Image via Complex Original
You have to hand it to David Stern. When he was looking for a way to guarantee the Knicks would get Patrick Ewing in 1985 generate interest in his league's draft, he couldn't have done much better than the NBA Draft Lottery. Combining hardcore hoop nerdom with bingo was a stroke of genius that added a really cool element of drama to the process. And drama on live TV is great fodder for funny reaction shots. From 100-1 longshots to creepy Mavs execs to the jiggly awesomeness that is Jerry Krause, these are the Greatest Reactions in NBA Draft Lottery History...
14. "The Mavs Last Gasp"
WHO: Unknown Mavs executive
YEAR: 1995
The people who attend the lottery for the various teams are an odd lot. More often than not, it's the clubs' general manager, sometimes it's a player, sometimes it's even the owner (and Mike Dunleavy, who's there every year for the Clippers). Needless to say, these are sometimes people who aren't used to being on live TV, and having their gut reactions broadcast around the world. Take this dude for instance. We're not sure who he is, but his reaction to the Mavs getting the 11th pick (where they were slotted to be) is priceless. You can see the full gamut of human emotion on his face, from "Keep smiling, keep smiling" to "Holy shit, we're gonna have to take Cherokee Parks!" back to "Keep smiling, keep smiling", all in a split-second.
13. "Tyreke Ain't Nothing to Laugh At"
WHO: Chris Webber (Sacramento Kings)
YEAR: 2009
Trivia question: How many NBA Draft lotteries has C-Webb attended? Answer: Two! (Okay, that's some real arcane trivia.) He was the Wizards' rep in '99, and in '09 he was the Kings' rep when they had the worst record in the league, and therefore the best chance to grab the No. 1 pick. Which explains his mirthless chuckle here when Sacramento got the fourth selection instead. But hey, they got Tyreke Evans, so it wasn't a complete L. You know who they could've had though, right?
12. "Who's Laughing Now?"
WHO: Brandon Roy (Portland Trail Blazers) and Lenny Wilkins (Seattle SuperSonics)
YEAR: 2007
B-Roy had a smile on his face as wide as the Willamette when the Blazers snagged the first pick in the 2007 draft, knowing that Portland would select the mighty Greg Oden, and he and the big fella would combine for a string of injury-free success not known in the Northwest since... Where were we? Yes, the cruel ironies of the Draft Lottery. Seattle "won" the '07 Lottery by getting the second pick and having Kevin Durant fall in their lap. Alas, that's pretty much the last big W the Sonics had...ever.
11. "Before He Took His Talents to Miami"
WHO: Gordon Gund (Cleveland Cavaliers)
YEAR: 2003
Cleveland fans, you may want to skip over this one. In the LeBron sweepstakes - you know, the one where he didn't have a choice - the Cavs purposely lost a ton of games, which put them in the thick of things for King James. Within six months of officially announcing LBJ as the Cavaliers' first pick, Clevelanders and basketball fans went out and bought nearly 600,000 of his jerseys. Now quick, fast-forward to seven years later.
10. "The Pat Williams Effect"
WHO: Pat Williams (Philadelphia 76ers)
YEAR: 1986
It doesn't really matter what you bring for good luck, if you have Pat Williams representing your team, you're well on your way to getting the NO. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. As you will find out (hint hint), the guy has a knack for getting lucky in the lottery...or paying off the right people involved in the drawing. You choose.
9. "Adults Acting Like Kids All Over Again"
WHO: Pat Williams (Orlando Magic)
YEAR: 2004
Nothing turns grown men into little kids all over again quite like getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. After getting the rights to draft the highly-touted high school baller, Dwight Howard, could you blame them? No championships or MVP awards yet, but three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards...yeah, it was definitely worth the excitement.
8. "Baylor Likes That One"
WHO: Elgin Baylor (L.A. Clippers)
YEAR: 1988
Sure, Baylor was feeling lucky. Danny Manning? Not so much. A torn ACL after just 26 games. Can you say Curse of the Clippers?
