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The NBA Draft Lottery & the Chaos of Chance
The fine line between skepticism and numerical variance
Sports fans love conspiracy theories. Some of the classics are that Michael Jordan’s foray into baseball was a secret suspension for his gambling, that the NBA rigged Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals to save the LA Lakers’ season, and that the NFL destroyed evidence to hide the “Spygate” scandal that involved the New England Patriots. But the conspiracy theory that many fans believe with full conviction is that the NBA has pre-determined the winner of the NBA Draft Lottery on multiple occasions.
That belief has once again been reignited as the Dallas Mavericks, with a 1.8% chance of being awarded the number one pick, won the Draft Lottery. This happens mere months after the Mavericks shocked the NBA world by trading superstar Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in a move that many have called malpractice and a fireable offense. Whether you believe in the rigging of the Lottery or not, the NBA has shown once again that it is a league that is never short on storytelling.
The Mystique of the “Agenda”
