candidates left off the team are the Los Angeles Clippers Chris Kaman, New York Knicks David Lee and Denver Nuggets Chauncey Billups.
Help Brandon Roy Become 2010 NBA All-Star
Portland Trail Blazers Brandon Roy really wants to go to Dallas and be in the NBA All-Star game. He’s thrown his hat into the video all-star campaign with the help of fellow teammate Travis Outlaw.
Blake Griffin Has Season Ending Surgery
Stay Off The Leg
The Los Angeles Clippers had told the world just recently that Blake Griffin was just weeks away from making his NBA rookie season debut, now it seems an injury that was reportedly only suppose to take six weeks will now cost him his entire season.
Griffin, the number one overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Oklahoma, will have surgery on his left knee and causing him to miss the rest of the ‘09-10 season. After feeling some discomfort during his rehab in his pool sessions, he was examined by team doctors, who determined that his knee hasn’t recovered like they hoped.
The NBA said Griffin will retain his rookie of the year eligibility for the 2010-11 season because he did not appear in any regular-season games. Greg Oden of Portland had a similar situation when he was eligible for rookie of the year voting in 2008-09 after injuries forced the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft to sit out the entire ‘07-08 season.
So does that make Griffin the next Greg Oden?
The Clippers have had two winning seasons in the last 30 years and just one playoff series victory since moving from San Diego in 1984.
Rash Of Injuries To Portland Trail Blazers Could Cost Playoff Spot
Ouch
Right now it’s dangerous to be a Portland Trail Blazer and Joel Przybilla is just the latest to find out when he sustained a ruptured right patella tendon and dislocated patella in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Trail Blazers are trying to respond to a 2008-2009 season in which they went 54-28 and it looking harder and harder to do with the rash of injuries they have suffered. Przybilla, who got the start because the Trail Blazers are already without Greg Oden, who out for the season with a fractured left patella, went up for a rebound and came down awkwardly on his right leg with 3:12 left in the first quarter.
Portland has already lost Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum are missing extensive time for the Trail Blazers this season.
Even coach Nate McMillan hasn’t been immune, sustaining a ruptured right Achilles tendon in practice on December 7 that required surgery.
Rudy Fernandez Out 4-6 Weeks
Hoopster
Dam the Portland Trail Blazers where hit some more bad news after learning that Rudy Fernandez will be sidelined from 4-6 weeks after undergoing successful surgery to alleviate pain in his right leg. The microdiscetomy procedure relieved pressure from a nerve root in his lower back that caused discomfort in the leg. This comes on the heels of the Trail Blazers losing center Greg Oden for the season.
“The procedure was successful and we can now turn our attention to getting Rudy healthy and back on the court” Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said.
Fernandez is a hoopster and hopefully he can return to full form, however till I see it, this will cast a shadow of doubt with me since it involves the back. I’m not a doctor nor do I have medical proof in this theory but I do believe that a injury that concerns the back is more of a downfall to an athlete than say his legs, believing that the back is the core of the body.
Hopefully this shadow of a doubt is erased in 4 to 6 weeks.
Greg Oden Done For The Season
Greg's Halloween Costume
As much as Trail Blazers fans hate that the name Sam Bowie and their organization is forever linked, it looks as they may have a new poster child for the next generation with center Greg Oden. The man who was compared to Boston Celtic great Bill Russell has gone and lived up to that comparison with his body seeing how it does resemble that of 75-year-old Russell.
Oden is out for the rest of the season after suffering a fractured knee cap, which occurred after he collided with Aaron Brooks in the first quarter in a Portland victory against Houstn. He laid on the court for nearly seven minutes before being wheeled out on a stretcher. An MRI was taken almost immediately after and it is now clear that he will need surgery.
Oden has been plagued by injuries ever since being drafted in 2007. The 7-footer missed his rookie season after undergoing micro-fracture surgery on his right knee. Last season, Oden sat out six games after injuring his right foot in the season opener against the Lakers, then missed 14 games after the All-Star break with a bone chip in his left knee.
Back in 2007 on draft night, I know two out of three members of the Sports Grind Entertainment team thought that Portland was making the wrong pick and felt strongly that they should have selected Kevin Durant, but hey what do we know.
