A coin flip helped shape the careers of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson

Back in the early 1980s, before the NBA Draft Lottery system was introduced, the league used a coin flip to determine which of the worst teams would get the first overall pick.

In the quiet tapestry of NBA history, few moments have pivoted as crucially as the flip of a coin—a simple act that helped shape the careers of two of basketball's greatest legends: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

Back in the early 1980s, before the NBA Draft Lottery system was introduced, the league used a coin flip to determine which of the worst teams would get the first overall pick.

In 1979, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers were in that exact position. The Lakers, thanks to a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, had a shot at the top pick despite already being a competitive team. The Bulls, on the other hand, desperately needed a star to turn things around.

A coin was flipped. The Lakers won. With the No. 1 pick, they selected a charismatic 6′9″ point guard out of Michigan State—Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The rest is history: five championships, MVPs, and a revitalised NBA.

Playing center on offense, guarding Dr. J on defense and filling in for Kareem, @MagicJohnson has a Game 6 for the ages. 🏆42 PTS | 15 REB | 7 AST | 3 STL | #NBATogetherLive pic.twitter.com/JySddqcRSX

‘We absolutely lucked out’

Fast forward to 1984. The Portland Trail Blazers held the No. 2 pick, while the Bulls picked third. Portland infamously passed on Michael Jordan, selecting Sam Bowie instead. Chicago snatched up Jordan, while Chicago took David Greenwood at No. 2.

“[Bulls general manager Rod Thorn] told me, ‘Good news, Irwin. Houston won and they’ll take Olajuwon. Portland, I’m pretty darn sure is taking Sam Bowie,’” said Irwin Mandel, a senior vice president for the Bulls in his 42nd season with the team. “I think that very few other teams would have taken Bowie over Jordan. But Portland did it given they already had Clyde Drexler and Jim Paxson on their team.

“We lucked out in that we lost the protest. At the same time, we were lucky that Houston won the coin toss with Portland. If Portland had won, they take Olajuwon and Houston takes Jordan. We absolutely lucked out on a few levels.

Did you know that Magic Johnson becoming a Laker hinged on a coin flip? pic.twitter.com/HciReRyG1l

‘‘Instead of championships, we would look back with regret’

“Nothing against Greenwood, who was a good player and a good guy,” added Mandel, “But with Magic, we never would have had a bad enough record to draft Jordan five seasons later.”

Had the Bulls won that coin toss in 1979, they would have likely taken Magic, changing the course of both franchises; Jordan may never have landed in Chicago at all. “History would have been rewritten,” admitted Mandel. “Instead of thinking about the championships, we would look back with regret on how close we came to getting the great Michael Jordan. We’re unbelievably lucky that things turned out the way they did.”

Flip of a coin helped #Bulls land Michael Jordan at No. 3 in historic 1984 NBA Draft: http://t.co/0QQK3goIVk pic.twitter.com/2xMckCB1Ys

Why we have the NBA Draft Lottery

NBA Draft lottery explained

This year, the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled for Monday, May 12, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. The event will commence at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Fans can watch the lottery live on ESPN in the United States, and it will also be available through various live TV streaming services such as FuboTV.