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"They massage the storylines" - Comedian Bill Burr believes the NBA is fixed and full of conspiracies
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- "They massage the storylines" - Comedian Bill Burr believes the NBA is fixed and full of conspiracies
In sports, as in every walk of life where a lot of money and influence are on the line, conspiracy theories tend to pop up. Sometimes, it's nothing too serious, like fans believing the referees missed a call here or there on purpose. Other times, it goes much further, with people claiming playoff games, or even entire draft lotteries, are rigged to favor a certain agenda. No matter the league or era, fans have always tried to find something deeper, something that isn't visible at first glance. And the NBA is certainly no exception.
Recently, renowned comedian and actor Bill Burr, who also happens to be a lifelong Boston Celtics fan, joined that conspiracy bandwagon, putting his own humorous spin on the whole situation.
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Stern became the center of Burr's theory
Burr pointed out that his belief that the Association has its own hidden agenda surrounding certain outcomes only grew after the infamous Tim Donaghy betting scandal, which also made plenty of fans question just how much influence the league, led by David Stern at the time, really had over what happened on, and, more importantly, off the court.
"That guy (Stern) was filthy. He called out the FBI investigating. He blew up their whole investigation. He didn't give a damn about that Donaghy guy. He was worried about what they were going to find. I've talked to some NBA players. The stories that they have. It's the easiest fixed game," the …. said in his recent appearance on "The Big Podcast with Shaq."
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As a Celtics supporter, Burr put on his thinking hat and went back to the late 2000s and brought up Boston's rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers . Looking at how easy the Celtics got Kevin Garnett and formed their "Big Three," he joked that it almost felt too perfect to revive one of basketball's greatest rivalries. All of that led Burr to believe that the league has always tried to push certain storylines, whether successfully or not. That part, he left up to everyone else to decide.
"I think it's it's I don't think it's 100% fixed. I think it's massaged storylines. And I don't know what Portland and Sacramento ever did to Stern, but he never forgot it," Burr joked.
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These debates will probably never disappear
In a league as big as the NBA, every missed call or an unusual lottery result draws extra eyeballs on that decision and generates a lot of heat online. It is simply the nature of the billion-dollar business. Interestingly, those discussions never fully go away; they just stay beneath the surface until the next controversial moment comes along. Then it is all over again.
The Dallas Mavericks landing the No. 1 pick against all odds shortly after trading generational superstar Luka Doncic on a discount to the Los Angeles Lakers, or LeBron James getting drafted to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and later bringing relevance back to the franchise, are just some of the examples conspiracy theorists often point to. On top of that, it seems every fanbase believes there was at least one moment when the basketball gods, or maybe someone else (the Commissioner), worked against them.
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Whether any of those theories carries any truth is something those outside the league will probably never know. Until then, all that is left is speculation and "just another" conspiracy waiting around the corner.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
