David Stern is enjoying his last few months on the gig as NBA Commissioner, and he’s still sending out ominous threats like nobody’s business. The latest target this time involves the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s no secret 99.99% of hoops fans expect the Sixers to suck this upcoming season. And 99.999% of Sixers fans wouldn’t complain knowing the prize at hand – the number one pick in a potentially loaded 2014 NBA Draft headlined by Andrew Wiggins. When asked at last week’s Beyond Sport Summit in Philadelphia about the Sixers possibly being that lucky team next May to win the lottery, Stern had this to say.
“That is so… small,” said Stern. “I hope they have a great season and don’t have the chance for the No. 1 pick.”
Some may see it as Stern wishing one of the most OG of franchises in the NBA luck next season. And truth be told, there’s always the possibility of this being the case because business is always better when business is good. The conspiracy theorist in me though, well, I like to think Stern just threw down the gauntlet sending a not so subliminal message to the Sixers saying, “Tank if you want to. I’ll still make your life miserable come next May. And yes, I’m well aware how the Bynum debacle worked out. Cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it.”
According to Roy Burton of Liberty Ballers, David Joel Stern does have a point. It’s not exactly the safest bet in the world to hinge a franchise’s future on a possibility.
He’s right, of course. Even if the Sixers finish with the worst record in the NBA next year, there’s a 75 percent chance that may might not land the top selection in the 2014 draft. In fact, there’s a 35.7 percent possibility that the 76ers wouldn’t end up with any of the first three picks.
Unfortunately for the current commissioner, his hopes may fall on deaf ears. The Sixers are more than likely going to suck and it won’t have much whatsoever to do with tanking. If Philly does, in fact, land the number one pick in next June’s draft, however, the distinction will be the franchise’s first #1 overall pick since 1996. When this happened…