NEW YORK — The New Orleans Hornets, recently sold by the NBA to New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, won the NBA’s draft lottery Wednesday and the No. 1 pick overall.
The Hornets, after a difficult season in which they traded All-Star Chris Paul, have a shot to add another superstar, with Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis considered the best player available.
The Hornets moved up from the fourth spot, where they had a 13.7 percent chance, to earn the top pick.
“Just a first step for us to winning it all,” Benson said in a TV interview after the lottery.
The Charlotte Bobcats, after the worst season in NBA history, fell to the No. 2 pick. Washington will pick third and Cleveland fell one spot to fourth.
The Bobcats had a 25 percent chance of grabbing the No. 1 pick, but instead will have to take the best player after Davis, college’s player of the year after leading Kentucky to the national championship.
The team with the worst record hasn’t won since Orlando drafted Dwight Howard in 2004.
Sports, Pages 23 on 05/31/2012