Kansas State basketball legend helps Dallas Mavericks win 2025 NBA Draft Lottery
Rolando Blackman can add a new title to his impressive basketball resume — lucky charm.
The Kansas State basketball legend who went on to become a four-time NBA All-Star with the Dallas Mavericks did something unexpected to help his former team on Monday night. He served as the Mavs’ representative at the NBA Draft Lottery, and they shockingly won the No. 1 pick despite only having a 1.8% chance to do so.
That means Dallas is on the clock and now has the ability to select presumptive No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg from Duke.
A euphoric Blackman put the lottery win in perspective on ESPN, after the Mavs had the fourth longest odds of any team to win the No. 1 pick since the lottery began in 1985.
“For us, it’s been a rough year as you all know,” Blackman said. “But the important part of the whole thing is we will get a chance to move our franchise forward. ... It’s a really great honor and it’s an important piece of the puzzle, because we want to hoop down in Dallas.”
Blackman played for Jack Hartman at K-State from 1977 to 1981. He made the All-Big Eight team three times and was named conference player of the year in 1980 on his way to All-America honors.
As a senior, he led K-State to an iconic upset of No. 1 seed Oregon State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. His jersey has been retired at Bramlage Coliseum.
After Blackman’s college career, Dallas drafted him with the ninth overall pick in the 1981 draft. He went on to spend 13 seasons in the NBA and had several highly successful seasons with the Mavericks.
He helped them win games as a player. Now, he is helping them add talent via the draft lottery.