Tonight is a tribute to the NBA's worst teams. The Miami Heat, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Seattle SuperSonics, and, if you're lucky, teams like the Portland TrailBlazers and Golden State Warriors will all get front-page treatment in their local newspapers with their GM holding a pingpong ball with the No. 1 on it.
The NBA Draft lottery is a chance for bad teams to get the right to hire the best young employees.
It's also a tribute to pingpong balls.
It was around 1900 when the first incarnation of the modern-day pingpong ball came about. It was thanks to an Englishman, James Gibb, who is credited with bringing hollow celluloid balls back to the Mother Country from the U.S. of A. Prior to the new millennium, balls were made of solid rubber or cork.
It wasn't until 1901 that another Englishman, John Jacques, registered the name Ping Pong as a trademark in England. Parker Brothers bought the naming rights and brought the game to America. That same year The Table Tennis Association is formed in England and the game is brought to China. In retrospect, not a good move.
It wouldn't be until 2000 when the next move to regulate the size of a pingpong ball would happen. The ball's diameter was amped to 40mm from 38mm.
But throughout its history, the pingpong ball has become a part of numerous other uses. So let's countdown the pingpong ball's greatest hits throughout its existence. If I missed something, don't be shy.
10. The Great Pingpong Ball Experiment happens in Africa, so this webpage says. I've never heard of the thing, despite its alleged greatness.
9. The Mythbusters raise a sunken ship with 27,000 pingpong balls, which is less than the number it took to raise a hungover John Daly. Ba-zing!
8. D.C. prohibits playing pingpong on sidewalks without a permit
7. Two Queensland, Australia mayors were decided by pulling a pingpong ball out of a hat, replacing the old tiebreaker of knifey-spooney.
6. The NBA Draft began having a lottery in 1985 using pingpong balls. 
5. This guy made 
this YouTube video of trick shots
4. Forrest Gump plays so well vs. the Chinese, he's invited to the White House by President Nixon.
3. Winona Ryder demonstrates her "Ping Pong Ball Trick" at the USO show.
1. Beer pong/beirut became the top use of pingpong balls in the 16-27 demographic.
On to the best blogs ... around!
With Detroit, Boston, the Lakers and Spurs all moving into their conference finals showdowns, one would think the NBA is thrilled to have such marquee franchises still playing. The Oldstyle doesn't see things that way.
If you like percentages, check out It's a more Chrisper sports blog.'s breakdown of the lottery teams' chances.
Derrick Rose will boom. D.J. Augustin will bust. Harst's View on Sports is booming, blahing and busting his way through the NBA Draft prospects.
What happens when the Stanley Cup Finals and the Belmont Stakes collide head on? Changing Lanes breaks it down.
Klick of the Day
Speaking of knifey-spoony, you call THAT a knife?