I thought this was one of the best emails the SG received regarding the Finals debacle:

OK, I'm sure I'm one of a hundred (thousand?) people e-mailing you this, but name another sport that favors its 'stars' more than the NBA? Can you really imagine Clemens or someone getting an extra 6-12 inches on the strike zone in the World Series just because they are a star? Or perhaps Tom Brady getting the benefit of the doubt (pass interference) on 3-4 passes a game because he's 'Tom Brady'? I honestly think the NBA is much closer to the WWE or something than any other 'professional' sport in the world. As a longtime fan (I actually worked for an NBA team for a couple of years) it makes me sick. ... I no longer want to watch the game much like I don't want to watch the WWE -- its all rigged/fixed.

I used to agree with the star treatment certain players get, and to a degree I still do. While Clemens may not get 6-12 inches I'm sure there is some extra zone given. Star DB's are given a little more leeway on pass interference and I remember back in the day it was said that if Will Clark didn't swing at it, it wasn't a strike (meaning umps would never ring him up on a third strike). But it seems like the NBA has always gone overboard on this, and it only seems to be getting worse with LeBron and Wade in this playoffs. With all of the talk surrounding it, we'll see if anything is done.