"He said one specific name, and that name was on there" - Mike Bibby admits teammate feared NBA would rig Game 6 of 2002 WCF vs. Lakers

“He said one specific name, and that name was on there” – Mike Bibby admits teammate feared NBA would rig Game 6 of 2002 WCF vs. Lakers originally appeared on Basketball Network.

The Los Angeles Lakers were the cream of the crop in the 2000s, dominating the NBA and winning three straight championships, with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant at the peak of their powers.

However, there was one team that put fear deep into the Lakers’ hearts: the Sacramento Kings. Led by All-Star big man Chris Webber, veteran center Vlade Divac and savvy guard Mike Bibby, they had the Purple and Gold on the ropes in the 2002 Western Conference finals, leading 3-2 heading to Game 6 at the Staples Center.

While Bibby was full of confidence heading to the potential closeout game, his veteran teammate Chucky Brown warned him not to let his guard down. Brown had been in the league for over a decade and knew some shenanigans could be coming, especially if a specific crew was deployed to officiate the game.

Brown had an inkling of what was going to happen

After the Kings won Game 5 by the skin of their teeth, 92-91, Bibby and the Kings were prepared to dethrone the Lakers in L.A. However, Brown, who was playing in his 13th and final season in the Association, knew the jig was up.

“Chucky Brown tells me, like, ‘Hey Mike, if the NBA wants a team to win a game, they’re going to bring in a specific crew,'” Bibby shared on the “Straight Game Podcast.”

The former Arizona Wildcat was skeptical, boldly stating there was nothing the Lakers or the league could do to deter them from winning it all.

“I’m like, ‘Chucky, get out of here — like Chucky, ain’t nothing they could do to stop this. Like there’s nothing they can do to stop it. Like, no matter — they can do whatever they want.’ He’s like, ‘Watch,'” Bibby recalled.

Everything went downhill

As Game 6 came and the Kings received the pre-game notes, Brown called Mike’s attention to the referees’ names.

“So we get to the game the next day, and he shows me the paper — you know how you get the notes at the beginning of the game. He’s like, ‘Mike— ‘I said, ‘Damn,'” Bibby recalled. “He said one specific name. I’m not going to say his name on here, but he said one specific name. And that name was on there.”

As the game headed to the fourth, tied at 75-all, the Kings’ worst fears came true.

“I do a brush screen off Scott Pollard or for Scott Pollard to go set away screen somewhere else. And it’s a brush screen. So he kind of just boom and was gone to the next. Moving screen,” Bibby remembered. “So I’m like, ‘Oh.’ And it just went downhill from there.”

The Lakers won Game 6 106-102, forcing a decisive Game 7, which they went on to win 112-106.

Yet, the controversy surrounding the officiating in Game 6 lingers to this day. The Kings were whistled for 31 fouls, allowing the Lakers to take an astounding 40 free throws. The fourth quarter was particularly contentious, with referees calling 16 fouls against Sacramento. The Lakers capitalized on these opportunities, sinking 21 of 27 free throws to secure the win.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.

“He said one specific name, and that name was on there” – Mike Bibby admits teammate feared NBA would rig Game 6 of 2002 WCF vs. Lakers

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