LeBron’s shocking statement on the 2003 Draft Lottery: “What a coincidence!”

An appearance from LeBron James on the Pat McAfee Show has sparked controversy after the NBA icon suggested that the league may have rigged the 2003 Draft Lottery to decide which team would take him.

Aged just 18, James was one of the most exciting draft prospects of all time when he declared. One of few ‘prep-to-pro’ players in NBA history - and one of only three No. 1 picks - James appeared destined to transform whichever team bagged the first overall pick.

Heading into the 2003 NFL Draft Lottery the Cleveland Cavaliers had a 22.5% chance of grabbing the top spot. Speaking to Pat McAfee on the most recent episode of his show, LeBron suggested that organisers would have wanted an Ohio-born star to end up in Cleveland.

“Listen man, during the ball drop, during the lottery drop. Cleveland got the No. 1 pick, that’s... I just don’t think that was... What a coincidence, huh?” said James, hinting that the draw may have somehow been rigged.

“Let’s keep LeBron home. You know what? Patrick Ewing to the Knicks, Derrick Rose to the Bulls. I understand the assignment, guys.”

LeBron delivered the remarks with a laugh and may well have been joking. However he did touch on a genuine, long-standing conspiracy theory among some NBA fans.

The 1985 NBA Draft Lottery saw commissioner David Stern pull envelopes from a hopper to decide the order of the seven non-playoff teams who would take each of the first seven picks. Theorists allege that NYC-born Stern was eager to help the New York Knicks reverse their poor fortunes and bag the first pick.

The Knicks did get the first pick and they took Patrick Ewing, the star of the all-conquering Georgetown Hoyas and future Hall-of-Famer. Some have claimed that the Knicks’ envelope was frozen beforehand to allow Stern to identify it, while others allege that the envelope was identified with a deliberately bent corner.

Of course, there has been no real evidence given for any of these theories and they are almost certainly nothing more than the paranoia and conspiracy common among sports fans. But with his latest comments, LeBron may have given birth to a whole new generation of NBA Draft Lottery truthers.

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