Skip to content

'Conspiracy theories': Silver says NBA favors no team

Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty

NBA commissioner Adam Silver must be beginning to feel like his predecessor David Stern - unable to escape endless conspiracy theories regarding the league's officiating.

On Sunday, Silver addressed that topic candidly, discussing the decision not to suspend Draymond Green for his leg finding Steven Adams' crotch, and it having something to do with a supposed NBA preference for the Golden State Warriors to reach the Finals.

"I hear it and it's the most sensitive issue for me and it goes to the core integrity of the league and frankly to my integrity," Silver told ESPN's Michelle Beadle and Ramona Shelburne. "All I can say is we do the best we can - I acknowledge that was a close decision on upgrading Draymond's kick to a flagrant-2. Ultimately we made a decision that he did not intentionally try to kick (Adams) in the groin."

Silver stressed that it is a myth the league would prefer one franchise winning over another, something some Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors fans suggested given some calls or non-calls during the conference finals.

"I've been around the league long enough that I hear these conspiracy theories every year - that's not unique to this year - and I'll say in the case of Oklahoma City, that they have two players on that team who are global superstars," Silver said.

"One of the points I've made consistently since we negotiated the last collective bargaining agreement, and when you throw social media into the mix, is that players can be located anywhere these days and be superstars, that the difference in market size is not significant when we're talking about a global market."

Silver conceded that the conspiracy theories are probably never going away, and all the league can do is its best.

"There's no doubt that human error is a part of this game," he said. "What the best you can hope for is the fans believing in the integrity of the officials, and that no one has a finger on the scale."

The commissioner also had some candid remarks regarding various local broadcasters in the NBA, saying that siding with their employers on TV over officiating calls, helps compound fan viewpoints that their team might be getting a raw deal.

"In our sport in particular, because we have so many local games, the announcers are often homers," Silver said. "And I mean it's not a secret ... if you go to their production meetings, they're trained to be homers. They're fans."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox