The NBA Draft Lottery is less than a week away. The Charlotte Hornets are looking at a 14% chance to get their lottery combination chosen first so they can have the right to draft Cooper Flagg. They have about a 50/50 chance of getting on the board somewhere in the top four picks.
The actual lottery drawing isn’t televised live because I guess the NBA likes conspiracy theories. Instead, it happens in a closed room with select representatives from each team and a few from the media, none of which are allowed their phones or anything like that to maintain secrecy. The result of the ping pong balls are read in reverse order by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum. As part of the production, each team sends a representative to sit at a little podium, wave to the crowd, and maybe answer like one or two interview questions if they win the lottery.
I’m sure the Hornets put a great deal of thought and deliberation into who would hold the distinguished honor of team representative for such a momentous event. They ultimately settled on head coach Charles Lee.
Introducing your 2025 On-Stage Lottery Rep: Head Coach Charles Lee 🐝 pic.twitter.com/0tqvRYpg4m
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) May 5, 2025
He breaks a five year streak of the Hornets being represented by players. From 2020 through 2024, the team was represented by Devonte’ Graham, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, Mark Williams, and Brandon Miller. In 2019, the team sent James Borrego to the lottery after his first year as head coach, just like they’re doing with Lee this year.
He did not bring any luck; the Hornets picked in their original spot at 12th. They’ll be hoping that their current head coach has better fortune.
