Does tanking work in the NBA? Just ask the Sixers. 'The Process' as it's known by was a period through the mid-2010s when the Philadelphia 76ers were tanking to gain higher draft picks during a rebuilding phase. The aim was to gain championship-calibre talent through the draft and they were rewarded with Joel Embiid with the third pick of the 2014 draft. In 2016 they would also receive Ben Simmons with the first draft pick in 2016 and Markelle Fultz with the number one pick in 2017. Fultz left to Orlando in 2019 and is considered a major flop. As for Ben Simmons? Lulz...
Embiid fortunatley has become one of the best big men in the league but the poor ol' Sixers missed out on Trae Young and Luka Doncic in 2018, and Ja Morant and Zion Williamson in 2019. In three out of the last four seasons after the Sixers drafted Simmons they lost in the Conference semi-finals. In 2019-20 they lost to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The 2021-22 season was particularly disheartening for the franchise as they finished first in the Eastern Conference with a 49-23 record. Philadelphia would give up a 26-point lead in Game 5, and in a Game 7 conference semi-final decider, Ben Simmons would implode and the Sixers eliminated.
The Sixers have showed us how not to tank. But there are three teams that have had successfully tanked that have led to NBA championships and the evolution of a dynasty. Let's take a look.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers 2002-03 for LeBron James
The 02-03 Cleveland Cavaliers started off 2-2, but would lose 15 straight games limping to a 17-65 finish. LeBron James was one of the most anticipated first draft picks in NBA history. Denver and Cleveland both had a 22.5% chance of earning the first pick as the Nuggets also finished with an identical record to the Cavs. Cleveland won the lottery and they got their hometown hero, with LeBron born and raised an hour away from Cleveland in Akron.
LeBron would win two MVP titles during his first stint in Cleveland. He would go on to win two NBA championships with the Miami Heat, before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014 and winning an NBA championship in 2016. It was the first professional sports title for Cleveland in 52 years as well as the Cavaliers first NBA championship since they were founded in 1970.
Cleveland's 2002-03 tanking season that got them LeBron wasn't much better than the 29-53 record they had the year before. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had however earned himself an All-Star appearance during the 02-03 season. It was obvious they were tanking as the Cavs had started to cut into his minutes for Chris Mihm, indicating they were willing to lose games with an eye on LeBron. Undrafted guard Milt Palacio was also given the most minutes he'd ever been given in his entire career. Palacio started 46 games during Cleveland's year of tanking. During the rest of Palacio's career he would start in only 43 games in eight years.
Cleveland Cavaliers tanked for LeBron James and got their man.
Source: Photo by Erik Drost
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2. Houston Rockets 1982-84 for Hakeem Olajuwon
The Rockets made it to the NBA Finals in 1981 but by 1983 the 14-68 Rockets became one of the worst teams of all-time. Houston was in somewhat of a rebuilding phase after losing 1981 MVP Moses to the 76ers in 1982. It would hurt the Rockets even more knowing that the Sixers would win the NBA championship in 1983. Houston were however eyeing Ralph Sampson, who was one of the most anticipated draft prospects at the time and considered to be Wilt Chamberlain-like.
In a coin flip over the 20-62 Indiana Pacers, the Rockets would earn the chance to draft Sampson which they did. He'd go on to earn four All-Star appearances at the Rockets, including in his rookie year., but he wouldn't win an NBA championship with the franchise. The 1983-84 Rockets improved slightly with Sampson and finished with a 29-53 record; the Pacers with an NBA worst 26-56. The Rockets would stun everyone and win the coin flip again against the Pacers. Houston selected Hakeem Olajuwon with the first pick. The coin flip wins led the NBA to introduce the draft lottery — aka the "Rocket Rule" — in 1985 to what we know it as today.
Olajuwon would mature into one of the best centers in NBA history, guiding the Rockets to NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and also won finals MVP on both occasions. It took a while for the Rockets tanking between 1982-84 to payoff, but it did bring home their first ever NBA championships and showed us how tanking can pay off.
Not even Yao Ming has been able to deliver Houston their first NBA championships since Hakeem Olajuwon.
Source: Photo by Rudy E Escoto
1. San Antonio Spurs 1996-97 for Tim Duncan
The 96-97 NBA season was essentially the "Tim Duncan sweepstakes" and the San Antonio Spurs pulled off the most successful tank in NBA history. They would finish the 1996-97 season with a 20-62 record and the worst defensive record in the NBA. It was bizarre considering they were 59-23 and 62-20 in the couple seasons prior. Tim Duncan was awaiting the winner of the draft lottery and was considered one of the best draft picks in a long, long time.
Spurs' All-Star centre David Robinson was out for most of the season, playing only six games because of back and foot injuries. He did come back in mid-Jan only to sit out the rest of the season, fuelling suggestions that the Spurs made him inactive to have a better shot at drafting Duncan. Three-point specialist Chuck Person missed the entire season because of a back injury. Two-time All-Star Sean Elliott also had an injury impacted season playing only 39 games.
The Boston Celtics had a 27.5% chance of the first pick through the draft lottery but the 20-62 Spurs had won the lottery with a 21.6% chance. At this point, the Spurs had never won an NBA championship. The Spurs followed through with the consensus first pick by selecting Tim Duncan with the first pick of the 1997 NBA draft. Duncan would help create a dynasty, becoming a 15-time All-Star and winning five NBA championships with the Spurs. The 1996-97 Spurs showed us all just how tanking should be done.
Not even Yao Ming has been able to deliver Houston their first NBA championships since Hakeem Olajuwon.
Source: Photo by Mike
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Wolfgang Sport started in 2017 as a way to connect my passion for American and British sports. Today it's evolved into a blockchain sports blog pushing the boundaries into the crypto world and embracing Web3 technologies.