Despite the fact they will become the first major American sports team to wear a sponsored jersey patch, the Philadelphia 76ers were horrendously bad this past year. The Sixers finished the NBA season with a 10-72 record—but that doesn’t mean they automatically get the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
Based on the way the NBA lottery works, Philadelphia had a 27 percent chance of being awarded the No. 1 pick. However, since many NBA fans believe the lottery is rigged—this goes all the way back to the 1985 draft when, somehow, the Knicks went No. 1 overall and got to draft Patrick Ewing because of, maybe, a frozen envelope—this tweet from former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo raised some eyebrows.
Since he tweeted it out hours in advance.
https://twitter.com/JoelEmbiid/status/732677769398788097
Soon after, Mutombo deleted the tweet, replacing it with this.
Sorry, guys.Got excited about the @sixers odds and got ahead of myself.Still keeping my fingers crossed for tonight. pic.twitter.com/u6bFaNTJml
— Dikembe Mutombo (@officialmutombo) May 17, 2016
But when it was revealed Tuesday night the Sixers had actually won the No. 1 overall pick, the Twitter conspiracy crowd went crazy.
DIKEMBE KNEW
— Andy Glockner (@AndyGlockner) May 18, 2016
Lottery is definitely fixed. Mutombo knew this hours ago
— Andrew Abramson (@AbramsonFL) May 18, 2016
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) May 18, 2016
Dikembe spilled the beans!
— Jorge Sedano (@Sedano) May 18, 2016
Just call him "Nostradikembe". Or, you know, it's rigged. #NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/tpkt78nf3b
— TODD!TODD!TODD! (@BigHeadBS) May 18, 2016
While Mutombo was a dynamic player and a Hall of Fame center, he’s been retired for seven years. But if he’s looking to get into the world of soothsaying, his services could be in demand.
Nervously waiting to see which presidential candidate Dikembe Mutombo congratulates before Election Day.
— Phil Barber (@Skinny_Post) May 18, 2016