NBA Attendance Only Down 2% Despite Economy
Est. 1946
It’s fairly earlier so don’t shoot the messenger but the numbers are out for early attendance in the NBA and despite the economy and the earliness of the season they are only down 2% from this point last year. Also the statistic is skewed by two teams, the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies, who are drawing less than 70 percent.
The 76ers averaged 15,802 in 2008-’09, in five home games this season they’ve averaged 11,377, and are down more than 20 percent of capacity from last year. The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 29th in attendance last year only filling 70 percent of their arena are now only filling 66 percent, only outdrawing the 76ers. The Detroit Pistons have cause for concern, dropping from first in average attendance to 16th, falling 19.6 percent. The Spurs, a team retooled and trying to avenge their first round playoff exit rank 12th but are down 8%
Not all is doom and gloom as the Chicago Bulls are up over 100 percent of capacity after filling 97.7 percent of the United Center last season. The Cleveland Cavilers are in a similar boat, selling out each home game so far after drawing 97.3 percent last season. The Atlanta Hawks have seen significant gains, rising from 89.4 to 95.4 percent. Even the Minnesota Timberwolves fans are showing support no that Kevin McHale is ruining their team by filling their stadium by 8% more than last season.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal
Average attendances and percentage for each team:
| Rank | Team | Average Attendance | % (+/-) from year prior |
| 1 | Chicago | 21,111 | +3.3% |
| 2 | Cleveland | 20,562 | +2.7% |
| 3 | Portland | 20,350 | -.8% |
| 4 | Dallas | 19,823 | -1.4% |
| 5 | New York | 19,625 | +1.7% |
| 6 | Utah | 19,611 | -1.5% |
| 7 | LA Lakers | 18,997 | (no chg) |
| 8 | Boston | 18,624 | (no chg) |
| 9 | Toronto | 18,131 | -3.2% |
| 10 | Denver | 18,039 | +4.3% |
| 11 | Washington | 17,975 | +6.7% |
| 12 | San Antonio | 17,957 | -.8% |
| 13 | Oklahoma City | 17,882 | +.5% |
| 14 | Atlanta | 17,862 | +6% |
| 15 | Golden State | 17,827 | -5.7% |
| 16 | Detroit | 17,541 | -19.6% |
| 17 | Orlando | 17,541 | +2.4% |
| 18 | Miami | 17,421 | -4.1% |
| 19 | Houston | 17,130 | -2% |
| 20 | Phoenix | 16,771 | -9% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 16,088 | +8.2% |
| 22 | New Orleans | 15,156 | -10.5% |
| 23 | New Jersey | 14,919 | -1.4% |
| 24 | LA Clippers | 14,748 | -7.4% |
| 25 | Milwaukee | 14,636 | -4% |
| 26 | Charlotte | 14,633 | +.4% |
| 27 | Indiana | 14,439 | +1.4% |
| 28 | Sacramento | 12,422 | -.9% |
| 29 | Memphis | 12,095 | -3.5% |
| 30 | Philadelphia | 11,377 | -23.7% |
Former Spur Ime Udoka Finds Another Job
Not A Hoopster
The Sacramento Kings seeking some defense help waived veteran small forward Desmond Mason a day after signing former San Antonio Spur Ime Udoka to a non-guaranteed minimum salary contract. After Udoka failed to take over playing time by the aging defensive beast Bruce Bowen, the Spurs let him go, and again was left team less for opening day after Portland waived the swing man at the end of the preseason.
Kings coach Paul Westphal elevated Andres Nocioni to the spot Wednesday but then Nocioni created another problem: by being arrested on suspicion of DUI in downtown Sacramento early Thursday morning. He can expect a compulsory two-game suspension by the NBA at some point in the future.
Udoka is a year younger than Mason, but the Kings boast a young roster, with three starters and five rotation players under the age of 23.
I promise unless Udoka resurfaces with the Spurs or nails a shot to win the NBA Finals, this will be the last Ime post.
