NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal Suggests 1992 Draft Was Rigged

Rumors and speculation have been running rampant over the past week regarding the NBA Draft Lottery. With the Dallas Mavericks winning the rights to the first overall pick in the Draft, conspiracy theories have been thrown around regarding this year’s lottery process and ones that took place in the past. And over the weekend, Shaquille O’Neal shared a story that may some of the suspicion.

Shaquille O’Neal Makes Claim About NBA Draft Lottery Process

While appearing on a podcast with host Ashley Nevel that releases later this week, the NBA legend and four-time champion spoke on his pre-draft situation. O’Neal was the top prospect back in 1992, and was widely considered to be the consensus number one overall pick in that year’s selection process.

That notion held true, as the Orlando Magic made him the top selection. And according to the story told by O’Neal in his podcast appearance, that may have been a foregone conclusion.

In March of that year, weeks before the Draft Lottery took place, O’Neal alleges that he had a conversation with then-commissioner David Stern regarding his future in the league. The now-53-year-old O’Neal says that Stern asked him if he’d rather start off his career playing somewhere where the weather is warm or cold.

Shaq on what David Stern told him before the 1992 NBA Draft:

“‘You want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?’ I said hot… Orlando, Florida, number one [pick].”

(via @AshleyNevel, h/t @CourtsideBuzzX)pic.twitter.com/xKBuUxIS1z

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 19, 2025

“Warm”, as the answer that Shaq apparently responded with.

When the draft order was revealed, it was the Orlando Magic who had landed the top pick. They edged out the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had slightly better odds at picking no.1 but dropped down into the third spot that year.

While O’Neal never actually claims that the 1992 NBA Lottery was “rigged”, he let his story speak for itself. The social media and online reaction has been mixed, with many claiming the story to be false, as Shaq is often known for embellishing the truth on old stories. Others have said that even if the conversation in question actually happened, it is likely that Stern was simply making small talk with a young prospect.

After O’Neal was picked by the Magic with the first overall pick, Alonzo Mourning was taken by the Charlotte Hornets. With the third selection, the Timberwolves picked Christian Laettner from Duke.