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IN FRONT OF A TV SCREEN — There are many sayings about luck.
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” — Seneca
“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” — Dalai Lama XIV
"Shallow people believe in luck and in circumstances; Strong people believe in cause and effect." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Whether you believe in luck or not, it seems like sports is where you hear more about luck and if someone or some team has good or back luck.
And if you’re a New York Knicks fan, you know your team could use some good luck (not to mention a front office that actually knows what to do).
The Knicks were tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns for the best odds to win the No. 1 draft pick. While in most years the draft has a solid top prospect to choose at No. 1, this year is different. Duke’s Zion Williamson is considered to be a once-in-a-generation prospect a la LeBron James was back in 2003. Any team in the league would love to have Zion.
With a 2018-19 record of 17 wins and 65 losses, the Knicks were the worst team record-wise in the league. They haven’t been relevant in years and could use Zion to bring back some hope to Madison Square Garden.
Just when you think your team's luck is about to change, the draft lottery Ping-Pong balls say something else.
In this video from Tuesday night, two big Knicks fans, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani and ESPN New York Radio’s Peter Rosenberg, are watching the draft lottery. New York has secured a top-4 pick. But these two fans want Zion! They want that No. 1 pick.
Here we go!
Other teams are called. So far, so good. The Los Angeles Lakers jumped into the top four, but their name is called before the Knicks.
Could luck be on the Knicks’ side tonight?
The third pick in this year’s draft goes to … the New York Knicks.
Let devastation hit.
The highs and lows of the #NBADraftLottery as told by Knicks fan @arielhelwani 😂 pic.twitter.com/d2kLPjlOst
— ESPN (@espn) May 15, 2019
As you can see, both Helwani and Rosenberg are crushed. Helwani is upset and pounds the table while Rosenberg is stunned, silent and sad.
How things change so quickly: from pure joy to absolute sadness.
Don’t worry, guys. As a Chicago Bulls fan, I feel your pain of not getting the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
New Orleans got the No. 1 pick and likely to pick Williamson. Meanwhile, every other team will have to hope their draft pick turns out to be an unexpected superstar.
Hang in there, Ariel and Peter. Your Knicks will still get a solid player with the fourth pick. Plus, Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving may land in the Big Apple this summer (if not both), so there is hope since luck wasn’t there at the lottery.
