Until Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum opens the envelopes Tuesday at the N.B.A. draft lottery at the New York Hilton, he will not know the winner.
Nor will the hopeful representatives from each team, nor the assembled members of the news media, nor the millions watching the revelation on television.
But about 25 people will know because the actual draft lottery will be over, having taken place about an hour earlier in another room of the hotel.
The annual opening of the envelopes is essentially a made-for-TV sideshow; the actual selection of the winning teams takes place in strict secrecy.