The 2003 NBA Draft Lottery is stretching into a half-hour, prime-time spectacle on ABC tonight, going head-to-head with Thursday night heavyweights like “Friends” and “CSI.” Forget your usual “nap-worthy” lottery, awkwardly tucked into a Sunday afternoon playoff halftime show. This isn’t just another draft draw, this is the LeBron-a-thon, plain and simple.
This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Draft Lottery
Dude, you gotta understand how wild this is. Normally, the NBA Draft Lottery is about as exciting as watching paint dry, a total “mandate” event that barely gets a glance during a playoff broadcast. But 2003? Sean Deveney from The Sporting News is reporting this is all hoopla, all hullabaloo. ABC is literally betting on Akron prep star LeBron James’ potential to pull in ratings against established TV titans. They think David Stern opening some envelopes for 30 minutes can actually knock off legit small-screen heavyweights. That’s how insane the hype around James is right now, there’s no room for any rational thinking when it comes to that No. 1 pick.
Forget Talent, It’s All About the Ticket Sales
And honestly, it’s not just about how good this kid is on the court. It’s about the money, man, pure and simple. Michael Lynn, the managing editor of Team Marketing Report, put it perfectly: “Who knows how good he is? But it doesn’t matter.” Think about it: James played in three high school all-star games and every single one sold out. The EA Sports Roundball Classic, which pulled 5,712 fans two years ago, jumped to a staggering 19,678 at Chicago’s United Center just this March. Lynn is convinced whoever drafts James is gonna sell “season-ticket packages. They’re going to sell out games. They’re going to sell parking, concessions, shirts, hats, merchandise, everything.” He’s saying this will all sell *before the season even starts*. If James turns out to be any good? Lynn believes it’s gonna “mushroom from there” and “be close to Michael Jordan coming back for Washington.”
Carmelo and Darko Don’t Stand a Chance
So yeah, while Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony and Yugoslavian forward Darko Milicic might be sitting there as legit 1a and 1b prospects, their chances of going No. 1 are basically out the window. There’s just too much cash tied to James. Both Anthony and Darko deserve better, honestly. James is the undisputed No. 1, but what’s still a total question mark is whether that ch…
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Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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