The '02 Sacramento Kings: cheated out of a ring

When people talk about the great teams that never won it all, you usually get the same answers. Steve Nash's Phoenix Suns, the Malone/Stockton Jazz, the Shaq/Penny Orlando teams, the pre-Wilt Lakers, Clyde the Glide's Blazers, and a few others.

The team that gets overlooked, however, is the 2001-02 Sacramento Kings. 

After Chris Webber was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Kings in 1998, Sacramento was almost immediately transformed into a playoff team. Along with Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, Doug Christie, and Vlade Divac, the Kings gradually became title contenders into the 2000s, as well as legitimate challengers to the Kobe/Shaq Lakers, the Duncan/Robinson Spurs, and the Dirk/Steve Nash Mavericks.

Led by Rick Adelman, one of the most underrated coaches in league history, Sacramento was considered the most entertaining team in the NBA with their unreal passing and selflessness which baffled defenses and fans alike. Personally, I think the Kings were right there with the Showtime Lakers in terms of passing the rock. If you think I'm insane, click here.

By the time the '01-'02 season rolled around, the Kings were ready for the next step after being bounced by the Lakers two years in a row. Webber was coming off two straight All-Star Game appearances and a season where he averaged 27.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Together, C-Webb and Vlade were the best passing frontcourt in the game.

Bibby was entering his first season with Sacramento, Stojakovic was establishing himself as one of the premier three-point shooters in the league, and Doug Christie was a top-notch, lock-down defender. Off the bench, you had guys like Bobby Jackson and Scot Pollard, solid role players who could defend (Pollard) and give you some instant offense (Jackson).

At the end of '02, the Kings finished 61-21, winning the Pacific Division and clinching home-court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. In a date with destiny, the Kings matched up with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers were the two-time defending NBA champions and the only obstacle in the way of the Kings' first NBA Finals berth since moving to Sacramento in 1985. 

And so begins the story of how the '02 Sacramento Kings, the best team to never win an NBA championship, were screwed out of a ring.

The '02 West Finals has to be one the greatest series in league history. With a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 in Los Angeles, the Kings had the Lakers on the ropes. C-Webb and the crew came out guns blazing, putting up 40 points on LA in the first quarter alone. Led by Bryant and O'Neal, however, the champs were able to trim the lead to 14 at halftime.

Enter the controversy.

As the buzzer sounded at the end of the second period, Lakers big man Samaki Walker launched a prayer towards the basket that somehow banked in. A closer look at the NBC replays revealed that the shot shouldn't have counted, as the buzzer went off before Walker was able to get it in the air. However, league rules at the time didn't allow referees to review the play, so the shot counted, and the momentum shifted.

Game 4 would eventually come down to the wire. Robert Horry made one of his uncanny clutch shots, and the Lakers had new life, tying the series at 2.

In Game 5, another thrilling finish was in store, and Sacramento won 92-91 thanks to Bibby's game-winner. With a 3-2 lead and one game away from a date with the New Jersey Nets in the Finals, the Kings looked poised for a trip to the championship round. What they got instead was the rawest deal in basketball history.

There are some players who can take over a game at any time. Whether it's by scoring, playing defense or just doing a little bit of everything, the game is theirs for the taking. What Game 6 of this series teaches us is that no player can take over a game like a referee.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the game had been pretty well-officiated. In total for the game, the Lakers shot 40 free-throws to the Kings' 25. But let's take a closer look. In Game 6, the Lakers shot 27 of those 40 free-throws in the fourth quarter alone. The Kings, on the other hand, shot 9.

That's right. 27 free-throws to 9. In one quarter.

But the free-throws weren't the only issue. Webber, Divac, Pollard, and Lawrence Funderburke were called for 20 fouls combined, with Divac and Pollard fouling out. C-Webb had five fouls throughout most of the fourth quarter, so he wasn't able to guard Shaq. That forced the Kings to turn to Funderburke, the third-string center who had barely played during the postseason.

The tragedy was capped off by what would've been a Flagrant 2 foul in today's game. Late in the fourth, with the Lakers leading by 1, Kobe tried to get himself open for an inbounds pass. He did so by trucking Bibby, elbowing him in the nose and sending him to the floor. Look at this clip.

There's an angle that's shown near the end of the video where the ref, who has a perfect view of Bryant and Bibby, stands there and doesn't even flinch.

The Lakers won Game 6 by a score of 106-102. They would go on to win the series, claiming Game 7 in Sacramento with an overtime victory, in much less controversial fashion.

For five years, Kings fans and media throughout the league remained skeptical about the integrity of the officials in Game 6. Mike Wilbon of The Washington Post reported his views: "I wrote down in my notebook six calls that were stunningly incorrect, all against Sacramento, all in the fourth quarter when the Lakers made five baskets and 21 foul shots to hold on to their championship." 

Their skepticism was rewarded in 2007, when FBI reports were released that alleged referee Tim Donaghy bet on games he officiated in the 2005--06 and 2006-07 seasons. 

In addition, Donaghy claimed that Game 6 was rigged by the refs. The NBA commissioner at the time, David Stern, was quick to dismiss Donaghy's claim, but had a peculiar quote that rubbed Kings fans the wrong way. When asked what his dream Finals matchup would be, Stern said this: "Lakers versus the Lakers...I'd be lying if I told you there wasn't a special fascination with the Lakers." For some more background on Donaghy's claim, click here for the ESPN article by Chris Sheridan.

It's also worth noting that the matchup between the Nets and Kings probably would not have been as appealing to common NBA fans as Lakers-Nets. After all, even I must say that a Sacramento-New Jersey series would not have boded as well for TV ratings as LA-New Jersey.

If it were any other game, it would be hard to take Donaghy's word for it, especially given the circumstances. I mean, the guy bet on games that he reffed. Not a good look.

At the end of the day, we might never know what really happened in Game 6. What we do know, however, is that something wasn't right.

For a more personal take on the series, and the Kings-Lakers rivalry, check out this piece from Grantland. For a look at some of the calls from Game 6, click here.

Image credits: Hardwood and Hollywood, TMZ, The 3 Point Conversion

YouTube channels: Robert Flis, BasketballVault2000, NFLranking

Grantland article: All the Kings' Men by Jonathan Abrams