The New York Knicks NBA Draft Conspiracy

In 1985, the NBA was in trouble. At least half a dozen teams were "on the verge of extinction." Attendance was low, TV ratings were worse, and the league's reputation had been battered by drug scandals and violent crime involving players. Corporate sponsors were scarce, and nobody wanted to buy the endangered franchises. Then a 22-year-old center from Georgetown named Patrick Ewing—a dominant, once-in-a-generation college prospect who had led his team to a national championship—was about to enter the NBA draft. And the league's new commissioner, David Stern, had just implemented a brand new lottery system to determine which team would get the first pick.

The League That Needed Saving

The NBA of the early 1980s was a different world from the financial juggernaut it is today. Several players had been involved in high-profile scandals: four-time All-Star Michael Ray Richardson was banned for repeated drug policy violations; a promising 22-year-old died from a cocaine overdose just two days after being drafted second overall; and Detroit Pistons forward Marvin "Bad News" Barnes was convicted of robbery, assaulted a teammate with a tire iron, and was later arrested trying to board a flight with a loaded pistol in his bag.