All the Kings’ Men

May 8, 2014 6:56 AM

Hack-a-Shaq, inconsistent officiating, poisoned room service, and the road to the last NBA three-peat: Grantland's oral history of the 2002 Western Conference finals.

More complaining about officiating is available for those who want to feel the bads.

posted by Potomac Avenue (11 comments total)

To this day I believe the 2003 Pistons may have saved the NBA. There was so much hate after that Kings series that the Lakers had to be not only stopped, but destroyed.
posted by selfnoise at 7:04 AM on May 8, 2014

That Kings team was great to watch, and the NBA has had a stink about it since David Stern fixed the first NBA lottery to restore basketball in New York. But to be a NBA fan you kind of have to embrace the stories as much as the actual game. The League Office and its machinations for TV ratings, control over the players and general scheming on behalf of ownership profits is as much a part of the game as the 32 actual teams.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:08 AM on May 8, 2014

...and the road to the last NBA three-peat...

Until this year, anyway.
posted by NoMich at 7:19 AM on May 8, 2014

How dare you.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:32 AM on May 8, 2014

Kevin Durant and 50 of my US Dollars are saying different.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:32 AM on May 8, 2014

REF RAGE: A study of our NCAA Tournament frustrations and hatreds

Don't follow this link if you prefer to respect people that complain about officiating.
posted by Brocktoon at 7:36 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

God, I was soooo mad at that Kings series. Ever since I've treated the Lakers like the Yankees. As long as the Lakers don't win the championship, it's a good season. (Similarly for the Yankees and the World Series.)
posted by kmz at 7:43 AM on May 8, 2014

REF RAGE

OH MY GOD we need a Jon Bois forum.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:53 AM on May 8, 2014

Worst officiating in NBA history? Try Phoenix getting 64 free throw attempts against the Sonics in game 7 of the '93 Western Conference finals. The NBA had already taped the Barkley/Jordan Finals promos. That was pretty much when I decided that pro basketball was basically pro wrestling in shorts.
posted by billyfleetwood at 10:03 AM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yep, I'm still mad about Mike Bibby getting elbowed in the mouth by Kobe Bryant and getting called for a foul.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:18 PM on May 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

This may be my favorite Grantland footnote of all time:

5. Horry spent about half his interview arguing that most of this oral history’s sequences occurred in different years. Horry literally has too many championships to differentiate them all.
posted by colt45 at 5:04 PM on May 8, 2014 [2 favorites]