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Beating the Draft Lottery Odds

Orlando Magic

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1993

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Since the NBA instituted a weighted lottery system before the 1990 draft, eight teams with a less than 10 percent chance of winning the drawing have been awarded the No. 1 pick. No team beat the odds quite like the 1993 Magic, who, after barely missing the playoffs at 41-41, made good on their 1.5 percent chance (1 Ping-Pong ball out of 66) to claim the top spot for the second consecutive season (they had snagged Shaquille O'Neal in '92). Orlando wound up selecting Chris Webber and trading him to Golden State for Penny Hardaway and three first-round picks. Two years later Shaq and Penny led the Magic to the NBA Finals.
Photo: Manny Millan/SI
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