NBA fan reaction to draft lottery: Tin foil hats out in full force
Lottery luck or shady backroom dealing?
When it comes to the NBA draft lottery, opinions are all over the spectrum. The 2025 NBA Draft is all about Duke star Cooper Flagg, who is the crown jewel of the class.
The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and many more were hoping for the chance to alter the course of their franchise if the lottery went that way.
Instead, the tinfoil hats were out in full force moments after the Dallas Mavericks were given the honor to make the first selection June’s draft.
The NBA has been using a lottery format to determine their draft order since it was installed in 1985. Ahead of the 2019 lottery, the format was changed to the odds system in the hopes that it would discourage tanking. In a way, it has done the exact opposite.
This year’s lottery was filled with many non-competitive teams that chose to ‘load manage’ their way through a season with the idea that it would give them a few extra percentage points. None of them, much like last year when the Atlanta Hawks won, will pick at No. 1.
In fact, the team with the worst record has yet to make the first selection since the format changed.
Just months after dealing Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most controversial trades in NBA history, Dallas took advantage of its 1.8% odds to bring Flagg to the Lone Star State. In other words, you’re saying there’s a chance.
Bottom line, fans were not pleased with the outcome and didn’t waste time in sharing those thoughts on social media. Here’s a look at the reaction.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
