What is the NBA 2001 Conspiracy Theory: Bucks vs Sixers?

The 2001 NBA playoffs were the playoff tournament of the National Basketball Association’s 2000-01 season. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference winning team, Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1. Shaquille O’Neal was designated NBA Finals MVP for the second year in a row. The 76ers have not reached the NBA Finals since 2001. The 76ers were making their first Playoff appearance since Moses Malone and Julius Erving steered the team towards the NBA title in 1983.

The Lakers, on the other hand, had the most dominant playoff series in NBA history, going 15-1 with their only loss coming in overtime to the Sixers in Game 1 of the Finals. They broke numerous records, including remaining unbeaten in regulation and on the road (finishing 8–0 in the latter category). They have been the second NBA title holder to subdue four 50-win or stronger teams on their way to the title following the Rockets in 1995.

The Lakers also tied the old record set by their 1989 team by having won their first 11 post-season games and brushing three series. The 2016-17 Golden State Warriors would just go 16-1 on their way to their 5th championship after the first round of the postseason was prolonged to a best of seven formats rather than the best of five format used in the 2003 NBA playoffs.

Milwaukee won its first postseason series since 1989, advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1986 and swept the division for the first time since that year. For the very first time since 1990, the Dallas Mavericks made the postseason. They had many bad seasons along the way, which included back-to-back years with 11 and 13 wins. They managed to win their 1st postseason series since 1988 by defeating Utah in the opening round. Reunion Arena, their home court for the previous 21 years, hosted their final game (Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-finals against the Spurs); the following season, they relocated to American Airlines Center.

2001 Eastern Conference Finals – Bucks vs Sixer

In the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001, the Milwaukee Bucks faced the Philadelphia 76ers. With the sole exception of Ray Allen, the small-market Bucks (who hadn’t even been highlighted on NBC that year before to the second round of the Playoffs) lacked any “big-time” stars (who, despite being popular, were not in the upper-echelon of NBA players in terms of endorsements). The 76ers’ opponent that year was the polarising and popular Allen Iverson, who had a slew of shoe deals and mainline acknowledgement.

The Sixers also had Iverson as the MVP, Dikembe Mutombo as the Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron McKie as the Sixth Man of the Year, and Larry Brown as the Coach of the Year that year. Several major calls went in favour of the 76ers during Game 5. Glenn Robinson had not gone to the penalty spot in any of the prior matches, making them suspicious. Allen later claimed that the league favoured the Sixers to face Milwaukee in the Finals.

Allen was enlisted by Glenn Robinson, Sam Cassell, and then-head coach George Karl to constantly wine about the refereeing and implying that the league was very much against them. Both Karl and Allen were fined for their remarks. Bucks forward Scott Williams threw an elbow at Iverson in Game 6 of the tense series and was suspended for the decisive Game 7. (Iverson had already missed a start, the Bucks’ Game 3 victory, and been restricted in others after being hit earlier in the series by the Bucks.)

Williams played significant action and averaged slightly more than 4 points per game during the fraction of the series in which he appeared. He was suspended for his third flagrant foul of the playoffs. The Sixers finished fourth in the league in free throw attempts during the regular season. The Bucks, primarily a jump shooting team, finished 25th.

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