For years, there have been rumors and conspiracy theories that the NBA is rigged. It’s not just a theory concocted by fans, though, as players like Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner have alluded to its possibility in the past. In the wake of the 2025 NBA Lottery, a past clip of the two revealing the NBA’s secrets has begun making rounds again.
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In the clip that went viral when it was first released in 2023, Iguodala and Turner had joined Gilbert Arenas on Gil’s Arena to talk about stories from their NBA days. The two were teammates on the Philadelphia 76ers for the better part of four seasons.
During the pod, Iguodala and Turner explained how a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics was one of the hardest games he ever had to play. “The closeout game is the hardest game of your life,” Iguodala shared.
“And they be like, why? And I can’t say it. I can’t say, but I’m like, no fam, listen, this is the hardest game you’ll ever play in your life,” he reiterated.
Iguodala repeated the phrase extra slowly the second time, almost as if he was trying to say something without saying it. What he was alluding to, of course, is that the game was rigged. Turner expanded on what Iguodala was saying.
“I remember we were about to play Game 7, [in] 2012, so we’re about to play the Celtics or whatever. So, I’m hyped as hell. I’m like, yeah, bro, we got a Game 7! Like, this is going to be lit!” Turner exclaimed. “So, Elton’s like, you know, we’re going to have to win by 15 just to win by 1. So I’m like, what do you mean?”
Being a young player in just his second season, Turner had no idea what veteran Elton Brand was talking about. He had only ever played college and high school basketball, where the game was usually officiated fairly.
But what Brand told Turner flipped his world upside down.
“He’s like, bro, this is the NBA. It’s entertainment. LeBron and the [Miami] Heat are waiting. Would you rather watch the Celtics or the Sixers play the Heat? I’m going to be honest with you, I’m on the team, I wouldn’t even watch the Sixers play the Heat.”
Turner eventually admitted to Brand that he also wouldn’t watch a series between the Sixers and the Heat. He soon understood what he was being told. The Celtics won Game 7 and played against LeBron and the Heat in a thrilling 7-game series. The series probably made the NBA a lot of money. Almost two years later, the clip of Iguodala and Turner has now resurfaced in light of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery.
Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner both say the NBA is rigged pic.twitter.com/KGyOpW6Yx1
— League Alerts (@LeagueAlerts) August 21, 2023
In general, fans have reignited the rigged narrative after the Dallas Mavericks got the #1 pick despite just 1.8% odds. They now have the first right to pick Cooper Flagg. It’s a stunning development for a team that traded away Luka Doncic. Some would call it a gift. Mavs CEO Rick Welts’ words, just after the lottery, indicate it was indeed a godsend for the franchise.
“I can’t imagine a better day for Mavs fans. It’s going to really be something special. I can’t wait to get back to Dallas,” said Welts.
“… I don’t know who we’re going to take, but should we take him [Flagg], I think his résumé is pretty strong. Every time he’s put in a situation that everyone wondered if he could succeed, he’s succeeded and then some,” added the CEO.
Even NBA legend LeBron James has joked about the possibility of the league being rigged. On an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show back in March, he alluded to the NBA Draft Lottery process.
“Let’s keep LeBron home, you know, Patrick Ewing on the Knicks … I understand the assignment, guys,” LeBron said.
Is the NBA Draft Lottery Rigged? Here’s the data:
2008: Derrick Rose going to his home town Chicago when the Bulls had a 1.7% chance
2011: The Cavaliers getting the #1 pick after LeBron James left the summer prior
2012: The Pelicans getting the #1 pick after Chris Paul leaves… pic.twitter.com/Tq7kGgErMV
— FlightMike (Mikerophone) (@TheFlightMike) May 12, 2025
But at the end of the day, the NBA-is-rigged narrative holds only as much weight as any other conspiracy theory. Without any hard evidence, it’s difficult to suggest that any rigging is going on behind closed doors.
So, while it may feel like the Draft Lottery or an NBA Playoff matchup is predetermined from time to time, we still want to believe that it’s just the nature and beauty of sports.
Sports are random, but above all else, they’re dramatic and make for good storylines. No commissioner has probably ever had to rig anything for the NBA because it supplies its own crazy, low-probability outcomes.
Did anyone expect the Mavs to make the Finals last year? What about the eight-seed Heat the year before?
No, sometimes that’s simply the beauty and chaos of it all. And as a fan, you’ll find that embracing the chaos is more fun than doubting it.
