The NBA Draft Lottery has long been the subject of conspiracy theories and now Shaquille O’Neal weighs in on the matter by claiming his own draft experience may have been influenced behind the scenes.
O’Neal recalled an interaction with then-NBA commissioner David Stern ahead of the 1992 Draft and suggested the commissioner appeared to hint at a predestined outcome.
“In 1992 the draft was in June or something,” O’Neal said. “I meet Mr. Stern in March and he says to me, ‘Hey, I know who you are, can’t wait for you to come to the NBA.’
“Then he pulls me to the side, ‘You want to play where it’s cold or it’s hot?’ I didn’t think anything about it.
“But you know you hear a lot of these conspiracy theories, there’s a lot of situations that could make these things sound good and sound true.”
A few months later, the Orlando Magic, located in sunny Florida, won the draft lottery despite having only a 15.15% chance as the Minnesota Timberwolves, who entered with the highest odds (16.67%), fell to the third pick.
LeBron hints his draft pick was rigged
The story shared by O’Neal doesn’t confirm wrongdoing, but it lends credibility to the long-held suspicions that the lottery may not be as impartial as portrayed and even the recent outcome of the 2025 draft lottery brought new skepticism.
The Dallas Mavericks were awarded the No. 1 pick despite their slim odds, gaining the opportunity to draft Duke’s Cooper Flagg-widely regarded as the top prospect in this year’s class. This came just months after the organization traded franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a move that baffled much of the basketball world.
The conspiracy is that the NBA pushed Doncic to the Lakers to improve TV ratings, which have struggled in recent seasons, and in return handed the Mavericks a nice prospect to keep them happy. However, no evidence supports this.
Among those publicly questioning the legitimacy of the lottery was LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion reacted on social media with a string of laughing emojis and referenced his own experience on The Pat McAfee Show:
“During the lottery drop, Cleveland got the No. 1 pick,” LeBron said. “I just don’t think that was what? A coincidence? ‘Let’s keep LeBron home.’
“You know what? Patrick Ewing to the Knicks. Derrick Rose to the Bulls. I understand the assignment, guys.”
While the league has consistently defended the integrity of its lottery system, the comments from high-profile figures like O’Neal and James only intensify scrutiny as a perception grows among players and fans that key outcomes in the draft process may at times align too conveniently with business interests.
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