Lester E. Flax. An observer from Antigua and Barbuda
On Thursday, 23, 2025, we awoke to a blitz of sports news that the NBA, may be awash with rigged games involving a Hall of Fame coach, a few former and present players and the Mob. Every radio and TV station I turned to had ongoing coverage of this shameful revelation. It made me wonder if every event in the sporting world is illegitimate.
I played two sports in college, Soccer and Track and Field. Back in the 70’s, there were whispers of East Germans using blood doping techniques to cheat with their track athletes. I don’t recall ever running against any East Germans, but I know I ran against West Germans. Wall and all, could the technology have crept across enemy lines?
The BBC reported that, “After the reunification of Germany in 1990, a treasure trove of documents held by the then-defunct East German secret police, the Stasi, revealed what many had suspected for decades: East Germany had conducted a state-sponsored, systematic doping operation that led to spectacular sporting success.”
However, that’s not the whole story. West German Heptathlete, Birgit Dressel was reported to have told her mom that all athletes took these harmless drugs and that was nothing special. On April 8th, 1987, after taking medication for a troublesome back, her body went into a fatal series of allergic shocks. Her autopsy found evidence of 100 drugs in her body. She was only 26.
Hers must surely be the exception, or is it? I have no way of knowing who else was cheating that toed the line with me. Who else in the record books was a dope fiend? What I do know is that as a USATF official, I officiated numerous meets where several athletes were later accused and punished for cheating. None was more heart-wrenching than that of Marion Jones. I had seen her on the track since she was a Youth athlete. I saw her blossom into a world-leading sprinter. I had seen her on the NCAA basketball court playing for North Carolina. She was a star that had risen until she fell hard.
I watch American football with 6’5” giants over 300 lbs. adeptly moving swiftly across offensive and defensive lines. Are these athletes naturally buffed from weight training or is it from a combination of prohibited drugs and legitimate weight training? We never know until we know from sordid news stories of some hapless athlete being caught.
The Hall of Fame coach and former NBA player, Chauncy Billups, is a multi-millionaire who reportedly made over $118,000,000 during his career. What could entice him to allegedly become wrapped up in a scam that earned him a few thousand dollars while risking his second career as a coach and his freedom? Reports all over the landscape say that current NBA player, Terry Rozier, who was arrested today, has been under investigation for over a year. The NBA closed a recent probe of him without any sanctions. Apparently, the FBI isn’t so forgiving.
Recent indictments by the FBI in a Trump world have the stench of open retribution against political foes. Is the FBI a trustworthy government agency since the last national elections have put all three branches of government into the control of Republicans? My observation is that this is an acutely corrupt administration that fluently lies or distorts truth and reality with highly outlandish misinformation and total disinformation of events before our very eyes. We’re told not to believe our lying eyes, but I’m not moved by this roguery. I don’t know how to believe there’s no ulterior motive behind Kash Patel’s smug appearance before TV cameras to announce the arrest of some 30 co-conspirators.
All 30 are presumed innocent until proven guilty, but who is going to hire the likes of Chauncy Billups even if found not guilty in Federal Court, where ninety percent of defendants go convicted? Every substitution will be viewed with a jaundiced eye. Is he looking at the spread or is this a tactical move to help his team? I predict that his role in basketball ended last night.
The same can be applied to all involved. Even worse are those who are not remotely involved. On SXM, today sports commentators dug up allegations that the Clippers had circumvented salary cap rules to sign a high-value player. The narrative rekindled an old story when Lebron played for Cleveland, regarding a game he didn’t play in. Tape of a game where Lebron touched the chest of a player at the free throw line was scrutinized to assess if this was a signal to miss. Is any game legit?
When Lance Armstrong was winning multiple Tour de France races, I was enthralled by those superhuman feats. Cheating was not on my radar. I was more disappointed and disillusioned than shocked. I haven’t watched much of the race in the past few years.
The truth is that I have no clue what is real. All I have are suspicions and I don’t know if I can ever get back to believing that any sport is fair or real. Are all sports rigged? That’s a question you have to answer yourself.
Lester E. Flax
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1). Yes they are RIGGED.
2). Lebron James sacrificed Kobe Bryant
3). Lebron James scared to retire because he knows a sacrifice is required once he does so
4). Many people believe Lebron himself will be the sacrifice
5). Illuminati don’t play
6). You sell your soul to Satan, he comes to collect
Am an old school Lakers fan, with Magic and the boys, all the way up to Kobe which was real basketball to me, but lately I’ve seen some games that makes you think something funny going on, especially in some of those playoffs series and finals, when one team just dismantle the other team this game and the other game they decided not to show up.
The big name was coach Chancey Philip and he was in deep, Mr Philip once you get involved with them Big Boys in Queens NY ie (MOB), you’re signing a death warrant and then to get caught, man you’re in some really deep shit either way.