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ESPN Studio Crew Had Priceless Reaction to Mavericks Winning NBA Draft Lottery

Brian Windhorst, Malika Andrews and Chiney Ogwumike couldn't believe Dallas won the draft lottery.

Ryan Phillips

ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Malika Andrews and Chiney Ogwumike react to the Dallas Mavericks winning the 2025 NBA draft lottery.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Malika Andrews and Chiney Ogwumike react to the Dallas Mavericks winning the 2025 NBA draft lottery. / Via ESP
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Everyone was shocked when the Dallas Mavericks won the 2025 NBA draft lottery, no one more so that ESPN's studio crew.

The Mavericks entered the night with a 1.8% chance to landing the No. 1 pick in the draft and somehow pulled it off. Now they'll almost certainly select Duke forward Cooper Flagg in a few weeks to add to what now looks like a solid core.

The cameras were rolling as ESPN's Malika Andrews, Chiney Ogwumike and Brian Windhorst watched the drama unfold and then freaked out when the Mavs won.

Video of their reaction is below.

That about sums up how everyone felt in that moment.

When the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, many wrote off general manager Nico Harrison as crazy. Now that they've landed the No. 1 pick and the right to select Flagg, things look significantly better in Dallas.

The Mavericks can now build around Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Kyrie Irving when he returns from a torn ACL. That's a pretty strong foundation to build from.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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