Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
DRAFT LOTTERY — Collin Sexton is bringing his lucky $2 bills to the NBA draft as the Utah Jazz look to move up from their projected No. 9 overall pick into a spot to land what is being billed as a generational talent in Victory Wembanyama.
The Jazz guard will represent the team at this year's NBA draft lottery (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN), but the franchise faces long odds in moving up high enough to draft Wembanyama (or even another high-powered prospect like Scott Henderson from G League Ignite).
"I remember a tradition that my grandma and great grandma used to do was give $2 bills on birthdays and Christmas as a sign of good luck," Sexton said in a video from the Jazz. "I'll have a few of them in my pocket so we can get a great draft pick."
Sexton isn't the only one angling for a little luck in this year's draft lottery. Everybody wants a piece of the Wemby sweepstakes — the best NBA prospect since LeBron James, per The Athletic. Bleacher Report explained why in an anime-style short film that debuted Tuesday morning that features a number of figures from around the league, including Jazz CEO Danny Ainge painted in ominous brushstrokes describing his "greedy" and "hoarding" of as many as 14 draft picks over the next three years.
Thanks to a number of deals mostly tracing back to trades that sent Rudy Gobert to Minnesota and Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, the Jazz own three first-round picks in 2023, including an unprotected pick from Minnesota and another unprotected pick from Philadelphia. Still, Tankathon.com ranks Utah with just a 20.3% chance of jumping into the top four and a 4.5% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick.
To improve those chances, Salt Lake residents are doing everything they can to bring luck to the franchise. That includes leaving an offering at the famed 9th and 9th Whale, the internet-famous art structure commissioned by the Salt Lake City arts council in 2019 installed at a new traffic circle at 900 South and 1100 East.
The whale has since gone viral, with a popular Twitter account and figures around the internet seeking mystical properties from the 23-foot tall sculpture by Stephen Kesler officially called "Out of the Blue."
Made an offering to the @9thand9thwhale in hopes that it blesses us with the Number 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery tonight 🙏#takenotepic.twitter.com/KuSKAIsQwq
— Bryant Heath (@SLsees) May 16, 2023
take an offering,
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) May 16, 2023
leave an offering 🙏#TakeNote | @9thand9thwhalepic.twitter.com/QXRcVn6Frd
Wait, did the team do this???? Now they removed the BOM? Or covered it up I guess. https://t.co/n2THsdpr85pic.twitter.com/jmnN2ThXTs
— Kris (@5kl) May 16, 2023
Twitter user Bryant Heath got it started by placing "an offering" in the form of a Utah Jazz shirt at the base of the whale that protrudes from the ground "in hopes that it blesses us with the Number 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery tonight."
Even the Jazz's official social media team got in on the action, placing a Sexton jersey and an autographed basketball at the statue next to a copy of the Book of Mormon.
The whale, for its part, has formally responded, in the way all great internet subcultures do: on Twitter.
"There will be Whale magic," the whale tweeted.
Yesterday's Have You Seen This?
Batter vaults over pitcher to reach base safely
If you think baseball players aren't as nimble as athletes from other sports, you might want to think again.
