Shaquille O’Neal solely did extra to fire up the NBA draft conspiracy theorists with a David Stern story from his draft 12 months in 2992.
round him touchdown first total to the Magic in 1992.
The thought of a “rigged” NBA draft lottery resurfaced final month when the Mavericks gained the highest choose within the draft — virtually definitely Duke star Cooper Flagg — regardless of having a 1.8 p.c likelihood, which got here after beautiful and extremely ridiculed commerce of Luka Dončić to the Lakers in February.
Probably the most well-known draft lottery conspiracy concept revolves round a supposed “frozen envelope” followers believed delivered Patrick Ewing to the Knicks in 1985.
O’Neal added one other to the pyre throughout an interview with Ashley Nevel on Monday. The Corridor of Fame heart claimed that then-commissioner David Stern approached him in March, forward of the June lottery, about what he hoped for within the metropolis he was going to play in as a rookie.
“[He] pulled me to the facet. ‘You need to play the place it’s chilly or the place it’s scorching?’” O’Neal stated. “He requested me that. I stated, ‘scorching’ after which he smiled and I smiled.”
O’Neal would later watch because the top-three picks had been revealed.
“Minnesota was No. 3. Charlotte was No. 2 after which Orlando, Florida, was No. 1,” he stated. “I used to be like (whereas making a questioning face). I didn’t assume a lot about it. You hear numerous these conspiracy theories. There are numerous conditions that may make these items sound good.”
O’Neal added that he didn’t need to use the phrase “conspiracy concept” however referred to as the entire state of affairs “very attention-grabbing.”
The LSU product performed 4 seasons in Orlando and led the Magic to their first NBA Finals in 1995 earlier than profitable three championships with the Lakers and one with the Warmth.
The Mavericks and GM Nico Harrison, who took the brunt of the criticism for dealing Dončić, are hoping to pair Flagg with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis – who was acquired from the Lakers within the Dončić deal – will earn the franchise its first title since 2011.
