LeBron James warned us.
The Los Angeles Lakers all-time great knows a thing or two about the NBA Draft Lottery.
In 2003, of course, James wound up as the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the lottery and the right to keep the generational talent from Akron, Ohio right at home.
James spoke earlier this year on The Pat McAfee Show with his thoughts on the lottery.
"Listen, man, during the ball drop in the lottery, Cleveland got the number one pick?" James said. "What a coincidence. Let's keep LeBron home. Patrick Ewing to the Knicks. Derrick Rose to the Bulls. I understand the assignment, guys."
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And on Monday night, if it was rigged, it was weirdly rigged.
The Dallas Mavericks earned the 2025 No. 1 pick and with it, the right to take Duke phenom Cooper Flagg.
On the one hand, it's a lifeline for a Mavs franchise that is still kind of reeling from dealing away Luka Doncic for less than full value.
On the other, why would the NBA rig it so a team that made a stupid move got a second chance?
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There are certainly two sides to this.
The lottery likely isn't rigged. If it was, after more than four decades, someone would've revealed that for real. Don't you think every team that didn't get the No. 1 pick in those years would have something to say about it?
It's just franchise-changing luck, each and every spring. And when a guy like Flagg (or James, Ewing or Rose) is available, it's that much more important.
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