Is the NBA Draft Lottery rigged? Players and media speak out after the Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, leaving the NBA world stunned and questioning the legitimacy of the lottery.
Is the NBA Draft Lottery rigged? The Dallas Mavericks have just won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, leaving fans, players, and much of the NBA world shocked and stunned by the outcome.
The Mavericks had only a 1.8% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick, making them just the fourth team in NBA history to win the lottery with odds below two percent—and the team with the fourth-lowest odds to win since the lottery began in 1985.
The result sparked widespread reactions across the league, as the Mavericks are now in position to select Cooper Flagg, one of the most highly touted generational prospects in recent years.
Longtime Mavericks owner and current minority owner Mark Cuban could hardly believe the outcome, visibly thrilled after learning Dallas had secured the top pick.
Lakers superstar LeBron James also weighed in, responding to the improbable result with a sarcastic reaction on social media.
NBA media figures and several players echoed the surprise, with some even questioning whether the lottery was rigged, suggesting the league might be making up for the Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
