Lottery Winners
The largest upset in the lottery occurred in 1993 when the Magic won the lottery with just 1.5% chance to win. The second largest upset occurred in 2008 when the Chicago Bulls won the lottery with just 1.7% chance. Since the lottery was introduced in 1985, only 16 of 30 NBA teams have won the lottery. The Los Angeles Clippers have won five lotteries, although two of them were conveyed to other teams in trades prior to the lottery. The Orlando Magic is second with three lottery wins, including two consecutive wins in 1992 and 1993, the only time that a team won the lottery in two consecutive years. Since the weighted lottery system introduced in 1990, only three teams with the worst record went on to win the lottery while only four teams with the second-worst record have won the lottery.
| Year | Team | Previous season record |
Lottery chances |
Probability | Player selected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | New York Knicks | 24–58 (3rd-worst) | — | 700114290000000000014.29% | Ewing, PatrickPatrick Ewing |
| 1986 | Los Angeles Clippers |
32–50 (7th-worst) | — | 700114290000000000014.29% | Daugherty, BradBrad Daugherty |
| 1987 | San Antonio Spurs | 28–54 (4th-worst) | — | 700114290000000000014.29% | Robinson, DavidDavid Robinson |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Clippers | 17–65 (Worst) | — | 700114290000000000014.29% | Manning, DannyDanny Manning |
| 1989 | Sacramento Kings | 27–55 (6th-worst) | — | 700111110000000000011.11% | Ellison, PervisPervis Ellison |
| 1990 | New Jersey Nets | 17–65 (Worst) | 11 (out of 66) | 700116670000000000016.67% | Coleman, DerrickDerrick Coleman |
| 1991 | Charlotte Hornets | 26–56 (5th-worst) | 7 (out of 66) | 700110610000000000010.61% | Johnson, LarryLarry Johnson |
| 1992 | Orlando Magic | 21–61 (2nd-worst) | 10 (out of 66) | 700115150000000000015.15% | O'Neal, ShaquilleShaquille O'Neal |
| 1993 | Orlando Magic | 41–41 (11th-worst) | 1 (out of 66) | 70001520000000000001.52% | Webber, ChrisChris Webber |
| 1994 | Milwaukee Bucks | 20–62 (2nd-worst) | 163 (out of 1000) | 700116300000000000016.30% | Robinson, GlennGlenn Robinson |
| 1995 | Golden State Warriors | 26–56 (5th-worst) | 94 (out of 1000) | 70009400000000000009.40% | Smith, JoeJoe Smith |
| 1996 | Philadelphia 76ers | 18–64 (2nd-worst) | 200 (out of 593) | 700133730999999999933.73% | Iverson, AllenAllen Iverson |
| 1997 | San Antonio Spurs | 20–62 (3rd-worst) | 157 (out of 727) | 700121600000000000021.60% | Duncan, TimTim Duncan |
| 1998 | Los Angeles Clippers | 17–65 (3rd-worst) | 157 (out of 696) | 700122560000000000022.56% | Olowokandi, MichaelMichael Olowokandi |
| 1999 | Chicago Bulls | 13–37 (3rd-worst) | 157 (out of 1000) | 700115700000000000015.70% | Brand, EltonElton Brand |
| 2000 | New Jersey Nets | 31–51 (7th-worst) | 44 (out of 1000) | 70004400000000000004.40% | Martin, KenyonKenyon Martin |
| 2001 | Washington Wizards | 19–63 (3rd-worst) | 157 (out of 1000) | 700115700000000000015.70% | Brown, KwameKwame Brown |
| 2002 | Houston Rockets | 28–54 (5th-worst) | 89 (out of 1000) | 70008900000000000008.90% | Yao Ming, Yao Ming |
| 2003 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 17–65 (T-Worst) | 225 (out of 1000) | 700122500000000000022.50% | James, LeBronLeBron James |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic | 21–61 (Worst) | 250 (out of 1000) | 700125000000000000025.00% | Howard, DwightDwight Howard |
| 2005 | Milwaukee Bucks | 30–52 (6th-worst) | 63 (out of 1000) | 70006300000000000006.30% | Bogut, AndrewAndrew Bogut |
| 2006 | Toronto Raptors | 27–55 (5th-worst) | 88 (out of 1000) | 70008800000000000008.80% | Bargnani, AndreaAndrea Bargnani |
| 2007 | Portland Trail Blazers | 32–50 (6th-worst) | 53 (out of 1000) | 70005300000000000005.30% | Oden, GregGreg Oden |
| 2008 | Chicago Bulls | 33–49 (9th-worst) | 17 (out of 1000) | 70001700000000000001.70% | Rose, DerrickDerrick Rose |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Clippers | 19–63 (2nd-worst) | 177 (out of 1000) | 700117700000000000017.70% | Griffin, BlakeBlake Griffin |
| 2010 | Washington Wizards | 26–56 (5th-worst) | 103 (out of 1000) | 700110300000000000010.30% | Wall, JohnJohn Wall |
| 2011 | Los Angeles Clippers |
32–50 (8th-worst) | 28 (out of 1000) | 70002800000000999992.80% | Irving, KyrieKyrie Irving |
| 2012 | New Orleans Hornets | 21-45 (T-3rd-worst) | 137(out of 1000) | 700113700000000000013.70% | Davis, AnthonyAnthony Davis |
- Notes
Read more about this topic: NBA Draft Lottery
Famous quotes containing the words lottery and/or winners:
“The recent attempt to secure a charter from the State of North Dakota for a lottery company, the pending effort to obtain from the State of Louisiana a renewal of the charter of the Louisiana State Lottery, and the establishment of one or more lottery companies at Mexican towns near our border, have served the good purpose of calling public attention to an evil of vast proportions.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don’t acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead.”
—Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (b. 1922)