The Book The NBA Doesn’t Want You To Read
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy’s tell-all book “Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA” has been canceled by Triumph Books and parent company Random House out of concerns over potential liability, the book was to have covered Donaghy’s experience as an NBA referee and the events leading up to his conviction on federal wire fraud charges.
“Somehow, the NBA got wind of the project and let Random House know in a threatening-type correspondence that they would object to the publication of such a book and they threatened that they would sue if they did go ahead and do that,” said the publisher. “Random House considered that and … just pulled the plug on it.”
Donaghy, 42, remains behind bars for a probation violation following his 15-month prison sentence. He was scheduled for release on Oct. 24.
However, Deadspin received a copy of the book and released excerpts from the now canceled book (so jealous they have a copy) [Via Deadspin]
On Gambling Refs:
To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn’t have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees’ locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal. We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice-he didn’t have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour.
After the opening tip, it was hilarious as the three of us immediately focused our full attention on the intended victim, waiting for something, anything, to justify a technical foul. If the guy so much as looked at one of us and mumbled, we rang him up. Later in the referees’ locker room, we would down a couple of brews, eat some chicken wings, and laugh like hell.
We had another variation of this gag simply referred to as the “first foul of the game” bet. While still in the locker room before tip-off, we would make a wager on which of us would call the game’s first foul. That referee would either have to pay the ball boy or pick up the dinner tab for the other two referees. Sometimes, the ante would be $50 a guy. Like the technical foul bet, it was hilarious-only this time we were testing each other’s nerves to see who had the guts to hold out the longest before calling a personal foul. There were occasions when we would hold back for two or three minutes-an eternity in an NBA game-before blowing the whistle. It didn’t matter if bodies were flying all over the place; no fouls were called because no one wanted to lose the bet.
We played this little game during the regular season and summer league. After a game, all three refs would gather around the VCR and watch a replay of the game. Early in the contest, the announcers would say, “Holy cow! They’re really letting them play tonight!” If they only knew…
During one particular summer game, Duke Callahan, Mark Wunderlich, and I made it to the three-minute mark in the first quarter without calling a foul. We were running up and down the court, laughing our asses off as the players got hammered with no whistles. The players were exhausted from the nonstop running when Callahan finally called the first foul because Mikki Moore of the New Jersey Nets literally tackled an opposing player right in front of him. Too bad for Callahan-he lost the bet.
I became so good at this game that if an obvious foul was committed right in front of me, I would call a travel or a three-second violation instead. Those violations are not personal fouls, so I was still in the running to win the bet. The players would look at me with disbelief on their faces as if to say, “What the hell was that?”
On Star Treatment:
Relationships between NBA players and referees were generally all over the board-love, hate, and everything in-between. Some players, even very good ones, were targeted by referees and the league because they were too talented for their own good. Raja Bell, formerly of the Phoenix Suns and now a member of the Charlotte Bobcats, was one of those players. A defensive specialist throughout his career, Bell had a reputation for being a “star stopper.” His defensive skills were so razor sharp that he could shut down a superstar, or at least make him work for his points. Kobe Bryant was often frustrated by Bell’s tenacity on defense. Let’s face it, no one completely shuts down a player of Kobe’s caliber, but Bell could frustrate Kobe, take him out of his game, and interrupt his rhythm.
You would think that the NBA would love a guy who plays such great defense. Think again! Star stoppers hurt the promotion of marquee players. Fans don’t pay high prices to see players like Raja Bell-they pay to see superstars like Kobe Bryant score 40 points. Basketball purists like to see good defense, but the NBA wants the big names to score big points.
If a player of Kobe’s stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he’s hurting the game.
Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford’s grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson’s team would win or at least cover the spread.
If Kobe Bryant had two fouls in the first or second quarter and went to the bench, one referee would tell the other two, “Kobe’s got two fouls. Let’s make sure that if we call a foul on him, it’s an obvious foul, because otherwise he’s gonna go back to the bench. If he is involved in a play where a foul is called, give the foul to another player.”
