On this day: Cs whiff ’97 lottery, miss Duncan; send LBJ home in ’08

On this day in 1997, the Boston Celtics missed the top pick of that year’s draft and with it Tim Duncan; 11 years later, they sent LBJ home in the ’08 East Semis.

On this day in 1997, the Boston Celtics flopped in that year’s Draft Lottery, ending up losing the top overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs despite having the highest odds — 36.3 percent — of landing the top pick in the 1997 NBA Draft.

The whiff was one of the more impactful bits of bad luck experienced by the team in its worst era in terms of success in club history.

The unlucky turn sent generational big man talent Tim Duncan to the Spurs, with Boston drafting Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer with the third and sixth picks of that draft, respectively.

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