Via Larry Brown Sports:
Most people feel as though asking NBA commissioner David Stern if the Draft Lottery was fixed is a fair question. The Hornets did not have the odds in their favor before their ping-pong ball was selected, and conspiracy theorists feel as though it is not coincidence that New Orleans won the top pick and happens to be the only team owned by the league. When Stern made an appearance on the Jim Rome Show on Wednesday, Rome had no choice but to ask him the obvious question on everyone’s minds — including various league executives. Stern sounds like he is fed up with talking about it.
“I have two answers for that,” Stern said. “I’ll give you the easy one: No, and shame on you for asking.”
Rome then said he understood why Stern would say that to him but that it is his job to ask because people are wondering. Whether you like Rome or not, he’s right. Stern disagrees.
“Have you stopped beating you wife yet?” Stern then asked Rome, prompting Rome to tell him that’s not fair to say because people truly do believe the Lottery was fixed. “They think it because people like you ask silly questions. I expect it to be written about.”
Stern didn’t actually mean Rome beats his wife, he was just trying to express that he felt it was a loaded question. He said the same issues would be discussed if the pick went to the Bobcats because he’s friends with Michael Jordan or Brooklyn because they’re the league’s new team. However, cynics have argued that the NBA used the top pick as a selling point for the Hornets. As in, “This is a great investment because you now have a phenomenal young talent to start with.”
Typically I don’t care for Rome because he’s willing to engage in nonsense like this, but he would not have been doing his job if he didn’t ask about the Draft Lottery. The speculation is out there, and it’s his job to ask his guests the questions listeners want to hear. Whether it was rigged or not, Stern’s defensiveness makes him sound more guilty.
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Original Story:
Understanding that NBA wishes for new "younger" teams to gain interest and $$ from a new crowd, but, please, when it is obivious with slam down of Chris Paul to be traded to the Lakers and the manipulation of calls from the ref's; hum is the Sterness a dictator???
Jim Rome sucks. Never saw anybody get so bent out of shape or so jazzed over statistics... abstract numbers that have no relevance to his life whatsoever.
Ohhh, it's his favorite player... LoLzZz and is he also emotionally involved in how much money his favorite movie makes...? Who cares?
Grow up
It's only entertainment.
What a disgrace to humanity, if he had a sports team, it would be called the Popinjays : P