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It got lost in the generally poor play of the Bulls in their season-finale loss to the New Jersey Nets Wednesday–which pushed them from the second seed to the fifth seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round rematch with the Miami Heat–but there was ample evidence for NBA conspiracy theorists to consider. The NBA has kowtowed to its stars for decades, most recently siding with Tim Duncan against referee Joey Crawford, and it takes care to make sure the marquee players stay alive as long as possible in the playoffs. What’s good for TV ratings is good for the league.
Of course, this whining will come off as crocodile tears to the many teams–the New York Knicks and every opponent the Bulls faced in the NBA Finals in their six championships–who used to complain that Michael Jordan and the Bulls always got the calls when push came to shove. Where the NBA’s caste system is concerned, karma is apparently involved, and what goes around, comes around.
