Some franchises get lucky. Some franchises draft well. And then there are the San Antonio Spurs, who have turned the NBA Draft Lottery into their personal jackpot machine.
Since the lottery was introduced in 1985, the Spurs have missed the playoffs just nine times. Out of those nine lottery appearances, they've landed the #1 overall pick three times. That's a 33% success rate.
Let me say that again for emphasis: one-third of the time the Spurs enter the lottery, they walk away with the top pick. And it's not just #1 picks - they've jumped up in draft position 66% of the time. Two out of every three lottery appearances, they get better odds than they started with.
The list reads like a who's who of NBA greatness and franchise cornerstones:
1987: David Robinson, #1 pick (jumped up 3 spots)<br/> 1997: Tim Duncan, #1 pick (jumped up 2 spots)<br/> 2023: Victor Wembanyama, #1 pick (jumped up 2 spots)
Three generational talents. Three Hall of Famers - well, two confirmed and one who's already on that trajectory. The Spurs didn't just get lucky with their picks - they got Robinson, Duncan, and Wemby. Those aren't just names. Those are dynasties.
Even when they don't land #1, they tend to move up. Sean Elliott in 1989 (jumped 1 spot to #3). Stephon Castle in 2024 (jumped 1 spot to #4). Dylan Harper in 2025 (jumped six spots to #2).