7. "The Luck of Nick"
WHO: Nick Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers)
YEAR: 2011
After LeBron left Cleveland high and dry, the team and city were immediately thrown into the rebuilding process. Yesterday's draft lottery may have expedited that course. Nick Gilbert, son of the Cavs owner, represented the team and served as a lucky charm in securing the No. 4 and No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft. If the front office uses their picks wisely, Clevelanders may be saying "LeBron who?" in a couple of years.
6. "In Your Face!"
WHO: Pat Croce (Philadelphia 76ers)
YEAR: 1996
The 1996 NBA Draft featured big name college basketball stars like Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, and Ray Allen, so we can't fault the guy for getting excited about getting the No. 1 pick. But why in the world is everyone else giving him fives? The whole thing seems like the opposite of an Oprah show segment. Dude was basically telling the rest of the people there, "You're not getting the first pick!" "You're not getting the first pick!" "Everyone here is not getting the first pick!" Sidenote: While all this is going on, Jerry West was probably watching his couch, and he ended up landing the biggest prize of the 1996 NBA Draft: Black Mamba.
5. "A Little Too Excited"
WHO: Lewis Katz (New Jersey Nets)
YEAR: 2000
In what may have been one of the weakest draft classes ever, Lewis Katz was excited - putting it mildly - to score the first pick...Kenyon Martin?!? He's an average player at best. To be honest, the first player with any real staying power came in the 16th pick for Hedo Turkoglu. #justsaying
4. "Here Comes the Dougie!"
WHO: Irene Pollin (Washington Wizards)
YEAR: 2010
Last year the Wizards had the fifth-best chance of getting the No. 1 pick, and they sent Irene Pollin, the widow of the team's longtime owner Abe Pollin, to represent them. Mrs. Pollin was in the process of selling the team to Ted Leonsis, and her joyous reaction to the Wiz getting the right to pick John Wall is heartwarming (yeah, we can play it straight from time to time). Then she saw Wall do this and immediately regretted the decision to sell the team.
3. "You've Got to Be Kidding Me"
WHO: Pat Williams (Orlando Magic)
YEAR: 1993
With the worst chance of landing the top pick and with Shaquille O'Neal already in his pocket after winning the lottery the previous year, you can forgive Pat Williams his surprise when the Magic are the last team standing after all the envelopes were opened. The Magic took Chris Webber with that first pick, traded him to Golden State for Penny Hardaway, and went to the Finals in 1995. The 76ers? They took Shawn Bradley at No. 2. We all know how that one ended.
2. "Remember to Act Surprised"
WHO: Dave DeBusschere (New York Knicks)
YEAR: 1985
Maybe it was the Bingo Night at the Canton VFW Hall feel of the whole thing, maybe it was Stern's evident nervousness, maybe it was THAT CLEARLY BENT CORNER on the Knicks' envelope. Whatever the reason, people seem to think the inaugural NBA Draft Lottery, which gave the moribund Knicks franchise the right to select Patrick Ewing, was rigged (judge for yourself with the Zapruder film). Whatever. Knicks legend Dave DeBusschere sure looked surprised, so he's either the best acting power forward in history, or the whole thing was on the level after all.
1. "Everything's Coming Up Jerry!"
WHO: Jerry Krause (Chicago Bulls)
YEAR: 1999
You have to feel bad for Jerry Krause. The man called "Crumbs" built a dynasty in Chicago, but just because he didn't draft Michael Jordan (that was Rod Thorn), he never received the credit he felt he deserved. He was openly mocked by Pippen and Jordan, and his "organizations win championships" line earned him nothing but scorn. So once Pippen and Jordan and Phil Jackson (oh my) bid their farewells following the 1998 season, Krause had his chance. Finally, he could build an ENTIRE team, and the world would see what he could do. He attended the '99 Draft Lottery himself, and when the Bulls drew the top pick he...ewwwwwwwwwwww.
