spurs only team ever to win a championship with #1 pick in draft lottery

[Spurs4#5]

Thought it was pretty cool fact

[Russo21]

That's pretty surprising!

[Russo21]

What about Houston with Hakeem Olajuwan? They picked him number 1 in the draft and he won a championship for them?

[Spurs4#5]

What about Houston with Hakeem Olajuwan? They picked him number 1 in the draft and he won a championship for them?
it wasn't a draft lottery when he was selected

[Russo21]

Oh, how'd they do it back then?

[Venti Quattro]

Oh, how'd they do it back then?

Coin flip between the two worst teams. Tanking was a hit back then. When your odds at a #1 pick are 50/50, you absolutely would go for it.

[Spurs4#5]

Coin flip between the two worst teams.
yup...logic at its best

[Venti Quattro]

However, a lot of front offices back then were so stupid that they would trade players because of circumstances that are not basketball-related like Player X would sell more tickets or is the nice locker-room guy even though Player Y is the way more talented player or even if Pick Y is going to be really high.

In essence, that's how the Lakers obtained Magic Johnson and James Worthy -- through a string of bad deals from other unknowing front offices.

[rascal]

However, a lot of front offices back then were so stupid that they would trade players because of circumstances that are not basketball-related like Player X would sell more tickets or is the nice locker-room guy even though Player Y is the way more talented player or even if Pick Y is going to be really high.

In essence, that's how the Lakers obtained Magic Johnson and James Worthy -- through a string of bad deals from other unknowing front offices.

Lakers have a history of screwing other teams for top players.

[rascal]

However, a lot of front offices back then were so stupid that they would trade players because of circumstances that are not basketball-related like Player X would sell more tickets or is the nice locker-room guy even though Player Y is the way more talented player or even if Pick Y is going to be really high.

In essence, that's how the Lakers obtained Magic Johnson and James Worthy -- through a string of bad deals from other unknowing front offices.

Lakers have a history of screwing other teams for top players.

[doobs]

Spurs did it with Robinson and Duncan, nice

[Richie]

I'm shocked no #1 pick since Duncan has even won a championship. In fact, is it only Duncan, Robinson and shaq who are #1 lottery picks with championships?

[Prime Time]

I'm shocked no #1 pick since Duncan has even won a championship. In fact, is it only Duncan, Robinson and shaq who are #1 lottery picks with championships?
Glenn Robinson won a championship with the Spurs.

[Thomas82]

Glenn Robinson won a championship with the Spurs.

True, but he didn't win it with the team the drafted him, neither did Shaq.

[TampaDude]

Thought it was pretty cool fact

:hat

[Blake]

Basically a testament to Duncan's and Robinson's natures

[tesseractive]

True, but he didn't win it with the team the drafted him, neither did Shaq.

Interesting. Even if Miami wins, LeBron won't count either. And Durant was a #2.

Ewing, Shaq, Iverson, K-Mart, LeBron and Howard all reached the finals with their original teams, but none of them ever won there.

Wow.

[Spurs4#5]

Interesting. Even if Miami wins, LeBron won't count either. And Durant was a #2.

Ewing, Shaq, Iverson, K-Mart, LeBron and Howard all reached the finals with their original teams, but none of them ever won there.

Wow.
Right? And we have the only two #1 picks to ever do it

[ginobili fan]

We will never have players like Tim and David in the future.
The odd's like winning twice the lotto in a life time.

[ploto]

Makes sense. Usually really bad teams get a #1 pick but the Spurs only did so because of injuries to their 2 best players and some luck.

[racm]

I'm shocked no #1 pick since Duncan has even won a championship. In fact, is it only Duncan, Robinson and shaq who are #1 lottery picks with championships?

1998 - Olowokandi - bust, could have picked up Nowitzki or Pierce
1999 - Brand - never got out of the second round
2000 - Martin - beaten in both finals appearances, still got owned by Timmy this year
2001 - Brown - bust, could have picked up Gasol, Chandler, Parker, or even Joe Johnson
2002 - Yao - good, injury plagued, never got out of the second round
2003 - James - never won with his original team, got swept in his first Finals
2004 - Howard - lost to one of the best Lakers teams ever
2005 - Bogut - see Yao, could have also picked CP3 or DWill
2006 - Bargnani - stuck on a mediocre team,
not a franchise player
2007 - Oden - this generation's Sam Bowie, but WORSE. could have gone with KD or Horford
2008 - Rose - Only time will tell if his knee will heal
2009 - Griffin - good but one-dimensional, TD owned him
2010 - Wall - Horrible second year
2011 - Irving - Stud. Might propel Cavs to playoff contention again.

[Prime Time]

Now looking at it... Correct me if I'm wrong but in the past 42 years the only 1st overall picks that have won a title with the same team were drafted by were
Bill Walton (1974, Blazers)
Magic Johnson (1979, Lakers)
James Worthy (1982, Lakers)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1984, Rockets)
David Robinson (1987, Spurs)
Tim Duncan (1997, Spurs)

:wow To be fair.. most of the teams that get a 1st overall pick suck. Especially their front office

[Richie]

Now looking at it... Correct me if I'm wrong but in the past 42 years the only 1st overall picks that have won a title with the same team were drafted by were
Bill Walton (1974, Blazers)
Magic Johnson (1979, Lakers)
James Worthy (1982, Lakers)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1984, Rockets)
David Robinson (1987, Spurs)
Tim Duncan (1997, Spurs)

:wow To be fair.. most of the teams that get a 1st overall pick suck. Especially their front office
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

[Prime Time]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Close, but I said past 42 years (1970) Lew Alcindor was drafted in 1969.

[Venti Quattro]

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

An unknown fact to many: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar almost went to the ABA.

[Venti Quattro]

Lakers have a history of screwing other teams for top players.

It's not Jerry's or Mitch's fault that about 70-80% of front offices are stupid.

[Horse]

It's not Jerry's or Mitch's fault that about 70-80% of front offices are stupid.
It is jerry's fault for giving gaysol to his old team for nothing.

[Venti Quattro]

It is jerry's fault for giving gaysol to his old team for nothing.

:lmao :lmao :lmao another shitty take by the Donut Masseuse

Jerry was long gone when Memphis decided to have a firesale and give Pau to LA. That was a long time ago and you're still butthurt about it.

[tesseractive]

:lmao :lmao :lmao another shitty take by the Donut Masseuse

Jerry was long gone when Memphis decided to have a firesale and give Pau to LA. That was a long time ago and you're still butthurt about it.

Was he "long gone" or was he still consulting there? I thought it was the latter, but my memory may be playing tricks on me.

Either way, Memphis obviously felt more comfortable making a deal with LA than shopping Pau around, because at least at the time, it seemed obvious that they could have done better. The emergence of Marc Gasol certainly softened the blow, though.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but it always seemed like a strange trade to me from Memphis's point of view.

[SpursFaninMS]

Thought it was pretty cool fact

Lakers won with Shaq.

That should be: We are the only team to win a title with the number one lottery pick that it drafted.

[EJFischer]

Kind of highlights that tanking isn't actually a particularly good strategy.