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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was subjected to more than just the typical boos fans expect to hear during draft night.
Loud jeers from fans filled the Barclays Center in New York as Silver was welcomed to the stage, but one irate fan managed to very clearly let the commissioner know just how they felt about the Draft Lottery last month, when the Dallas Mavericks were stunningly awarded the first overall pick.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces the start of the first round of the NBA basketball draft on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
“Dallas was rigged,” the fan shouted. The remark was clearly captured on the ESPN broadcast of the draft.
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Silver, either unaware or interested in the heckle, carried on without a response.
The remark highlights the shock of last month’s Draft Lottery when the Mavericks were awarded the first overall pick, which they unsurprisingly used to select Duke star Cooper Flagg on Wednesday night. Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick – the 11th-best odds to win the lottery.
Duke forward Cooper Flagg celebrates after scoring against Houston during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament on Saturday, April 5, 2025 in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
MAVERICKS SELECT COOPER FLAGG WITH TOP PICK IN 2025 NBA DRAFT AFTER CONTROVERSIAL LOTTERY
News of the Mavs’ victory quickly triggered rigging allegations among fans as it followed the shock of the team trading away franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers just months earlier.
“You’re talking about goosebumps that were coming off my skin and also what our organization can do with this whole thing, too,” Mavericks great and inclusion ambassador Rolando Blackman said of the lottery at the time, via the team website. “What it means is the Mavericks can live again.”
Cooper Flagg, right, shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA basketball draft on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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Blackman’s hopes materialized on Wednesday night when Silver announced Flagg’s name.
He enters the pros having averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds last season while leading Duke to the Final Four.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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