Flip of the coin

Starting in the 1966 draft, the two last-place teams from the league’s two divisions took part in a coin flip (cara y cruz).  The lowly team that won the toss would choose first. The system lasted until 1985 when the NBA began its lottery. Still, more than a few team’s fates depended upon a simple flip of a coin. The most famous case had to be in 1969 when the two teams realized could be as bright as nova. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns were both only one year old and naturally, were struglling as infant franchises.  A Phoenix official called “heads” and was dismayed when the coin landed showing “tails”.  Milwaukee won the selected UCLA sensation Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) who turned the team around in a Jiffy. The Suns wound up with Neal Walk, who never made it big in the NBA ( 12.6 ppg lifetime). The Bucks won the NBA title two years later with the help of an aging Oscar Robertson. The Bucks became the quickest team (from their inception to the year of their championship), in a major pro sports to win a title.

Bill Walton

Five years after the Alcindor gift to the Bucks, another UCLA center, Bill Walton was “won” in a coin toss, this time by Portland Trailblazers, who would benefit big time, eventually winning an NBA crown with Walton.  The 76’ers took Marvin Barnes who refused to sign with Phila and went instead to St. Louis in the ABA. 

Magic Johnson

In 1979, the toss was between Chicago and the New Orleans (now Utah Jazz), but the Lakers wound up owning the Jazz’s pick.  When the Bulls lost the flip, they had to settle for David Greenwood, (yet another UCLA hoopster). Greenwood lasted for six seasons, but never averaged better than 16.7 ppg, he produced in his rookie season.  In the meantime, the Lakers took Magic Johnson. The Houston Rockets won their first pick in a coin flip and immediately announced their choice, Hakeem Olajuwon. Like Jabbar, Walton and Johnson, the standout center would lead his team to glory, not only once but twice as Houston became back-to-back champions.

Did you know?  

ANN MEYERS was the biggest name in the women’s basketball in the late 1970s.  She was a four-time All American at UCLA, where she eclipsed 12 of the women’s teams 13 records.  She won a silver medal on the US Olympic team in 1976(Montreal). Meyers made headlines when the Indiana Pacers signed her to a $50,000 contract, making her the frst woman to sign an NBA deal. The contract allowed her to pocket the cash, even thought she didn’t make it past the team’s tryouts.  Meyers married basketball Hall of Fame, Don Drysdale.  She herself was inducted to the Roundball Hall of Fame. Her brother Dave Myers also a UCLA grad, played for the Milwaukee Bucks for four years.  The NBA made it clear it wasn’t ready for a female star, although a pro league for women, the WNBA, did come into play. Boston’s Red Auerbach said “It’s still a man’s game, Meyers was a power forward when playing with women, but would be considered a mini gaurd in the NBA.