Similarly, when games got physically rough, we would huddle up and agree to tighten the game up. So we started calling fouls on guys who didn’t really matter-”ticky-tack” or “touch” fouls where one player just touched another but didn’t really impede his progress. Under regular circumstances these wouldn’t be fouls, but after a skirmish we wanted to regain control. We would never call these types of fouls on superstars, just on the average players who didn’t have star status. It was important to keep the stars on the floor.
Madison Square Garden was the place to be for a marquee matchup between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks. I worked the game with Derrick Stafford and Gary Zielinski, knowing that the Knicks were a sure bet to get favorable treatment that night. Derrick Stafford had a close relationship with Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, and he despised Heat coach Pat Riley. I picked the Knicks without batting an eye and settled in for a roller-coaster ride on the court.
During pregame warm-ups, Shaquille O’Neal approached Stafford and asked him to let some air out of the ball.
“Is this the game ball?” O’Neal asked. “It’s too hard. C’mon, D, let a little air out of it.”
Stafford then summoned one of the ball boys, asked for an air needle, and let some air out of the ball, getting a big wink and a smile from O’Neal.
On His Fellow Referees: Dick Bavetta:
Crawford wanted the game over quickly so he could kick back, relax, and have a beer; [Dick Bavetta] wanted it to keep going so he could hear his name on TV. He actually paid an American Airlines employee to watch all the games he worked and write down everything the TV commentators said about him. No matter how late the game was over, he’d wake her up for a full report. He loved the attention.
“Look on the bright side everybody, MORE playoff games for you guys and Dick, maybe you will get to be crew chief in the 7th game of the Finals, which is a travesty in itself you even being in the Finals.”
On His Fellow Referees: Tommy Nunez:
My favorite Tommy Nunez story is from the 2007 playoffs when the San Antonio Spurs were able to get past the Phoenix Suns in the second round. Of course, what many fans didn’t know was that Phoenix had someone working against them behind the scenes. Nunez was the group supervisor for that playoff series, and he definitely had a rooting interest.
Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, “You would love to keep coming back here.” He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger.
I remember one nightmarish game I worked with Joe Crawford and Phil Robinson. Minnesota and New Orleans were in a tight game going into the last minute, and Crawford told us to make sure that we were 100 percent sure of the call every time we blew the whistle. When play resumed, Minnesota coach Flip Saunders started yelling at us to make a call. Robinson got intimidated and blew the whistle on New Orleans. The only problem was it wasn’t the right call. Tim Floyd, the Hornets’ coach, went nuts. He stormed the court and kicked the ball into the top row of the stadium. Robinson had to throw him out, and Minnesota won the game.
[...]
Later that week, Ronnie Nunn told me that we could have made something up at the other end against Minnesota to even things out. He even got specific-maybe we should have considered calling a traveling violation on Kevin Garnett. Talk about the politics of the game! Of course the official statement from the league office will always read, “There is no such thing as a makeup call.”
That very first time Jack and I bet on an NBA game, Dick was on the court. The team we picked lost the game, but it covered the large point spread and that’s how we won the money. Because of the matchup that night, I had some notion of who might win the game, but that’s not why I was confident enough to pull the trigger and pick the other team. The real reason I picked the losing team was that I was just about certain they would cover the spread, no matter how badly they played. That is where Dick Bavetta comes into the picture.
From my earliest involvement with Bavetta, I learned that he likes to keep games close, and that when a team gets down by double-digit points, he helps the players save face. He accomplishes this act of mercy by quietly, and frequently, blowing the whistle on the team that’s having the better night. Team fouls suddenly become one-sided between the contestants, and the score begins to tighten up. That’s the way Dick Bavetta referees a game-and everyone in the league knew it.
Fellow referee Danny Crawford attended Michael Jordan’s Flight School Camp years ago and later told me that he had long conversations with other referees and NBA players about how Bavetta propped up weak teams. Danny told me that Jordan himself said that everyone in the league knew that Bavetta cheated in games and that the players and coaches just hoped he would be cheating for them on game night. Cheating? That’s a very strong word to use in any sentence that includes the name Dick Bavetta. Is the conscious act of helping a team crawl back into a contest “cheating”? The credo of referees from high school to the NBA is “call them like you see them.” Of course, that’s a lot different than purposely calling more fouls against one team as opposed to another. Did Bavetta have a hidden agenda? Or was he the ultimate company man, making sure the NBA and its fans got a competitive game most times he was on
the court?
