"star system"

[Hawks Coach]

BB
I agree, it is the best level of play, I think it is very well officiated, and when you look at games over time, the top teams make the championship, and many of the others that do not have obvious shortcomings that either prevent them from making the playoffs or send them home early. Regardless of whether Shaq gets a couple of calls a game, the Lakers (of whom I am NOT a fan) are clearly the dominant team in hoops. they deserve what they got, the rest is just whining. And if star power and glitz were all there was to making the championship, the Bad Boy Pistons out of Motwon would never have gotten past the second round and Jordan would have had a ring 2 years earlier - big star, big city - had to wait and earn his rings.