For the people bringing up OKC and Indy and Minneapolis, my point is less about market size and more-so about how the NFL focuses on non-luck-based parity that allows all markets to thrive. Your record is your record. Everything is decided on the field, and nothing is random.
But in the NBA lottery, one market's "good luck" in the draw is another market's catastrophically bad luck that resigns another generation to apathy.
At least if you have the worst record in the NFL, you KNOW you're getting something out of it. Your time wasn't just wasted for five months while the 8th-worst team jumps you in the draft order for no reason to get a Caleb Williams level prospect that takes the sting of a bad season away.
The Spurs, a historically dominant franchise, were five games better than the Pistons (who hadn't won a playoff game since before Obama was President) and still got Wemby.
The Mavs were in the Finals literally 12 months ago and just got Flagg.
Meanwhile Charlotte, Detroit, Utah, Portland, etc have been repeatedly screwed over the years. And for what?