On Tuesday, the Minnesota Timberwolves will tip-off their second-straight Western Conference Finals series in a row, this time against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder. If you’re a Wolves fan who has yet to stop and really absorb the gravity of that sentence, you should. We, of all NBA fans, know just how difficult it is to get here, especially twice in a row.
For decades, the Minnesota Timberwolves organization have dealt with way more drama than winning. During the good times, the Wolves have found it nearly impossible to rise out of NBA mediocrity. In the bad times, they’ve struggled rise to stay atop the NBA Draft Lottery.
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Coincidentally (or not), the Wolves’ place in the year-end league standings started to shift upwards shortly after their lottery luck improved. It started in 2015, when Minnesota landed No. 1 overall and drafted Karl-Anthony Towns. Then, the franchise was changed forever five years later (2020), when they won the lottery again, and drafted blossoming NBA phenom, Anthony Edwards.
Shaquille O’Neal reveals how Minnesota Timberwolves (probably) got screwed in the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery
Credit: RVR Photos-Imagn Images
But… could things have changed much much sooner than the 2020s? Maybe even prior to Kevin Garnett, who was selected by the Timberwolves No. 5 overall in 1995? Well, Shaquille O’Neal — who was drafted by the Orlando Magic No. 1 overall in 1992 out of LSU — wonders exactly that from time to time.
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Recently, during an interview with independent sports reporter/personality, Ashley Nevel, Shaq rehashed a draft story he has told before, but one that many Wolves fans probably have not heard. It was born in 1992, when during a promotional event Shaquille O’Neal met former NBA commissioner David Stern, for the first time.
Related: Report: Rudy Gobert Dumps Pregnant Girlfriend, Kicks Her Out of House
Back then, Shaq was the cinch No.1 overall pick. So, Stern pulled him aside and asked O’Neal point-blank, whether he’d prefer to play in, “hot or cold” weather. Of course, Shaq answered, “hot”… and the rest is history conspiracy theory.
Shaq: “In 1992, I meet Mr. Stern in March. He says to me, ‘Hey, I can’t wait for you to come to the NBA.’ Then, he pulled me to the side, ‘Do you want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?’.
Ashley: “No…”
Shaq: “Yeah, he did. He asked me that. And I was like, ‘Hot’. He smiled, I smiled. A couple days later, they had the [NBA Draft Lottery] and Minnesota was No. 3. I was like, hmm. Then Charlotte was No. 2 and Orlando, FL was No. 1.”
Shaq on the NBA Draft Lottery possibly being rigged (via interview with Ashley Nevel)
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I didn’t think much about it, but you hear a lot of these conspiracy theories and there’s a lot of situations that can make it sound true…so I don’t want to support conspiracy theories or anything but it was very interesting how it all played out.”
Entering that 1992 NBA lottery drawing, which was held in Portland, Oregon on June 24, 1992, the 15-67 Minnesota Timberwolves held the highest odds of any other team in the league (16.67%) to land the No. 1 overall pick, which was obviously going to be Shaq.
Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Open as Huge Underdogs…?
The Orlando Magic held the second-best odds, at (15.15%). Not only did the Magic jump the Wolves, though, as O’Neal mentioned. So did the Hornets, who selected Alonzo Mourning at No. 2 overall, before Minnesota picked Christian Laettner No. 3 overall.
Mavs trading Luka Doncic then landing No. 1 sparks memories from 1992
Prior to the Mavs landing the No. 1 overall pick in 2025, despite only having 1.8% chance — right after shocking the basketball world by gifting Luka Doncic to the Lakers via trade — the most tangible example of an NBA Draft Lottery conspiracy came from Shaq avoiding the Wolves in 1992.
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A preview clip has been uploaded by the host of that podcast, however. Ashley Vevel , an independent sports personality and to the top of the NBA Draft Lottery It’s the first time in franchise history that has ever happened.
Throw in plenty of incompetency at the ownership and executive levels… and just like th in with thoseput competent leaders at the most important spots in the organization get what they deserve in the NBA Draft Lottery.
