Most Shocking NBA Lottery shakeups of all-time

2. The Frozen Envelope Conspiracy (1985)

In the first year that the NBA Lottery was instituted, the New York Knicks entered with the third worst record in the league the previous season and with at 14.29 percent chance at getting the first overall pick. Every fan of the league in general was looking and had to be thinking to themselves that it would be crazy and be suspicious if the Knicks got the top pick given their market size, popularity, and perceived favor of commissioner David Stern.

Sure enough, the Knicks’ envelope was chosen and they were given the No.1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft that went on to be Patrick Ewing. It was a franchise altering pick that brought the Knicks back to prominence. However, as the conclusion of the first NBA Lottery, it was quite the shocking result.

It’s also a result covered in conspiracy to this day.

As one version of the story goes, the envelope containing the Knicks name was frozen prior to being put in the glass drum so that Stern could feel it. Another version says that the envelope was banged against the container to bend the corner so Stern could feel which one had his hometown team inside it.

Either way, it was a shocking result that seemed fishy from the start and has only been embroiled in more and more controversy in the 30-plus years since. No matter what, though, it definitely shook up the NBA and the Knicks.

Next: No. 1 Len Bias