Ralph Nader is jumping on the-NBA-is-fixed bandwagon. Scratch that, he’s been driving the bandwagon since 2002, when he wrote David Stern a letter asking him to investigate the now-infamous Lakers/Kings Game 6, which Donaghy insists was fixed so that the Lakers would win.
The Lakers shot 40 free throws in that Game 6 – 27 in the fourth quarter – “won” the game 106-102, eliminated the Kings, and went on to beat the Nets for their third straight NBA Championship.
Ralph Nader saw injustice and on June 4, 2002, Ralph wrote to NBA Commissioner David Stern asking for an investigation.
Ralph personally spoke with Stern.
But Stern stiffed Ralph.
No action was taken.
Donaghy’s lawyer, John Lauro, says NBA executives directed referees “to manipulate games” in order to “boost ticket sales and television ratings.”
According to Lauro, in the crucial 2002 Lakers/Kings game that Ralph complained to Stern about – “Tim learned from Referee A that Referees A and F wanted to extend the series to seven games. Tim knew Referees A and F to be ‘company men,’ always acting in the interest of the NBA, and that night, it was in the NBA’s interest to add another game to the series.”
For his part, Stern says that this has been turned over to the investigators and nothing improper was found. So from his point of view, the conversation is over. Stern just wants Tim Donaghy to go away.
But Ralph Nader doesn’t want to let it happen.
