LeBron James hints at 2003 NBA Draft lottery being rigged: 'I had to do my part'

LeBron James seemed to hint that he believes some strings were pulled to have the Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Draft lottery in 2003. The comment came during Wednesday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, where James joined for a conversation that lasted over an hour.

Of course, James was born in Akron, Ohio, less than an hour away from Cleveland and was hyped as being the next big star that year as he went straight from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to the NBA. The Cavaliers won the lottery to get the No. 1 pick, but for James, the way it all came together was a little too good to be true.

“I knew there was a responsibility for sure,” James said. “Listen, man. During the ball drop. During the lottery drop. Cleveland got the No. 1 pick? I just don’t think that was — … Let’s keep LeBron home. Patrick Ewing to the Knicks. Derrick Rose to the Bulls. I understand the assignment, guys. I had to make sure that, you know, I had to do my part. I didn’t want to be a f*ck up.”

The Cavaliers finished the 2002-03 regular season 17-65, which was tied with the Denver Nuggets for the worst record in the NBA. Both teams had a 22.5% chance of winning the lottery according to RealGM. The ping pong balls happened to fall Cleveland’s way, but it’s not as if they overcame crazy odds to get the No. 1 pick.

The 2008 NBA Draft lottery, which James mentioned, did not go so according to plan but also saw a franchise get a hometown hero. The Chicago Bulls were projected to land the No. 9 pick but jumped a whole eight spots to get No. 1 and draft Derrick Rose. Rose would go on to become the youngest MVP in league history during the 2010-11 season.

Plenty of fans have come up with theories about the lottery being rigged for years. Some even believed that to be the case when the San Antonio Spurs got the No. 1 pick in 2023 and took Victor Wembanyama.

Of course, there’s little evidence to support these claims. James played the first seven years of his pro career in Cleveland without winning a championship before going to the Miami Heat in free agency and winning his first two. He later returned to the Cavaliers and won a title with the team in 2016.

Additionally, Rose never delivered a championship to Chicago and suffered a career-altering injury in the 2011-12 season. The Bulls traded him to the New York Knicks in 2016.

Ultimately, we’re unlikely to ever know with much certainty as to whether the NBA Draft lottery has ever been rigged. But some suspicious circumstances have people wondering, including James.