The NBA is "weighing whether to fine" T'Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn for remarks he made after Tuesday night's Draft Lottery that "some have construed as hinting the process is fixed," according sources cited by Marc Berman of the N.Y. POST. Kahn on Tuesday said that his remarks were "misconstrued and does not believe the lottery is fixed." Kahn in a statement yesterday added that he "doesn't believe in 'jinxes, curses or hocus pocus' and that he doesn't think the Wolves were wronged." Kahn: "It was completely meant in a light-hearted fashion. And it was received as such." Berman noted the NBA is "sensitive to charges the lottery is fixed, dating to the 1985 Patrick Ewing Lottery captured by the Knicks" (NYPOST.com, 5/18). In Minneapolis, Kent Youngblood notes Kahn "intended it as a joke, and he emphasized that point again" yesterday. Kahn said of the reaction to his comments, "I'm astonished. But that's the world we live in." He noted that "reporters surrounding him Tuesday night chuckled." Kahn also indicated that the NBA "had him miked up from 45 minutes before the lottery went on, intending to use what they got for a show that will run later." He noted that the league "encourages folks to be compelling and funny" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/19). After the Cavaliers beat out the T'Wolves for the top spot in the draft Tuesday, Kahn said with a smirk to a group of reporters, "This league has a habit -- and I am just going to say habit -- of producing some pretty incredible story lines." The Cavaliers had Owner Dan Gilbert's 14-year-old son, who "has battled disease since birth, on hand for good luck" (AP, 5/18). Gilbert said he has not had time "to go deep on" Kahn's comments. Gilbert: "But I will. I'll check it all out" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/19).
IS IT TIME TO END THE LOTTERY? CSNBAYAREA.com's Matt Steinmetz wrote it is "time to lose the NBA draft lottery." It is a "joke, and it has outlived its usefulness." The team with the highest odds to land the No. 1 pick has done so just 3 times in the 27 years of the lottery, and the event "has proven to be the opposite of fair, which was the goal back when it was instituted." Steinmetz: "The teams that need the most help seldom get it." The lottery was put into place "at least in part to prevent 'tanking' ... and nobody wants that." However, the "reality is that the myth of 'tanking' is more overblown than anything else" (CSNBAYAREA.com, 5/18). Columnist Kevin Blackistone said, "If there are integrity problems that the commissioner should worry about, how about just getting rid of the lottery all together and doing it like every other sport?" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 5/18). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said, "I have no idea if the lottery is fixed ... but if it's fixed, I'm 100% for that. This is a closed corporation. If they want to go around and improve certain teams in certain ways I'm okay with that. Cleveland got hosed this year. The great migration of LeBron James to South Florida raised all the boats in the league, except Cleveland. They were God awful. If this is a makeup call, I'm okay with this" ("PTI," ESPN, 5/18).
