The NBA Turnaround: How a League Saved Itself

Last summer was supposed to be the end of the NBA. The ratings for the NBA Finals were dismal, even with Lebron James in them. Then the story broke on Tim Donaghy. It became a real possibility that a referee in the NBA was fixing games. Maybe even in the playoffs. Amid a summer of sports scandal, it seemed like the NBA was done for. Fast forward 8 months. The NBA is thriving. The story lines are amazing and the action is incredible. People are now asking: Tim Dona who? So what happened? How did this league survive? I'll tell you. The Wild Wild West Over the last few years, the Western Conference has always been considered the stronger conference. Never though, has their been a playoff race as tight as this one. Most years, teams can just cruise at this time in the season because position has been set. Not this time. With only a few games left, a few losses here and there can still completely alter the West playoff picture. Plus, there is really no team in the West that you can count out. If the ... (link)