NBA Hall of Famer and Lakers legend, Shaquille O’Neal, is no stranger to controversy. He’s had plenty of viral moments over the years, both as a player and analyst. He recently told a story about his first meeting with former NBA commissioner David Stern in 1992 prior to the draft. Shaq more than leaned into the conspiracy angle of the draft lottery being rigged and the process that landed him in sunny Orlando, FL.
"In 1992... I meet Mr. [David] Stern... he pulled me to the side, 'You want to play where it's cold or where it's hot?' And I was like, 'hot.' And he smiled and I smiled... Orlando, Florida was No. 1." Shaq said.
This wouldn’t be the first time the NBA was accused of “rigging” the draft lottery despite their alleged process in making sure things are on the up and up. However, if we go back to the very first lottery ahead of the ’85 draft, folks have been calling BS on this process from its inception.
Shaq's NBA lottery story isn't only sketchy tale
Patrick Ewing was the prize in ’85 and the New York Knicks ended up getting the No. 1 pick that year. Pre-draft position had the Knickerbockers placed third behind the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers, who would’ve been No. 1. Somehow, the team in the largest American media market jumped up two spots to snag Ewing. Of course, this all centered around the now-infamous, alleged frozen envelope.
There are other examples, like in ’97 when the San Antonio Spurs were able to move up a couple of spots from three to one in the Tim Duncan sweepstakes. Although the larger market team in Boston lost out, this move set the Spurs up for the next two decades and created the twin towers combo of Duncan and Tim Robinson, launching the Spurs’ dynasty. In ’03, long before LeBron James was manipulating things to get his son drafted in Los Angeles, the King somehow landed in Cleveland as the hometown kid who grew up less than an hour away in Akron.
While most will dismiss Shaq’s story, others have been on the trail for decades, calling out the NBA over how convenient the draft lottery unfolds for certain franchises. This is a debate that will likely go on forever, but once again, we saw another controversial lottery this year, which saw the Dallas Mavericks win it mere months after making the trade of the decade, sending Luka Doncic to LA. One thing is for sure: this all makes for interesting conversations surrounding the Association.