In the history of the NBA draft, through franchise shifts and accusations of tanking right up to the evolution of the lottery, i.e., "the Rocket Rule," you'd have to say the odds had worked out pretty well for the namesakes.

1968: Three years before they move from San Diego to Houston, the Rockets win a coin flip with Baltimore and take Elvin Hayes with the first pick, the first of five in franchise history.

1976: Swap with Atlanta and take point guard John Lucas.

1983: Win coin flip and take Ralph Sampson.

1984: Win coin flip and take Hakeem Olajuwon.

Moral: The Rockets were so good at this stuff, they could have told you which foot Mary Lou Retton was going to land on first. They could have called which side of the issue Al Gore would come down on.