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Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 12:31 pm
by pipfan
Please vote
I say no (except maybe the 1st one, with Ewing to NY). Why?
1. The 30 owners would NEVER agree to this
2. It's hard to keep a secret
3. The accounting firm would never go along

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 2:51 pm
by pipfan
Early results interesting-2 votes for all 4

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 2:53 pm
by -Luke-
pipfan wrote:Early results interesting-2 votes for all 4

The poll result is a piece of art.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:08 pm
by JustBuzzin
Why do the Lakers keep getting superstars throughout history?

Clippers play in LA and their history is the complete opposite.

Big markets play a huge role in the business of the NBA. The league needs their big markets to be successful.

The lottery are usually bad teams. It's kind of hard to pick good markets for stars considering the teams picking are generally small market teams.

If I'm a betting man I think Flagg ends up in Chicago or Brooklyn.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:11 pm
by Effigy
Every single year and every single pick? No. Sometimes? Definitely. The Yao Ming pick for instance, when China wasn't going to let Yao come to the US unless the Rockets or Warriors got him and low and behold the Rockets won the lottery, lol.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:13 pm
by the_process
Duh.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:31 pm
by scrabbarista
Voted #2. I think it's selective, same as some games are rigged and some aren't. However, I am 100% certain some games are rigged, and I'm far less sure about the lottery, for the simple reason that the lottery has a sample size of like 1, 2, 3, or 4 picks per year. With games, the sample size is ten actions per play, 200 plays per game, and over 1,000 games per year: it's much easier to observe.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:51 pm
by SkyBill40
JustBuzzin wrote:Why do the Lakers keep getting superstars throughout history?

Clippers play in LA and their history is the complete opposite.

Big markets play a huge role in the business of the NBA. The league needs their big markets to be successful.

The lottery are usually bad teams. It's kind of hard to pick good markets for stars considering the teams picking are generally small market teams.

If I'm a betting man I think Flagg ends up in Chicago or Brooklyn.


The Clippers never had an owner like Jerry Buss. And the Clippers were moved to LA because Sterling wanted to get out of San Diego; hell, he moved the team without league approval and the league lost their lawsuit against him to force the team back to SD. Having two teams in LA never really made any sense, but here we are.

To the point of the thread, I voted 3. I wouldn't be surprised at it being fixed on occasion; there's just one too many coincidences to make me believe otherwise.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 3:58 pm
by rand
It's been 16 years since any of the four LA or NYC franchises has won the lottery. What exactly would the NBA be trying to achieve through rigging if they won't do it for the franchises in their top markets?

If they rig lottos, why have they repeatedly sent superstar talent to backwaters? They could have sent LeBron to the Knicks and reaped the insane hype that would have generated.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:13 pm
by LordCovington33
To those who say it is rigged, watch the lottery process which is taped (easily found on YouTube) and then explain which part has been rigged.
https://youtu.be/7JjScsTNNaw?si=vHePVKkGvXLHMGoi

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:27 pm
by sp6r=underrated
JustBuzzin wrote:
If I'm a betting man I think Flagg ends up in Chicago or Brooklyn.


David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Wemby were all considered can't miss prospects and they were all sent to a metro region below Charlotte in population, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_statistical_area, and below Sacramento in GDP, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_United_States_metropolitan_areas_by_GDP.

Flagg may end up in Chicago or Brooklyn but it won't be because of a conspiracy.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:32 pm
by perempe20
Used to be?

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:33 pm
by BigGargamel
Absolutely. The NBA definitely wanted to get generational talents in NBA hotbeds like New Orleans and San Antonio. :roll:

Not everything's a conspiracy. What an exhausting way to live.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:35 pm
by Rendei
If anything, it's a trick they only pull occasionally. I think for Silver's reign, if it happens it tends to involve team sales, like we'll throw in the #1 pick if you buy the team. His focus is on the business side of making deals rather than trying to drive ratings. I'm not convinced of it, but it feels a little sus sometimes.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:39 pm
by SkyBill40
LordCovington33 wrote:To those who say it is rigged, watch the lottery process which is taped (easily found on YouTube) and then explain which part has been rigged.
https://youtu.be/7JjScsTNNaw?si=vHePVKkGvXLHMGoi


For transparency, and to squash any notion that there is some kind of predetermined order or "rigging" involved, why not broadcast the process live? Oh, wait... because that'd remove the suspense of the only league who has a separate show to determine the draft order. Can't have that, now can we?

