Does this Billups news affect how you feel about the NBA?

[Natebishop3]

I'm going to be completely honest about how I feel right now about the NBA.

The scandal with the Clippers and Kawhi already damaged how I feel about the league. If they don't end up punishing the Clippers, I will take a long look at how much I care about the sport. If rich owners can do whatever they want and there's no repercussions, why should I care about the league as a fan of a small market team?

Now this Billups thing happens. Gambling is becoming so prevalent in sports. I'm not a gambler. At all. We have heard that Billups was allegedly involved in gambling on a Blazer game a few years ago.

Has this impacted how you feel about the NBA?

 

[Strenuus]

The NBA is fucking awful.

 

[PDXFonz]

No, individual corruption does not signify corruption of the league.

Things like the league rigging drafts or trades will always damage my opinion on it more than players or owners committing fraud or defrauding the league/bypassing rules for their benefit.

 

[Natebishop3]

No, individual corruption does not signify corruption of the league.

Things like the league rigging drafts or trades will always damage my opinion on it more than players or owners committing fraud or defrauding the league/bypassing rules for their benefit.

There seems to have been a lot of smoke though. First it was Tim Donaghy, then it was Porter, now it's Billups and Rozier. Plus all the rumors about Michael Jordan back in the 90s.

 

[PDXFonz]

There seems to have been a lot of smoke though. First it was Tim Donaghy, then it was Porter, now it's Billups and Rozier. Plus all the rumors about Michael Jordan back in the 90s.

And the NFL has domestic abusers in elevators and at hotels caught on camera. Something about a glove not fitting, etc…

Some humans are corrupt, so long as the league administration handles these cases properly and does not participate in these situations themselves, it doesn’t damage my perception of the league as an entity.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Not in the slightest.
The Donaghy thing, on the other hand, really pissed me off.

 

[PDXFonz]

Also “Rich Owners” is kind of redundant… Are there any sports team owners which are poor?

 

[Sean.ivity]

Yeah this isn't really fazing me at all.

 

[Natebishop3]

And the NFL has domestic abusers in elevators and at hotels caught on camera. Something about a glove not fitting, etc…

Some humans are corrupt, so long as the league administration handles these cases properly and does not participate in these situations themselves, it doesn’t damage my perception of the league as an entity.

Sure but domestic abusers aren't directly affecting the actual game on the court or the field. They're just shitty humans off the court or field.

The Clippers thing is what really bothers me though. I would be FURIOUS if I was a Raptors fan. They had just won a ring and then the Clippers stole their best player with 50 million under the table. This doesn't scare/bother all of you?

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Sure but domestic abusers aren't directly affecting the actual game on the court or the field. They're just shitty humans off the court or field.

The Clippers thing is what really bothers me though. I would be FURIOUS if I was a Raptors fan. They had just won a ring and then the Clippers stole their best player with 50 million under the table. This doesn't scare/bother all of you?

It is no doubt an issue, but violent crime will always trump nonviolent crime in my book.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

It is no doubt an issue, but violent crime will always trump nonviolent crime in my book.

Agreed.

But not when it comes to the integrity of the game.

If a player is caught in domestic abuse stuff, teams can simply not sign that player again. Ray Rice had his career ruined because of his behavior.

Deflategate and the bounty stuff would be a better example in terms of integrity of the league. Cheating and intentional trying to harm players is unacceptable.

Donaghy was awful for the league. This might be too. If Billups was doing what he was accused of, do we really think this is where it stops?

My guess is this is the first layer of the onion of the league.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

Agreed.

But not when it comes to the integrity of the game.

If a player is caught in domestic abuse stuff, teams can simply not sign that player again. Ray Rice had his career ruined because of his behavior.

Deflategate and the bounty stuff would be a better example in terms of integrity of the league. Cheating and intentional trying to harm players is unacceptable.

Donaghy was awful for the league. This might be too. If Billups was doing what he was accused of, do we really think this is where it stops?

My guess is this is the first layer of the onion of the league.

With things like this, the layers are often deep, but those layers could turn into non nba layers. Mob, gamblers outside of the nba, etc.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

With things like this, the layers are often deep, but those layers could turn into non nba layers. Mob, gamblers outside of the nba, etc.

It is true. But, you'd have to think there would be many discussions amongst recruiting players.

We'll see as more and more come out.

If it does involve players, especially point shaving type stuff, league integrity is in the toilet for me.

 

[LayneStaley]

I think all sports are “tampered” with in someway. Name a billion dollar company that isn’t. It’s a business first off and businesses are about making money. Whether that means Ewing going to the Knicks or players shaving points to get in on a piece of the action or refs determining the outcomes. I don’t think every game is rigged, or every draft fixed, or every player dirty. I do think all of it happens though.

 

[LayneStaley]

Btw AI could get every foul or penalty in every sport correct yet we still have “officials and refs”. Just seems weird to me if the technology is there to make less errors why not use it.

