Most Shocking NBA Lottery shakeups of all-time

Basketball: NBA Draft Lottery: NBA Commissioner David Stern holding up the envelope with the number one pick in the draft at Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Number one pick goes to the New York Knicks.New York, NY 5/12/1985CREDIT: George Tiedemann (Photo by George Tiedemann /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)(Set Number: X31488 TK1 R1 F8 ) /

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Seattle Sonic’s Gary Payton questions a call during game against Lakers last season. (Photo by Vince Compagnone/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) /

15. Sonics Get No. 2 Pick (1990)

The Seattle Sonics finished the 1989-90 NBA season just shy of making the playoffs. They finished the year at an even .500, going 41-41. As such, they didn’t have much of a chance (or so it seemed) entering the NBA Lottery—even by the old rules that were a bit more generous to the lower teams in the lottery. However, that only served to set the stage for a hugely shocking moment in the lottery.

Despite their success the previous season, the Sonics ended up getting the No. 2 overall pick when it was all said and done. It was something that no one really saw coming considering that they entered the lottery having less than a five percent chance at winding up with the No. 1 overall pick. It was a coup to add such a high pick to an already quality team.

Though it doesn’t influence the shock value here, it’s even wilder that the Sonics also ended up with the best player in the 1990 draft as they selected Gary Payton out of Oregon State. Derrick Coleman went No. 1 overall, but he wasn’t the Hall of Famer that Payton ultimately wound up being for the Sonics. That only makes a crazy moment all the more memorable.

Next: No. 14 Wizards Take Kwame

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