John Walters

David Stern and Steve Jobs.

The NBA and Apple.

Sacramento and Cupertino.

This week, at least, they are one and the same.

On Monday the National Basketball Association was beaming. Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers had earned 10.4 and 10.2 Nielsen ratings, respectively. While those were not exactly Bird-Magic era numbers, they were an improvement of 30 percent and 48 percent, respectively, over the first two contests of last June’s Cavs-Spurs series. And even though the Lakers trailed 0-2, they were en route to the Staples Center, where they are 8-0 during these playoffs.

Then, on Tuesday, Tim Donaghy happened ...

On Monday, Apple and its shareholders were beaming. The company introduced a newer, sleeker version of its iPhone. CEO Steve Jobs, the David Stern of the company (and the Kobe Bryant of the computer age), announced that, beginning July 11, the iPhone would retail for $199, which is half its current price and one-third what it cost when it was introduced just a year ago. Moreover, the iPhone would be expanding to 70 countries. The following morning Citigroup upped the target price of the stock (which ended Monday at around $186) to $287. How 'bout them Apples? Shareholders gloated.

Then, on Tuesday, Wall Street bloggers wondered if the iPhone itself was not all that looked slimmer.

If you solely follow sports — or if you have not yet realized that the stock market is the ultimate fantasy league — you may not realize that two great conspiracies, both based in northern California, have been unveling themselves concurrently this week.

The NBA conspiracy you already know about: Former referee Tim Donaghy, who will be sentenced on July 14 after pleading guilty to federal crimes involving assisting gamblers and betting on NBA games himself, alleged in court documents that a certain NBA playoff game in 2002 was fixed. You don't need to be Kit Kittredge to discern that Donaghy was referring to Game 6 of that year's Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings. In that game, with the Kings leading the Lakers 3-2 in the series, an astounding 27 fouls were called against the visiting Kings in the fourth quarter alone. The Lakers won, 106-102, then won Game 7 and then swept the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.

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The Apple conspiracy is thus: In 2003, Jobs -- the charismatic founder and CEO of Apple -- successfully battled pancreatic cancer. However, nobody knew about it until nine months after his diagnosis and after he'd had surgery. On Monday's presentation for the new iPhone Jobs, whose black turtleneck and jeans is as omnipresent a uniform as the Lakers' purple and gold, looked noticeably gaunt. Some bloggers used the term "emaciated" but gaunt is more accurate. Definitely thinner than he did just a year ago at a similar presentation.

Also, Jobs, who is as visible and inextricably linked to his product as anyone this side of George Lucas, yielded the stage time to other Apple executives for more than half the presentation. You don't buy Springsteen tickets for the Patti Scialfa solo. You just don't.

The NBA is fine, and will be fine. The Donaghy allegations will prove less deleterious to these Finals than Lamar Odom's Chris Mihm-worthy efforts, trust me. However, for two days here in Los Angeles the Donaghy story has not only haunted these Finals, it has overshadowed them.

Apple is not so fine. The company issued a statement that Jobs is suffering from a "common bug," which could be anything from a beetle to malaria. Since Tuesday the stock has dropped from $186 to $172 (guess who used to own Apple stock) during a period when, based solely on Monday's announcement, it should have risen $14 per share.

You wonder if David Stern is reading the USA Today's green page. And if Steve Jobs is gleaning its red page.

The NBA and Apple both need a remedial viewing of "The American President," in particular the scene in which White House Chief of Staff A.J. (Martin Sheen) implores President Andy Shepherd (Michael Douglas) to respond to Cheneyesque senator Bob Rumson's allegations. "With all due respect, sir, the American people have a funny way of deciding on their own what is and what is not their business," A.J. tells him. "You only fight the fight you can win? You fight the fights that need fighting."

So sound was A.J.'s advice that four years later he became president on his own TV show.

Special feature Rivalry renewed The Lakers and Cetics are meeting for the 11th time in NBA Finals history. NBCSports.com

I don't believe that the NBA fixes its games. I do think that referees take a Ouija board approach to calling fouls in big games, though, subconsciously being influenced to make calls that appease the masses. It cannot just be coincidence, can it, that the Celtics outshot the Lakers from the foul line 38-10 in Game 2 in Boston and then in the first quarter of Game 3 in L.A. the Lakers attempted 14 free throws? Likewise, Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals took place in Los Angeles. And Shaquille O’Neal, Phil Jackson and in particular Jack Nicholson can be quite persuasive presences.

Still, the NBA does itself no favors by asserting "consider the source" in reference to felon Donaghy. Or by trotting out the same refs year after year in the Finals. I have never understood why the same names (Dick Bavetta, Joey Crawford, Steve Javie and a few others) always are on the court come June. Because they are the best referees? If the NBA deigns that you are objective and astute enough to whistle fouls for the Timberwolves-Grizzlies game in November, then you are good enough to call a charge on Shaq in June. There is no upside at all for referees becoming too familiar with players and vice-versa.

As for Apple, the answer is simple. Whether the company likes it or not, Jobs' health is inextricably linked to the company's overall value. And shareholders, people who in fact own portions of that company, have every right to be informed of that status -- especially when the 53-year-old had cancer just five years ago. If it was simply a "common bug" then the company should specify exactly what that common bug is. A common bug cannot ruin an Apple, but a worm certainly can.

And Jobs should explain whether he lost weight and how much in the past year ... and why. Even if the answer is simply that his sleek physique is "more user-friendly."

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