2010 1st pick - Washington - The Capital 2009 1st pick - Los Angeles - LA, what else? 2008 1st pick - Chicago - Major City 2006 1st pick - Toronto - Major Canadian City
yes, I personally rigged it because I think John Wall makes a good roomate with Gilbert in half-way house.
Damn, people are r****ded. YES, WE WANT TO RIG THE LOTTERY FOR A TEAM IN THE CAPITAL!!!!!!!!!! Because Washington has historically sucked, been a lottery team, and won it a disproportionate amount of times.... WE'RE GONNA RIG IT FOR A TEAM THAT ALWAYS SUCKED, MAKES HORRIBLE PICKS, AND HAS TONS OF PLAYERS GET INJURED...BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SECOND TEAM IN LOS ANGELES!!!!!!! WE'RE GONNA RIG IT FOR A TEAM IN CANADA BECAUSE IT HELPS DRAW RATINGS IN CANADA, A COUNTRY WITH A POPULATION LESS THAN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!! WE'RE GONNA RIG IT FOR SEATTLE TO GET THE TOP PICK AS OPPOSED TO ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREAT FRANCHISES, THE BOSTON CELTICS!!!!!! WE'RE GONNA RIG IT FOR ORLANDO, A TEAM IN A SMALL MARKET, TO GET THE #1 PICK IN BACK TO BACK YEARS!!!!! WE'RE GONNA RIG IT FOR SAN ANTONO!!!!!!!! SAN ANTONIO + TIM DUNCAN = DYNASTY + HUGE TV RATINGS!!
Milwaukee- Brewing capital of the USA Orlando- Disney World Cleveland- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Houston- 4th largest city It's clear that these cities are part of the NBA conspiracy as well...
Nah, it clearly isn't. Although this was one of the first years where the top 3 picks needed the talent more than any other team. 1. Washington - Blew up their core, have a suicide pill contract in Gilbert Arenas, who will be asked to handle the ball less and shift over to the 2 with John Wall at the 1. Not sure if he's fit enough to guard 2 guards. 2. Philadelphia - Lots of young potential but a mess of a franchise that hasn't recovered from Billy King. 3. New Jersey - Brook Lopez + a bunch of guards who don't correlate with winning. Always nice to see more youth going to the Eastern Conference.
1985 - Ewing to New York 1998 - Duncan to San Antonio 2002 - Yao to Houston 2003 - Lebron to his hometown Cleveland 2008 - Rose to his hometown Chicago I don't think EVERY top pick is rigged, otherwise it would be too obvious and the NBA would lose its legitimacy. I DO think Stern has secret veto priveliges, when certain combinations make obvious sense financially and the futures of franchises are at stake. All the picks I listed above essentially saved those franchises from financial turmoil and the risk of being relocated. If you don't believe the one about the Rockets and Yao, ask one of the vets here to repeat what was said in a thread several years old about the kinds of money Les was losing before Toyota center was built and before we got Yao.
How come they didn't rig it for NO then? Wouldn't that be more in danger of relocating than the Clippers who live in lalaland? The Spurs didn't even need Duncan when they drafted him, Robinson was functional as a player and was just injured that year (resulting in the fabled Twin Towers combo the next season). This is a lottery, meaning each lottery team has a chance of winning it all.
It would have made a heck of a lot more sense to send Duncan, Lebron, or Rose to New York. San Antonio and Cleveland are NOT cities the NBA would conspire for.
SA winning the Duncan sweepstakes over Boston(who had a much higher chance) pretty much destroys any long term rigging theory. Screwed the NBA and abc/espn/tnt out of tons of money.
Yao ends up in Houston. LeBron ends up in his hometown. Rose ends up in CHICAGO with a 2% chance! The poorest franchise in the league gets John Wall. The Nets new owner ends up with the 3rd pick...hmmm....I bet they would have got the 1st or 2nd if they never changed owners. Sixerers losing streak after being 5-5 this year (they didn't sell out one game). Fri 20 vs Memphis L 97-102 Sat 21 @ Cleveland L 91-97 Tue 24 @ Washington L 107-108 Wed 25 @ Boston L 110-113 Fri 27 vs Atlanta L 86-100 Sun 29 @ San Antonio L 89-97 Mon 30 @ Dallas L 102-104 December Opponent Result Wed 02 @ Oklahoma City L 106-117 Sat 05 @ Charlotte L 105-106 Mon 07 vs Denver L 83-93 Wed 09 vs Detroit L 86-90 Fri 11 vs Houston L 91-96