Studying under Dick Bavetta for 13 years was like pursuing a graduate degree in advanced game manipulation. He knew how to marshal the tempo and tone of a game better than any referee in the league, by far. He also knew how to take subtle-and not so subtle-cues from the NBA front office and extend a playoff series or, worse yet, change the complexion of that series.
The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.
In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls-calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7.
“If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that’s down in the series, nobody’s going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7,” Bavetta stated.
As history shows, Sacramento lost Game 6 in a wild come-from-behind thriller that saw the Lakers repeatedly sent to the foul line by the referees. For other NBA referees watching the game on television, it was a shameful performance by Bavetta’s crew, one of the most poorly officiated games of all time.
The 2002 series certainly wasn’t the first or last time Bavetta weighed in on an important game. He also worked Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers. The Lakers were down by 13 at the start of the fourth quarter when Bavetta went to work. The Lakers outscored Portland 31–13 in the fourth quarter and went on to win the game and the series. It certainly didn’t hurt the Lakers that they got to shoot 37 free throws compared to a paltry 16 for the Trail Blazers.
Two weeks before the 2003–04 season ended, Bavetta and I were assigned to officiate a game in Oakland. That afternoon before the tip-off, we were discussing an upcoming game on our schedule. It was the last regular-season game we were scheduled to work, pitting Denver against San Antonio. Denver had lost a game a few weeks prior because of a mistake made by the referees, a loss that could be the difference between them making or missing the playoffs. Bavetta told me Denver needed the win and that it would look bad for the staff and the league if the Nuggets missed the playoffs by one game. There were still a few games left on the schedule before the end of the season, and the standings could potentially change. But on that day in Oakland, Bavetta looked at me and casually stated, “Denver will win if they need the game. That’s why I’m on it.”
I was thinking, How is Denver going to win on the road in San Antonio? At the time, the Spurs were arguably the best team in the league. Bavetta answered my question before it was asked.
“Duncan will be on the bench with three fouls within the first five minutes of the game,” he calmly stated.
Bavetta went on to inform me that it wasn’t the first time the NBA assigned him to a game for a specific purpose. He cited examples, including the 1993 playoff series when he put New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic on the bench with quick fouls to help Cleveland beat the Nets. He also spoke openly about the 2002 Los Angeles–Sacramento series and called himself the NBA’s “go-to guy.”
As it turned out, Denver didn’t need the win after all; they locked up a spot in the playoffs before they got to San Antonio. In a twist of fate, it was the Spurs that ended up needing the win to have a shot at the division title, and Bavetta generously accommodated. In our pregame meeting, he talked about how important the game was to San Antonio and how meaningless it was to Denver, and that San Antonio was going to get the benefit of the calls that night. Armed with this inside information, I called Jack Concannon before the game and told him to bet the Spurs.
To no surprise, we won big. San Antonio blew Denver out of the building that evening, winning by 26 points. When Jack called me the following morning, he expressed amazement at the way an NBA game could be manipulated. Sobering, yes; amazing, no. That’s how the game is played in the National Basketball Association.
In a follow-up email to the referee staff and the league office, Crawford railed about the lack of respect players had for referees and the NBA’s failure to back him up. Then, in a direct shot at the league’s embracing of referees like Dick Bavetta, he fired a sharp rebuke:
“I also told [Stu Jackson] that the staff is an officiating staff of Dick Bavetta’s-schmoozing and sucking people’s asses to get ahead. Awful, but it is reality.”
Crawford also touched on the fact that he was being excluded from working the playoffs that year:
On His Fellow Referees: Derrick Stafford and Jess Kersey:
Of course, Stafford had some friends in the league, too. I worked a Knicks game in Madison Square Garden with him on February 26, 2007. New York shot an astounding 39 free throws that night to Miami’s paltry eight. It seemed like Stafford was working for the Knicks, calling fouls on Miami like crazy. Isiah Thomas was coaching the Knicks, and after New York’s four-point victory, a guy from the Knicks came to our locker room looking for Stafford, who was in the shower. He told us that Thomas sent him to retrieve Stafford’s home address; apparently, Stafford had asked the coach before the game for some autographed sneakers and jerseys for his kids. Suddenly, it all made sense.
