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Even 12 years after his retirement, Mike Bibby can’t escape the controversy surrounding the 2002 Western Convention Finals. The previous Kings guard was on Jeff Teague’s ‘Club 520′ podcast when the hosts requested Bibby in regards to the notorious collection in opposition to the Lakers.
In 2002, the Kings had been up 3-2 on the Lakers within the WCF and had been trying to put the collection to mattress in Los Angeles. They’d been the higher group for a lot of the collection and Bibby was so assured in his facet that he was brazenly rubbing it in. “I used to be at film premieres and purple carpets speaking sh*t. Sh*t’s over with, ain’t nothing they’ll do,” Bibby recalled.
Whereas the younger guard was driving the wave of confidence, his veteran teammate, Chucky Brown had a extra vital disposition.
“Chucky Brown pull me apart, ‘Mike. You recognize if they convey in a sure crew, it’s gonna go a sure means’.“
Brown. who was on the tail-end of his NBA profession, had seen it throughout 14 years within the league. It was seemingly from his personal expertise that he warned his teammate of how a selected mixture of officers might put the Kings at a extreme drawback. Bibby although, wasn’t having any of it.
“I used to be like, ‘Bullsh*t man, it’s the NBA. Ain’t no means,’” admitted Bibby. Sadly for Mike, Brown’s warning would ring true and a few questionable officiating would take away the Kings’ probabilities throughout Sport 6, handing the Lakers a 106-102 win.
“I consider to today, it was the worst officiated sport in NBA historical past,” mentioned the Kings’ play-by-play announcer Grant Napear.
However in case you, like a youthful Mike Bibby, are skeptical of this, it would assist to listen to from a former referee himself. Tim Donaghy was an NBA referee from 1994 to 2007, notorious for being concerned in a playing scheme. Donaghy served 15 months in jail however when he acquired out, he dropped some bombshells.
He launched the idea of the ‘firm males’, officers that may name video games in a way that suited the league’s greatest pursuits. Talking on the notorious 2002 collection, Donaghy revealed,
“That evening, it was within the NBA’s curiosity so as to add one other sport to the collection.”
The previous NBA official would go on to elucidate,
“The referees known as made-up fouls on Staff 5 [Kings] so as to give further free throw alternatives for Staff 6 [Lakers]. Their foul-calling additionally led to the ejection of two Staff 5 gamers.”
Whereas many, together with then-commissioner David Stern, have contested Donaghy’s claims, it’s true that two Kings gamers, Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard fouled out of the sport. Years later, Mike Bibby now shares Chucky Brown’s skepticism. He would add, “We sort of sh*t the mattress Sport 7. However I actually don’t suppose it ought to have gotten to a Sport 7.”
Bibby and the Kings might by no means replicate their success once more, dropping out within the 2nd spherical in 2003 and 2004, after which 1st spherical exits in 2005 and 2006.
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