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Atlanta Hawks land top pick in 2024 NBA Draft

March 23, 2024;  Atlanta, Georgia, United States;  Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields on the field before a game against the Charlotte Hornets at State Farm Arena.

March 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, United States; Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields on the field before a game against the Charlotte Hornets at State Farm Arena.
Picture: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The lottery is over, the order has been distributed and the Atlanta Falcons beat the odds to come out on top, when they secured the top overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.

It’s the first time that Falcons won the first draft pick in franchise history. They had the No. 1 overall pick in 1975, via the New Orleans Jazz, and selected David Thompson.

Triumphant Falcons General manager Landry Fields celebrated the revelation Sunday afternoon on live television as the team’s representative on site when the order of the top two selections was revealed.

Fields flashed a toothy smile when the Washington Wizards — who had the second-worst record in the NBA at 15-67 last year — were announced as having landed in second place, giving Atlanta the top pick.

THE Falcons (36-46) had just a three percent chance of receiving the first pick, compared to a 65.91 percent chance of picking tenth overall. This is the fifth-lowest odds ever for a team to end up with the first selection in the lottery.

The Houston Rockets will select the third spot, while the San Antonio Spurs will take the fourth spot.

Despite the worst record in the league (14-68) and the best odds of winning the lottery, the Detroit Pistons fell all the way to the fifth pick.

The top ten will be completed by the Charlotte Hornets (No. 6), the Portland Trail Blazers (No. 7), the Spurs (No. 8), the Memphis Grizzlies (No. 9) and the Utah Jazz (No. 10 ).

The Chicago Bulls will be 11th, while the Oklahoma City Thunder will be 12th. The Sacramento Kings are 13th and the Trail Blazers are 14th.

—Field level media