Complicit how? I think the refs guiding the games is the biggest factor and the teams know it but actually in on it?
Tbh they could all care less as long as those multi million dollar salaries keep flowing,that is more likely than actual complicity
Think about it,teams like Hornets,Knicks,Nets,Magic,Kings,Hawks,,Suns,Nugget s etc,they remain insanely profitable even though they perennially suck
As long as the corporate welfare buys up all the arena seats as perks for clients/employees the scam will continue.
Though you can thank the insane pricing of every corporate product cause they sure don't pay for the seats,you do indirectly
I used to have access to endless Wizards/Orioles/Caps tix freebies back when I lived in DC,the companies that I got them from used to joke that they couldn't even give em away,on most nights the arena seats from these companies were empty,the more prestigious skyboxes not so much but still room even in those on a lot of nights,ya just had to deal with the few wannabe s who thought they hit the big time in the sky boxes lol,too cool for the regular seats