As I said in another post, there's some strange coincidences that have occurred with the draft that give the appearance that they're scripted but in most cases, it doesn't play out that way. The NBA is about entertainment and generating continual revenue, so they're naturally going to want things to go a certain way. Does LeBron James have the same career if he ends up in DEN rather than CLE? No storybook there at all. Does NO not get the first overall after losing Anthony Davis to the Lakers so they can take Williamson?

There's been some seemingly odd and highly speculative moments and that's why people don't necessarily trust their process.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:45 pm
by VFX
Effigy wrote:Every single year and every single pick? No. Sometimes? Definitely. The Yao Ming pick for instance, when China wasn't going to let Yao come to the US unless the Rockets or Warriors got him and low and behold the Rockets won the lottery, lol.


Exactly this.

Most years no.
Some years yes.

The NBA is a business and there are specific connections that make sense. Even if you don't believe the lottery is somewhat rigged, the same few markets end up getting the majority of elite talent at some point. The league's elite talent aren't randomly landing in Charlotte, Orlando, or Sacramento in the prime of their careers.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:46 pm
by YogurtProducer
SkyBill40 wrote:
LordCovington33 wrote:To those who say it is rigged, watch the lottery process which is taped (easily found on YouTube) and then explain which part has been rigged.
https://youtu.be/7JjScsTNNaw?si=vHePVKkGvXLHMGoi


For transparency, and to squash any notion that there is some kind of predetermined order or "rigging" involved, why not broadcast the process live? Oh, wait... because that'd remove the suspense of the only league who has a separate show to determine the draft order. Can't have that, now can we?

As I said in another post, there's some strange coincidences that have occurred with the draft that give the appearance that they're scripted but in most cases, it doesn't play out that way. The NBA is about entertainment and generating continual revenue, so they're naturally going to want things to go a certain way. Does LeBron James have the same career if he ends up in DEN rather than CLE? No storybook there at all. Does NO not get the first overall after losing Anthony Davis to the Lakers so they can take Williamson?

There's been some seemingly odd and highly speculative moments and that's why people don't necessarily trust their process.

Uhhh the NHL and MLB both also have a show for their draft order.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:46 pm
by YogurtProducer
I dont think you peopl voting yes understand how many people would need to keep quiet to rig the lottery. It is literally impossible.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:48 pm
by eminence
Most of the time - no.

I do expect they've put their fingers on the scale before, though it's impossible to tell which were just luck.

Ensuring Yao came over seems most likely, though I'm looking at Rose to Chicago as well.

Re: Is the Lottery Rigged?

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 4:50 pm
by SkyBill40
YogurtProducer wrote:
SkyBill40 wrote:
LordCovington33 wrote:To those who say it is rigged, watch the lottery process which is taped (easily found on YouTube) and then explain which part has been rigged.
https://youtu.be/7JjScsTNNaw?si=vHePVKkGvXLHMGoi


For transparency, and to squash any notion that there is some kind of predetermined order or "rigging" involved, why not broadcast the process live? Oh, wait... because that'd remove the suspense of the only league who has a separate show to determine the draft order. Can't have that, now can we?

As I said in another post, there's some strange coincidences that have occurred with the draft that give the appearance that they're scripted but in most cases, it doesn't play out that way. The NBA is about entertainment and generating continual revenue, so they're naturally going to want things to go a certain way. Does LeBron James have the same career if he ends up in DEN rather than CLE? No storybook there at all. Does NO not get the first overall after losing Anthony Davis to the Lakers so they can take Williamson?

There's been some seemingly odd and highly speculative moments and that's why people don't necessarily trust their process.

Uhhh the NHL and MLB both also have a show for their draft order.


That was my bad. I'm aware the others have a show as well but since I don't watch those with as much interest, I'm not sure of just how much pomp and build up there is by comparison.