Dallas Mavericks CEO was present when Patrick Ewing landed with New York Knicks, now in similar spot with Cooper Flagg 40 years later
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Three months since orchestrating the biggest trade in NBA history by parting ways with Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves holding the No. 1 overall pick.
In an unbelievable occurrence, the Mavericks enjoyed the favor of the basketball gods and won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery despite holding a mere 1.8 percent likelihood for the top selection.
Dallas undeniably struck historic luck that even left LeBron James, PJ Washington, and the entire basketball world stunned.
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks reward is the right to select Cooper Flagg, the consensus number one player on the board.
From being the most disastrous team in the NBA to being the luckiest, it is a remarkable turnaround for the Mavericks.
For Dallas CEO Rick Welts, who attended the lottery to support the franchise, what happened this year is a repeat of events he witnessed 40 years ago.
Via The Washington Post’s Ben Golliver: “I’m the only person who was in this room and the room 40 years ago. I was in charge of the NBA draft lottery 40 years ago when Patrick Ewing won.
“I’ve been doing conspiracy theory stories ever since. This is very surreal, personally.”
Mavericks CEO Rick Welts from draft lottery: "I'm the only person who was in this room and the room 40 years ago. I was in charge of the NBA draft lottery 40 years ago when Patrick Ewing won. I've been doing conspiracy theory stories ever since. This is very surreal, personally."
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 12, 2025
Welts worked for the league office from 1982 to 1999 and is an instrumental figure in the NBA’s success relating to branding, promotion, and presentation of key events such as the All-Star Weekend.
With the help of Welts, the league introduced the “lottery” system of the NBA Draft in 1985 in which the New York Knicks emerged as its first winner, securing the No. 1 pick which was eventually used to select future Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing.
Albeit controversial and the root of every conspiracy theory about the NBA Draft since then, this one served as an important event for the Association.
Regardless of what everyone may say about the result, the Mavericks can only seize this golden opportunity by drafting Flagg and embracing a new chapter with him as their newest cornerstone alongside Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
