It's not about NBA but didn't Diego Maradona said something similar? - Ban bookmakers and you'll see a real football.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember a similar statement from someone but I don't know who and how they said it in English, it's my interpretation.
I can’t find who said this but I understand where they are coming from. After all, the intentions of rigging a match comes from winning a bet most of the time. Anyone who has their money at stake would do anything to win even if it meant rigging the match.
I often bet on soccer matches and I know that there are cases when referee will be on one team's side, so I either bet on that team or I avoid the match.
You don’t know whether that referee would be biased or not. Even if it’s home court, it’s still possible that a referree be objective. So you really don’t know if it can be rigged. It’s hard to tell.