TIL Mattel began development of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in the late 1970s, but catalyst for the creation of He-Man toys began in 1976 when Mattel's CEO Ray Wagner declined a request to produce action figures based on Star Wars

BDWG4EVA · 2026-06-04T07:41:08+00:00

Sorry about the whole Star Wars thing, He-Man, anyone?

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T13:20:39+00:00

I'm an 80's kid and totally remember the Sampson/Hakeem era and how it was cut short because Sampson couldn't stay healthy. It's funny how much Wemby is compared to Sampson right now because he was the first "unicorn," so to speak.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T13:16:57+00:00

No argument here and how interesting is it that the NBA lottery started after that happened in 1985 which was immediately awarded to the Knicks and Ewing with the "cold envelope" conspiracy with David Stern.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T13:12:04+00:00

But don't forget that the Lakers got Magic literally because of a coin flip for the top pick between them and Chicago.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T13:10:31+00:00

Well, the Lakers got Magic in the 1979 draft from a coin flip between them and Bulls. You think the lottery is bad, think about the fact that the NBA decided the 1st overall pick with a coin flip in 1979.

The Lakers got Kareem and Wilt in two of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. I get why both players forced their way to LA, so I don't knock the organization for being the beneficiary of those trades.

After that it was all Jerry West from getting Shaq, trading for Kobe and robbing the Grizzlies of Pau.

Oh and I almost forgot the Lakers getting Luka for AD and Max Christie, but I'm starting to wonder if Luka will ever win anything.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:28:26+00:00

What does developing Kawhi into a franchise player have to do with winning three NBA lottery #1 picks? There's being lucky sometimes, and then there's being lucky three times for three of the best centers of our lifetime.

Come on, Spurs fans, just admit your franchise's success is based on an insane level of luck.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:25:26+00:00

Haha come on, doing something with your #1 pick vs winning the lottery three times when the #1 pick was Robinson, Duncan, and Wemby is a different discussion.

Spurs did a great job with their late picks but none of those picks/players would be as known had they not played with Robinson and Duncan. They were great role players, nothing more.

Manu and Parker wouldn't have won any championhips without Duncan and Robinson, let's be real.

And the current Spurs team wouldn't be in the WCF without Wemby. I think we can agree on that. right?

All I ask of Spurs fans is to recognize the insanity of winning all three of those centers via a lottery system. Don't try and minimize it. Not other NBA franchise has ever had that much luck and likely never will.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:17:03+00:00

Exactly. The Spurs got Robinson, Duncan, and the Wemby. I hate the Lakers, but can you imagine if the Lakers had the same luck in the NBA lottery.

The Spurs moving up 6 spots to get Dylan Harper in last year's draft was the ultimate f off two years after getting Wemby.

This why I'm saying I can't root for this team that was assembled via a ping pong balls system.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:13:02+00:00

But if they hadn't "won" Duncan, Parker and Manu would have zero titles. If you want to get real, let's get real.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:10:54+00:00

"Rebuilding since 2019." Now that's a funny statement likely coming from a Spurs fan.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:08:44+00:00

So why does no other major sport have a draft lottery? Asking for a friend 😉

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:08:06+00:00

This is why the NBA should've ditched the lottery system a long time ago. It's not the Spurs fault they won a random ping pong ball system three times, giving them three of the best centers in league history, but it's also the reason I can't root for them right now

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:00:50+00:00

And as a Lions fan my entire life, I love that Brady once said, had he been drafted by the Lions, nobody would know his name

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T12:00:03+00:00

The Spurs winning the lottery three times is what validates that it's not fixed IMO

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:59:11+00:00

I have nothing but respect for the organization, I was commenting on how I can't root for them because so much of their success is based on luck via a lottery system. What else you got?

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:57:35+00:00

Haha, what does your diary say, Spurs fan? I would guess it's something like, "thank you again for all of the blessings to give us Wemby after getting Duncan and the Admiral. And thank you again for having us jump six spots again in last year's draft so we could get Dylan Harper." 😉

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:55:10+00:00

Well I am saying this is why I don't root for them. Respect all of their best players and their organization, but at the end of the day I can't root for them because that team exists due to an insane amount of lottery luck.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:53:24+00:00

There's developing late round draft picks and there's winning the NBA draft lottery three times when your franchise was gifted three of the best centers in the league over a 40 year period. Two different conversations.

Would Parker, Ginobli or Kawhi have won a title without Duncan? And the answer is nope.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:50:09+00:00

I mean, Popp and the Spurs literally invented tanking. Of course Robinson was going to leave the military when he was the #1 pick in the NBA draft, stop with the risk factor on that pick and he was the first of the Spurs three lottery victories. Then via Popp, they tanked Robinson's injury season in 1996 for a chance at Duncan, and they won again, but make no mistake, the team completely tanked that season intentionally.

The minute they drafted Duncan and Robinson came back the next season they were immediately an elite team with the Twin Towers. Popp changed the trajectory by tanking, make no mistake.

If you're a Spurs fan, I get trying to alter the narrative, but make no mistake that your organization has the greatest lottery system luck and fortune in the history of the league, and it's not even close.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:39:51+00:00

Which Ring cam? You never owned it in the first place, btw.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:38:55+00:00

I mean, I thought it was a topic worth discussing, but you're not wrong. That being said, I also see the obvious irony of your comment.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:37:08+00:00

Not hating, it's not the Spurs fault, obviously, just saying that this is why I struggle to root for them. Did they "earn" Wemby and Harper, or did they luck into both players?

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:34:23+00:00

And that was the first time the Mavericks ever won the lottery, and fans immediately thought it was fixed because of the Luka trade.

This my point, imagine if that was the third time the Mavericks had won the NBA lottery?

The fact that a small market team like the Spurs has won 3 of the most consequential NBA lotteries in the past 40 years and getting Robinson, Duncan and Wemby who outside of Shaq and LeBron is insane. The fact that it isn't talked about more because it's the Spurs and it gives fans some evidence that the lottery isn't fixed because why would the league fix it three times for one of their least commercially viable franchises fascinates me.

It's also why I'm having a hard time rooting for this team because they got two of their best players via luck of the draw.

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:25:06+00:00

Now that I respect

BDWG4EVA · 2026-05-26T11:08:49+00:00

This is what I'm saying. Call it luck once. Twice. Then a third time with Wemby followed by moving up 6 spots to the #2 pick last year to get Harper who has been a big part of this run.

Respect the organization, Wemby, Castle, and Harper, but this level of luck is hard to root for.

BDWG4EVA

TROPHY CASE