Hey Spurs fans, did you catch the NBA Draft Lottery last night? After a real nail-biter, The San Antonio Spurs officially got the No. 1 pick. This isn’t our first rodeo.
The team previously won No. 1 back in 1987 and 1997. Do those dates sound familiar? Those were the years that the Spurs picked up basketball legends David Robinson from the Naval Academy in 1987, and Tim Duncan out of Wake Forest ten years later.
🏀 How did we get here?
After finishing their last season 20-60, the San Antonio Spurs were tied with the Houston Rockets for the second worst record in the NBA. The Rockets broke the tie with a coin toss winning the second worst record and placing the Spurs at third.
The Spurs had a 14% chance of winning the No. 1 pick along with the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons. Spurs broadcast team member Michelle Beadle breaks down how the NBA Draft Lottery works.
Fun fact: The actual draft lottery takes place in a separate room before the broadcast where selected media, NBA officials, and representatives are witnesses. Once the picks are made, numbered envelopes are stuffed with a teams logo, sealed and before being brought into the broadcast studio.
🏀 What happened?
After 13 draws, and 20 minutes of anxiety from Spurs fans (City Editor Adriana included), the lottery fell in our favor and the Spurs got No. 1. Especially sweet was that managing partner Peter J. Holt was able to be there as representative to celebrate.
🏀 What’s next?
The Spurs now have the right to pick up the 7-ft-3-inch, 19-year-old French basketball player Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama is projected to be this year’s No. 1 pick, and is widely considered the best NBA prospect since LeBron James.
The NBA Draft will take place Thursday, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN from the Barclays Center in New York.
