NBA Teams Should Be Able to Send Friends, Family, or Whatever They Want to the NBA Draft Lottery

The NBA Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday night in New York. The Timberwolves won the first pick. The Lakers slid up to #2 and the Knicks fell to #4. Overall, it was pretty uninteresting, but holy crap do we have some outrage this morning. Between Stephen Curry’s meddlesome daughter and Chris Sheridan downgrading women to possessions, there’s a lot to talk about today. Unfortunately, Sheridan’s lack of tact has distracted us from the real news – NBA teams aren’t allowed to send whoever – or whatever – they want to represent their team at the NBA Draft Lottery.

This is a total NFL move. Announcing the draft order by slowly revealing the logos is a fun little activity that takes about three minutes, if you take your time. But in the past few years it has blossomed into a full-blown EVENT. The NFL comparison comes in by adding the false sense of solemnity to the proceedings.

Enter this new “rule” that bars family members from the proceedings from the reading of team names. No family members! This is serious business! Pay no attention to Nerlens Noel’s silly jacket!

So instead of family members on the podium, Russell Westbrook must show up in a stupid shirt to find out that the Thunder’s .00001% chance of picking 13th instead of 14th didn’t pan out. I don’t know if I could have taken the 14th selection in the draft a month from now seriously if the OKC mascot had been on stage for this.

And why were some of the prospective 2015 lottery picks in attendance. To see Russell Westbrook’s ugly shirt? To catch a glimpse of a guy who might sign their checks? If teams want to send the equipment manager’s cousin’s wife or a penguin from the local zoo wearing team colors, why can’t they? Would a mannequin wearing Russell Westbrook’s shirt have been any less useful than Westbrook himself in this situation?

The NBA Draft Lottery is something that can be boiled down to a single tweet. Let teams send whoever they want.