He's also a really good player. He's a post player who can pass really well on a team with the best cutter in the world. The Celts beat the Lakers during the reg. season but that was before they got Gasol. It's going to be close but I'd say advantage Lakers-white, black not withstanding. The article doesn't mention how many points this supposed bias is supposed to account for. Jordan was pretty dark and he got calls if anyone breathed on him. There are so many factors in a basketball game-it's part of what makes it Fantastic!-I really don't think the racial bias of the ref's counts much especially in games where most of the shots are taken by black guys anyway. Did brent Barry get the "benefit" of being white at the end of the last LA San Anton match up?

No, no -- that was the other conspiracy. The one with the NBA cabal trying to arrange a Lakers-Celtics final.

The most important point i thought of in the article was that the Jordans and Bryants and Wades and Nashs and Kidds of this world will get calls from anyone and everyone because they are the superstars, but i thought the stats provided were interesting, i wonder if any such trend exists in other sports, particularly Ice Hockey (Im no habitual follower but i didnt notice any non-white players in the Red Wings or the Penguins last night).

Against the Spurs Bowen was only called for one foul on Kobe. So did Bowen's status as the great defender give Bowen more creed with the Refs than Kobe's as the greatest offensive player playing today?

Star players do get more calls but most of these calls they earn. This is one of the reasons they are star players.