Cleveland Cavaliers tap Brad Daugherty to represent at the NBA Draft Lottery

The Cleveland Cavaliers are putting their trust in Brad Daugherty to be a good luck charm when the NBA Lottery happens on Thursday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will see former their former No. 1 overall pick, Brad Daugherty represent the team at the annual NBA Draft Lottery on Thursday. Daugherty, who retired in 1996 after having to sit out two seasons due to back issues, has remained in the eyes of many the greatest center in the history of the franchise.

He’ll try and bring home the No. 1 overall pick, something the Cavs are tied for having the most chances at having. In years past, Dan Gilbert’s son Nick has represented the team at the lotto and has done a fine job being the team’s good luck charm. Nick represented the team just last year.

This year, however,  the Gilberts are sitting this one out though no reason was given as to why the team pivoted away from son Nick. Both the Gilberts have had health issues and with the pandemic still in full swing, the call may have been made to put their health before anything else.

Daugherty has been out of the NBA for over twenty years but he’s not out of the world of sports. A fan of stock car racing, Daugherty got into the sport as an owner in 1997 when he bought Liberty Racing, a NASCAR truck series racing team. He’s currently a color analysis for NASCAR on NBC and has served as a college basketball commentator as well in recent years.

From the Cleveland Cavaliers section of the NBA website;

"Cavaliers Legend and five-time NBA All-Star Brad Daugherty will represent the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery, which will be held virtually on Thursday, August 20, airing live on ESPN beginning at 8:30 PM ET.Daugherty was selected first overall by the Cavaliers in the 1986 NBA Draft and spent his entire eight-year career with Cleveland, earning First Team All-Rookie honors in 1987 and a Third Team All-NBA nod in 1992 in addition to his five All-Star selections (1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993). He remains among the franchise’s all-time top 10 in multiple statistical categories and his jersey number 43 was retired by the Cavaliers on March 1, 1997. Daugherty appeared as a guest analyst on FOX Sports Ohio’s Cavs broadcasts during the 2019-20 season as part of the Cavaliers’ 50th season celebration."