Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Did LeBron James imply the NBA Draft Lottery is rigged?

By Sai Mohan | Last updated May 13, 2025 8:24 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks had just a 1.8 percent chance of winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, but jumped 10 spots to grab the No. 1 pick, the biggest move by any team in lottery history, per ESPN Research.

In previous years, three other teams — the 1993 Magic (1.52 percent), 2014 Cavaliers (1.7 percent) and 2008 Bulls (1.7 percent) — had a lower percentage of securing the No. 1 pick but didn't leapfrog 10 spots to overcome the odds.

The Mavericks' victory was met with a lot of shock from the sporting world, but none more so than LeBron James. The Lakers star sent out a series of laughing emojis seconds after NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum unveiled that the Mavericks had won the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes just months after trading Luka Doncic.

LeBron after the NBA draft lottery. pic.twitter.com/t3nFLPz8fp
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 12, 2025

James' reaction evoked his recent comments on the "Pat McAfee Show," in which he implied that the NBA rigged past lotteries to ensure hometown stars landed on their teams.

"Let's keep LeBron home [in Cleveland], Patrick Ewing to the Knicks, Derrick Rose to the Bulls," James had said. "I understand the assignment, guys. I had to make sure that I did my part."

One interesting trend in recent years has seen teams land No. 1 picks almost immediately after trading/losing a franchise star. In 2011, for example, the Cavaliers got the No. 1 pick, with which they selected Kyrie Irving, exactly a year after James left for the Heat.

Similarly, in 2012, the Pelicans got the No. 1 pick after Chris Paul's departure, and again got the top pick following the Anthony Davis trade in 2019. This year, the basketball gods have seemingly blessed the Mavericks in the immediate aftermath of the Doncic trade.

It's somewhat warped to question the integrity of the NBA Draft Lottery, but some coincidences are too strong to ignore. Perhaps James knows more than he'll ever choose to let on.

Is the NBA Draft Lottery Rigged? Here's the data:

2008: Derrick Rose going to his home town Chicago when the Bulls had a 1.7% chance

2011: The Cavaliers getting the #1 pick after LeBron James left the summer prior

2012: The Pelicans getting the #1 pick after Chris Paul leaves… pic.twitter.com/Tq7kGgErMV
— FlightMike (Mikerophone) (@TheFlightMike) May 12, 2025

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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