And David Stern's sense of humor is beginning to wane. He wasn't laughing when those accusations were repeated, with seriousness, by the Milwaukee Bucks and others whose reputations are more respectable. Stern recalled the Bulls-Knicks rivalry of the 1990s, saying both Phil Jackson and Pat Riley accused the league and NBC of favoritism.
People lose their objectivity and in the throes of the heat of battle, they say things.
Our referees are most talented at what they do. Their every call is analyzed. Their statistics are diced and spliced and merged and purged. Their every game is watched, and they're worked on to improve. You can't simply either as a joke or half serious impugn the integrity of the league by alleging that the league is engaging in criminal activity.