 

[SharpeScooterShooter]

I think all sports are “tampered” with in someway. Name a billion dollar company that isn’t. It’s a business first off and businesses are about making money. Whether that means Ewing going to the Knicks or players shaving points to get in on a piece of the action or refs determining the outcomes. I don’t think every game is rigged, or every draft fixed, or every player dirty. I do think all of it happens though.

Ive been tooting this horn for a while. The advertising money alone is enough to solicit crooks.

 

[BIG Q]

I voted no, but because I already have a low opinion of the league. I was 12 when the Blazers won. I remember not seeing the locker room celebration. They cut away for golf. Taught me early that my team was never going to be dealt with fairly and with honor and respect. Three seasons later we got Bird/Magic. It was all marketing from then on. Great for them. But the constant super star calls/no calls and all is just too much. There are other things that really disillusioned me.

 

[julius]

No. But it kind of confirms my belief that money just makes people more of who they are.

 

[1 Eye Jack]

There seems to have been a lot of smoke though. First it was Tim Donaghy, then it was Porter, now it's Billups and Rozier. Plus all the rumors about Michael Jordan back in the 90s.

I agree smoke almost always means fire. I highly doubt it stops with a few guys and guessing those indicted will be coughing up others to lighten their sentence. Lots of people saying that’s what Gilbert Arenas did. I also highly doubt that mafia didn’t take advantage of Billups and requested nicely that he do a few other things for them when it came to NBA games.

 

[Everything Beagle]

No because I always thought it was crooked

 

[HansenYang]

No. But it kind of confirms my belief that money just makes people more of who they are.

Completely agree.
Money just amplifies the type of person you are (both good and bad).

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

Non-Action from league leadership when things arise have left me questioning the “fairness” of the league.

Betting/fixing allegations, Clippers under-the-table pay and so forth yet no real repercussions. Fines may sound big to normal people but are often a nothing to those involved.

Jaded? Yeah.

Still rooting against hope though.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Unwatchable before, unwatchable after

 

[blazerkor]

I love the NBA but yeah every time some stuff like this happens the reputation of the league, the players, the coaches, etc. takes a hit. So it doesn't affect how a feel about the league in a huge way but in a small way it does.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

I've been disgusted with the league for years. David Stern may have "saved" the NBA (along with Magic and Bird) but he deliberately turned it into the WWF, with all that that entails. It became the league of the big markets, with the Portlands of the league becoming predictable patsies. I guess there is more "parity" now, but it has come at a hell of a cost. It's become all about the money, with the actual game of basketball being a sideshow. And the WNBA is careening in that very same direction at breakneck speed. The money has fucked it all up.......

 

[Hoopguru]

Been disappointed for a number of years with the NBA. Between super teams, three point rat ball, & incentivized tanking, its, taken some of the shine off. I still enjoy the NBA but not like I used too.

 

[bigbailes]

I really don't think these incidents have changed how I feel about the league because I've had a pretty low opinion of it for awhile now. I really only care about the Blazers, won't really watch any other teams games other than as background noise and follow the NBA much more through podcasts than I do actually watching the games. It's a bad on the court product, where games are now all 3s, layups and FTs while team either tank the final 1/3 of the season or go into 'load management' mode and fans are spending 100's of dollars to see backups on the court.

 

[bigbailes]

I've been disgusted with the league for years. David Stern may have "saved" the NBA (along with Magic and Bird) but he deliberately turned it into the WWF, with all that that entails. It became the league of the big markets, with the Portlands of the league becoming predictable patsies. I guess there is more "parity" now, but it has come at a hell of a cost. It's become all about the money, with the actual game of basketball being a sideshow. And the WNBA is careening in that very same direction at breakneck speed. The money has fucked it all up.......

Is there more parity now ... I know over the last few years we've seen an unprecedented number of teams jump up and win titles but over the last 25 years it's the league with the least parity, at least by the metric I think is easiest to understand and thats the number of teams that have played in and won a championship in each respective league. The NBA has seen 53% of their teams make the Finals at least once in the last 25 years with 40% of their teams winning the title. The NFL, which is supposed to be the bastion parity is 62/41%, the NHL is 75/44% and MLB, the sport where $$$ reigns is 73/57%. Maybe the new CBA rules with the aprons will keep teams cycling talent but the true studs of the sport are going to stay with their teams and in a sport that relies so heavily on one player, it's going to be tough to break the cycle that we've see since the start of the NBA.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I have enjoyed watching the first 3 days of the season so far. There has been some good basketball being played. (The Blazers were also fun to watch in game one)

If I have any frustrations in any season, it is with blatant tanking (Which many of you seem to prefer) and the star treatment by the refs.

I do not bet on basketball. Fouls at the end of the game can change the spread too easily, so I stay away from it. Insider information about who is playing does not seem to be a big issue to me. That information is usually known well in advance before a game starts.... unless the team wants to make it a secret, and how often does that happen?

So, no, unless the refs are in on it, then it does not affect my love for the game.