It's been a while since we've had any controversy over teams trying to throw games. However, former NBA great and current TNT analyst Shaquille O' Neal says that during his time in Los Angeles, the Lakers asked him to skip games late in one season so the team could lose. This would affect seeding, and avoid a first-round match-up against Utah in the playoffs.
As odd as it seems, even though the Jazz has never won an NBA title - while the Lakers have multiple - Utah did sweep the Lakers in the 1998 Western Conference Finals to move onto the NBA finals.
So, does the question of teams throwing games now come up since Shaq's "Lake-show, no-show" claim, or is he just looking for shock factor here?
Source: lakers.ocregister.com
