RateItAll: The Opinion Network

The 2001-02 Sacramento Kings were, without a doubt, one of the best teams NOT to win an NBA championship. A colorful team with characters (and some career journeymen players) such as Chris Webber, Scot Pollard, Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Mike Bibby and others, this group was THE team to beat in 2001-02. And in light of this new allegations by the disgraced referee, Tim Donaghy, the controversy of that infamous Western Conference Final has reached a new level. In all fairness, the Kings DID blow Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals at home, losing on their own accord due to their poor clutch shooting during overtime in that pivotal game.

However, the controversy surrounding the 2001-02 Kings stems from the infamously bad-officiating of Game 6, where calls routinely made in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers not only made many fans and NBA color commentators alike looking in disbelief and calling foul (no pun intended), but sent consumer advocate Ralph Nader to call for an investigation. Riddled with phantom calls against Kings players Scot Pollard and Vlade Divac (which accounted for nearly 30 points for the Lakers during the entire fourth period to the Kings mere 9 points), the lowlight of this seemingly-called game was the infamous elbow to the face by Kobe Bryant on Mike Bibby (who was down and bleeding on the court) in full view of a referee who called the foul...ON BIBBY!

What makes this even sadder was that the Kings did play their heart out in that Game 6 and perhaps because of the obviousness of the miss calls, they were unable to recapture the magic that took them this far into Game 7.

In any case, I don't believe that the Lakers had anything to do with it, and they should not be blamed for the calls the referees made throughout the series in favor of them (especially during Game 6). They played well themselves (in spite of the obvious opportune calls they got), and they deserved to be the champions. But perhaps most tragic (if this all proves true), is what could have been, since this nucleus of talent by the Kings was never the same again- and worst of all, their individual careers likely rested on the officiating of referees who were possibly on the take.

Truly an unfortunate team whom could have been an NBA champion itself.

This team had the best-record in the NBA during the 2001-02 season with a 61-21 record and featured a starting lineup featured Mike Bibby and Doug Christie at guards, Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber at forward and Vlade Divac at center. The bench featured Bobby Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu and Scott Pollard. Gerald Wallace was also on the roster but at the time was a reserve who was not in the team's regular rotation. This team fell to the Lakers in the a seven-game Western Conference Finals series. This team was hurt by the fact that Peja Stojakovic was hurt during the series and could only play limited minutes. After the Lakers won game one at Sacremento, the Kings came back to win games two and three and jumped out to a big 20 point lead in game four at the Staples Center. However the Lakers rallied back and down two on the final possession Kobe Bryant drove to the basket and missed a layup. Shaq got on the offensive board missed a close range shot and Vlade Divac tipped the ball away however the ball landed in Robert Horry's hands who was behind the 3-point line and hit the game winning shot, and the Kings instead of taking a commanding 3-1 series lead, were tied 2-2 with the Lakers. In game five, Shaq got into fould trouble and the Kings won on a Mike Bibby jumper and seemed ready to take the series in game six back at LA, as they took a 57-50 lead at halftime. However the refs then started calling fouls on the Sacremento Kings as several Kings front court playrers fouled out and didn't call some fouls on the Lakers-most notably Kobe Bryant hitting Mike Bibby with an elbow while trying to catch an inbounds pass and the Lakers came away with the victory. In Game seven, the Kings had an eight-point lead in the third quarter but the Lakers raced back and took control over the game in overtime and the Kings season was over. I am a Lake fan, and I will say if there was ever a series that seemed to be fixed by the NBA and/or NBC it was this one as the Kings and Lakers were the top two teams in the NBA while the Eastern Conference was still in its "post-Chicago Bulls-weak teams stage" with the New Jersey Nets and an only OK Boston Celtics Club were in the East Finals and it seemed like the NBA and/or NBC wanted this series to be seven game series as the winner of this series would most likely and did have an easy time with the Eastern Conference Champion (and the Lakers would go onto sweep the Nets). In game five as I mentioned Shaquille O'Neal fouled out, which hurt the Lakers and the refs seemed to be going otu of their way to call falls on Shaq during the game and in game six the refs,as I have also mentioned seemed intent on calling anything and everything on the Kings front court players as several Kings player front court players fouled out during the game and missed a call on Kobe Bryant elbowing Mike Bibby at the end of the game. Regardless, of consipracy or not this is one of the greatest NBA teams that didn't win the cahampionship and had Peja Stojakovic not been injured perhaps the Kings would have won this series.