The NBA is filled with crazy fans, rumors, and even crazy theories. With all that in mind, it’s hard to believe everything that comes out the mouth of an NBA fan, but every once in awhile, things don’t seem to add up. Crazy conspiracies seem to be at the base of the NBA foundation.
Top Five Crazy NBA Conspiracies
5. Marcus and Markieff Morris Switched Teams
Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris are identical twins. Why wouldn’t they switch teams to help each other out with some brotherly love? The Washington Wizards were facing the Boston Celtics. At the time, Markieff Morris played for the Wizards, and Marcus Morris played for the Detroit Pistons.
With Markieff Morris having an ankle injury in Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, and Marcus Morris already being at the game, rocking his brother’s jersey, it almost makes too much sense. As a result of a previous ankle injury, the twin duo has switched places before. Markieff Morris was also quoted saying, “I’m not as skilled as Mook is. We did it before in AAU ball. (The jersey switch) was on the bench. It happened real quick. He had hurt his ankle but I had fouled out. I gave them a little limp back in like I was hurt and kept playing.”
Now THIS is brotherly love.
It's Detroit F Marcus Morris wearing twin Markieff's No. 5 #Wizards jersey at today's playoff game. pic.twitter.com/vp3E8ZyvDG— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) April 16, 2017
4. Michael Jordan Flu Game Was Food Poisoning
Michael Jordan played in a playoff game while having the flu, right? Jordan’s old trainer tells the story himself. “Everyone called it a ‘Flu Game,’ but we sat there and we were in the room, we were in Park City, Utah, up in a hotel. Room service stopped at like 9 o’clock. And he got hungry, and we really couldn’t find any other place to eat so we ordered … I said, ‘Hey, the only thing I could find is a pizza place.’ He said, ‘All right, order pizza.’ We had been there for a while, so everybody knows what hotel … I mean Park City (didn’t have) many hotels back then. Everybody kind of knew where we were staying.
He goes on to say, “So, we order a pizza, they come to deliver it, five guys come to deliver this pizza. And I’m just … I take the pizza, and I tell them, I said, ‘I got a bad feeling about this.’ I said, ‘I just got a bad feeling about this.’ Out of everybody in the room, he was the only one that ate. Nobody else … then 2 o’clock in the morning, I get a call to my room. I come to the room, he’s curled up, he’s curled up in the fetal position. We’re looking at him. We’re finding the team physician at that time. And immediately I said, ‘It’s food poisoning.’ Guaranteed. Not the flu” This is absolutely insane, but Jordan came back the next day and helped the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz.
3. Michael Jordan’s First Retirement Was a Suspension For Gambling
Sticking of the subject of Jordan, this next theory is pretty wild. Everyone knows that Jordan had a quick retirement in the middle of his career, but it might not have been a retirement at all. It all started in 1992, where Jordan was brought up to testify in a trial against James Bouler to explain why Bouler (a drug dealer) had a $57,000 dollar signed check from Jordan himself. On oath, Jordan admitted the check was for gambling losses in a single weekend. In 1993, another man came out with a book, claiming that Jordan had lost $900,000 to him in golf betting. Jordan was also spotted in casinos just hours before games. Fast-forwarding a bit, the NBA launched an investigation on Jordan to see if he had broken any rules. Just four months after that, Jordan “retired”.
2. Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings Western Conference Finals Were Rigged
In this notorious 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers were facing the Sacramento Kings. It was game six, and the Kings had a three to two series lead. The Lakers win the game, but it leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths. As a result of the Lakers shooting 27 fourth quarter free-throws as compared to none for the Kings, the series was evened up at three games each.
Many commentators, fans, and officials had something to say about this. Most notably, former NBA referee, Tim Donaghy. He claimed that the series was rigged in favor of the Lakers. While some put Donaghy in the trash because he was allegedly betting on game results in which he was officiating. Others, look at him as someone with an inside source.
1. David Stern rigged the 1985 Draft to Favor the New York Knicks
For every draft before 1985, the draft order was set by record. The worst team would get the first pick automatically. In 1985 the league implemented a new system, in which the seven worst teams would all get an envelope, and it would be put into a clear plastic ball. The ball would be spun to “randomize” the order. The envelopes were put into the ball by Jack Wagner, from the accounting firm, Ernst and Whitney. Here’s when things get interesting. Ernst and Whitney was the auditing firm for Gulf and Western Inc., who just randomly happened to own the New York Knicks.
None of the envelopes hit the metal part of the ball. Except for the Knicks envelope. The wheel is rotated, and Stern picks up a number of envelopes and drops them all for the envelope with a bent corner (caused by hitting the metal rod at the beginning).
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