Referee Jess Kersey was another one of Isiah Thomas’ guys. They’d talk openly on the phone as if they had known each other since childhood. Thomas even told Kersey that he was pushing to get Ronnie Nunn removed from the supervisor’s job so that Kersey and Dick Bavetta could take over. This sort of thing happened all the time, and I kept waiting for a Knicks game when Stafford, Bavetta, and Kersey were working together. It was like knowing the winning lottery numbers before the drawing!
On His Fellow Referees: Steve Javie:
And then there was the ongoing feud between Javie and 76ers superstar Allen Iverson. The rift was so bad that Philadelphia general manager Billy King often called the league office to complain about Javie’s treatment of Iverson during a game.
Iverson was eventually traded to Denver, and in his first game against his former team, he was tossed after two technicals. Afterward, Iverson implied Javie had a grudge against him, saying, “I thought I got fouled on that play, and I said I thought that he was calling the game personal, and he threw me out. His fuse is real short anyway, and I should have known that I couldn’t say anything anyway. It’s been something personal with me and him since I got in the league. This was just the perfect game for him to try and make me look bad.” The league fined Iverson $25,000 for his comments, but most of the league referees thought the punishment was too lenient and were upset he wasn’t suspended. As a result, we collectively decided to dispense a little justice of our own, sticking it to Iverson whenever we could.
Shortly after the Javie-Iverson incident, I worked a Jazz-Nuggets contest in Denver on January 6, 2007. During the pregame meeting, my fellow referees Bernie Fryer and Gary Zielinski agreed that we were going to strictly enforce the palming rule against Iverson. Palming the ball was something Iverson loved to do, but if he so much as came close to a palm, we were going to blow the whistle. Obviously, our actions were in direct retaliation for Iverson’s rant against Javie. True to form, I immediately excused myself and made an important phone call.
Sticking to our pregame pledge, each of us whistled Iverson for palming in the first quarter-we all wanted in on the fun. The violations seemed to affect Iverson’s rhythm and he played terribly that night, shooting 5-for-19 with five turnovers. After getting repeatedly whistled all night long, Iverson approached me in an act of submission.
“How long am I going to be punished for Javie?” he quietly inquired.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, Allen,” I responded.
So Jealous Deadspin Has A Copy
I wanna read.
Is LaMarcus Aldridge Worth $65 Milli?
Hoopster
LaMarcus Aldridge reached a contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers worth between $65 million and $70 million, due to some bonuses, according to Yahoo! Sports.
I like Aldridge, I believe he’s solid and has a nice soft touch on his shots, he averages 18.1 points on 48% shooting and creates lanes for Brandon Roy. However, he’s not the 1980’s power forward/center in the physical sense but I don’t see more than a handful of those guys in the league anymore anyway.
Will Aldridge be a guy that puts his team on his back and carries them, I don’t see it unless he transforms his game in the next couple of years. As Trail Blazer fan will point out, he doesn’t have to, especially since it’s not really Aldridge’s team as long as Roy is on the roster, and who knows you might get something out of Greg Oden one day, I said might.
The Trail Blazers are doing a great job of gathering young talent and making sure they will be in Portland for some time, but that begs the question is a number two guy that is five steps below a Dwight Howard worth $65 million?
The Trail Blazers could have overspent but great things usually cost more, especially when your getting Texas gold.
Hair Wars: Andre Miller
Lil Nuk Nuk
Your kidding me Andre or is it Lil Nuk Nuk now, not a good look with buckteeth.
(Diss It)
Former Spur Ime Udoka Goes Home
Rip City Legend
Ime Udoka has gone back to his hometown of Portland for work having agreed to a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers, worth the league minimum of $959,111. The deal does not guarantee a spot on the regular season roster for the 6-5 small forward.
Udoka a native and fan favorite graduated from Jefferson High School and Portland State University. He played for the Blazers in 2006-07 and averaged 8.4 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.
