Is the NBA a rigged sport?

[MadDog2020]

Now with the Heat winning the NBA title, alot of people believe David Stern had a hand in rigging the NBA playoffs for the Heat and with the Hornets winning the NBA lottery alot of people think Stern rigged that too. The big question now begs, is the NBA a rigged sport?

[Username]

As I answered in the other thread (not sure why we need two, as these are pretty much the same topic), I don't think this season playoffs were "rigged".

Now if you want to look at the NBA as a whole from a conspiracist POV, we can talk about that.

Let's say the NBA is "rigged". Stern has had that job for what, about 30 years now? Perhaps he saw how important it would be that large market teams do well. Maybe the wheels were already in motion before he even got there. Forgive me, as what I am about to list is off the top of my head, so I may misremember or forget things.

Magic Johnson got drafted to the Lakers. One season earlier Bird, got drafted to the Celtics. Those are two of the biggest markets and were already the two most storied franchises.

• Olajuwan was drafted #1 in 1984 to (big market) Houston.
  
• Sam (the poster child for bust) Bowie was drafted by small market insignificant Portland. This allowed Jordan to fall into Chicago's lap. Big market.
  
• Houston BEING ALLOWED to throw games to get the #1 pick in '84 allowed the NBA to create the Draft Lottery. Biggest Market NY Knicks drafted Ewing. Win, win.
  
• Pippen being dealt on Draft day to the Bulls. The Bulls landed Pippen and Horace Grant in the 1987 draft.
  
• Orlando wins the draft lottery, selects Shaq.
  
• Kobe Bryant being dealt to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. He never played for the Hornets.
  
• Lakers replaced Divac with Shaq that same year. This was very controversial.
  
• Gary Payton and Karl Malone sign with Lakers for one year.
  
• Shaq ends up with Wade in Miami.
  
• Gasol signs with Lakers. Very controversial.
  
• Boston lands Garnett and Allen to join Pierce.
  
• Miami signs LeBron and Bosh.
  
• NY gets Amare. NY Knicks trade for Mello. Sign Chandler and Davis.
  
• The NBA owned Hornets win the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery.
  

There are many other questionable/coincidental transactions not listed. These are the ones I could think of.

Interesting note, not including the two most recent transactions of Hornets lottery and Knicks F/A signings. Every one of these transactions were in big markets or "sexy" markets resulted in an NBA title for these teams. Except the Ewing Knicks, Magic and Lakers getting Payton and Malone. And those teams were all in the Finals.

I can't explain small market Spurs landing the #1 pick two out of three times they were in the draft lottery in the last 25 years. No offense, but San Antonio is neither a big market or "sexy".