LeBron, other players react on Twitter to eventful draft lottery
The NBA's decision to disincentivize tanking by giving the bottom-three teams an equal shot at landing the first overall pick in the draft resulted in arguably the most exciting lottery of all time on Tuesday.
The 33-49 New Orleans Pelicans won the right to select consensus No. 1 pick Zion Williamson despite having just a six percent chance of doing so. The Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers round out the top five.
A number of current and former players reacted on social media to the festivities, including Lakers superstar LeBron James.
#4 👀 Beautiful.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 15, 2019
Kyle Kuzma represented the Lakers at the lottery and wanted full credit for his team overcoming just a 9.4 percent chance of moving into the top four.
Ya welcome 😅😆
— kuz (@kylekuzma) May 15, 2019
Trae Young, meanwhile, watched from afar as his Atlanta Hawks fell from the fifth-best odds for the top selection and land on the eighth overall pick.
WHAAAAATT😳😳😳😳
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 15, 2019
We Gon Be Aighttt !!! ❄️ X 💪🏽 #TrueToAtlanta pic.twitter.com/tDxLyfoX9l
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) May 15, 2019
AD and Zion will they still keep AD 🤔
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 15, 2019
Laker Nation, Kyle Kuzma worked his magic to get the number 4 pick for our @Lakers in the NBA draft! The Lakers are going to get a really good young player to help LeBron and the team next season.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 15, 2019
We just witnessed the end of tanking 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽. And we should be happy about it.
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) May 15, 2019
Not sure how I feel about what just happened lol
— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) May 15, 2019
👀👀🙏🏾🙏🏾🗣🗣
— Jaren Jackson Jr. (@jarenjacksonjr) May 15, 2019
Crazy 👀
— Nikola Mirotic (@threekola) May 15, 2019
Draft lottery is crazy!!!
— Al Horford (@Al_Horford) May 15, 2019
New lottery system aye? Lol
— John Henson (@Johnhenson31) May 15, 2019
Wow!!!!👀#NBADraftLottery
— Caron Butler (@realtuffjuice) May 15, 2019
The @nba.. where plot twist happen daily
— Quincy Pondexter (@QuincyPondexter) May 15, 2019
Zion to the Pels, #BronEffect Somehow 🤷🏾♂️
— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) May 15, 2019
All that tanking for nothing basketball gods love the game
— JARRETT JACK (@Jarrettjack03) May 15, 2019