“There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition.” So says Adam Silver, commissioner of the National Basketball Association.
He was referring to dual indictments unveiled Oct. 23, which alleged that NBA players and coaches had disclosed nonpublic team information to a criminal gambling ring; engaged in wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies; and participated in rigged poker games that involved elaborate cheating technology, an assortment of hustlers, four Mafia families and a bouncer known as Albanian Bruce. “Integrity” isn’t the first word that comes to mind.