Dikembe Mutombo deletes tweet congratulating Sixers on top NBA Draft pick

The fix may be in, but for once, it may be fixed in the 76ers favor.

Dikembe Mutombo posted a tweet Tuesday afternoon congratulating his former team on obtaining the first pick via the 2016 NBA draft lottery -- which isn't scheduled to start until 8 p.m. EST.

And then he deleted it.

But don't worry, the Internet doesn't forget.

By the time Mutombo back-posted a correction, the controversy ball -- pardon the pun -- was already rolling.

For years, fans and pundits have speculated that the NBA draft lottery, despite the league's best efforts to level the playing field with a lottery system, is rigged to help the teams that have the best standing with team owners and league management.

For example: LeBron James. In 2003 he was a lock to go No. 1 overall in the draft.  And his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, just happened to win the top pick that year. And then after James left for Miami in 2010 via free agency, the Cavaliers found itself with the top picks in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Sixers fans, of course, were quick to speculate that because of former General Manager Sam Hinkie's plan to consistently lose in order to obtain high picks in the annual draft -- and Hinkie's unpopularity with the league and its owners -- the 76ers were never awarded the draft's top pick.

But now that the league helped owner Josh Harris hire league-favorite Jerry Colangelo to run his fledgling NBA franchise, maybe the ping pong balls are finally ready to fall the Sixers' way.

Either way, enjoy this collection of Mutombo tweets.