"Dallas was rigged": Fan at 2025 NBA draft ceremony goes no holds barred as Adam Silver takes to podium

The 2025 NBA draft was successfully held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday night. It, however, had its share of digs from fans throughout the proceedings.

One came just as NBA commissioner Adam Silver took the stage to get the ball rolling. A fan was overheard in the broadcast voicing his displeasure over the Dallas Mavericks landing the top overall pick in the draft lottery.

"Dallas was rigged," the fan shouted from the stands.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

Dallas bucked the odds by winning the top overall pick despite holding only a 1.8% chance. It beat the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets, who had entered the lottery in May with the best odds at 14%. The Jazz and Wizards, holders of the two worst records last season, ended selecting No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.

After the Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and the Hornets selected next.

In the lead-up to the draft, Silver moved to shoot down speculations that the lottery was channeled to favor the Mavericks. They were involved in an earthshaking deal last February after sending superstar Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in exchange for a package that included Anthony Davis. The move drew considerable flak for all quarters.

The NBA executive said what took place was the whole lottery system in full effect with no favors to any team and in line with its goal of discouraging teams from tanking to get a better chance of getting the top pick in the NBA draft.

---

Cooper Flagg feels blessed to be selected No. 1 by the Dallas Mavericks in 2025 NBA draft

The Dallas Mavericks used the top overall pick at the NBA draft to select versatile forward Cooper Flagg, who felt blessed for the opportunity given to him.

The former Duke standout spoke about it after he was selected No. 1 in the draft proceedings on Wednesday, underscoring that it's a "dream come true" for him to play in the NBA, especially getting selected top overall.

"I'm feeling amazing. It's a dream come true, to be honest," Flagg said. He went to say, "I'm really excited. I think I keep saying I'm excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them. It's going to be an incredible experience. I feel so blessed to be in the position I am."

2025 NBA Draft - Round One - Source: Getty

Flagg spent one season at Duke before declaring for the NBA draft. In 37 games with the Blue Devils, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. He helped the school reach the NCAA Final Four and was named the 2025 national college player of the year and a consensus first-team All-American.

In Dallas, he joins a team trying to move past the Luka Doncic era with a group of players led by All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.

Edited by Bhargav