The Draft Lottery is Old Testament

Manna from Maine in the form of Cooper Flagg is a cosmic lifeline from the Basketball Gods to Dallas Mavericks fans.

Welcome to the first All Hat, Some Cattle. A weekly Friday sports column on DWWBYa in the vein of what you used to read on the back page of Sports Illustrated. It’s one of the many reasons I hope you’ll consider upgrading your subscription to a paid one.

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As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
Romans 9:13

One of the most complicated and mystifying verses in all of Scripture opens up a Pandora’s box of questions. Does God love some and hate others? I don’t know if I can answer the question in a sports column. But if you’ve watched enough NBA Draft Lotteries, you’ll start to believe in the idea, basketball-wise.

The bouncing of numbered ping pong balls as a way of assigning fortune to the 30 NBA teams is a silly yet holy ritual. The way the balls ping around in their air-filled chute can feel to some like a grand conspiracy. There are legends of frozen envelopes and odds-defying leaps into the number one pick which feel like they’re a wink-wink or all too convenient to only be statistics.

It’s most likely all just random. Because probabilities, even when small, exist for a reason. But I do think it is a bit cosmic, it sure is Old Testament. It punishes, it rewards and sometimes you’re left scratching your head. The various attitudes by fanbases about the lottery reflect that notion.

The lottery rips your heart out for the world to see. When Memphis lost their pick completely and the right to draft LeBron James in 2003.