1996 the Best NBA Draft Ever? A Throwback to Kobe Bryant & Allen Iverson
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The 1996 NBA draft is considered to be one of the greatest drafts of all time. It was the first NBA draft for new expansion teams the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies. Of the class, eleven players have become NBA All-Stars including one undrafted player, three players having become NBA MVP’s and eight players being named to at least one All-NBA team.
Let’s revisit some of the top picks from the 1996 NBA Draft class as well as some honorable mentions. You’ll soon notice just how deep the draft really was :-
Allen Iverson was taken first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers becoming the shortest first overall pick ever at 1.83m in the process.
Stephon Marbury was taken fourth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He is a 2x NBA All-Star and made 2x All-NBA Third Teams. After 13-years in the NBA he finished his 22-year career in China and is owner of the Beijing Lions in the Chinese Arena Football League.
Ray Allen was taken fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was immediately traded to the Bucks and is often considered to be one of the best shooters of all-time and is ranked 1st of all-time for 3-pointers scored.
Kobe Bryant was taken thirteenth overall by the Charlotte Hornets. He was however dealt to the Lakers - Kobe is considered one of the greatest basketballers of all time. His long list of achievements include 5x NBA Championships, 2x Finals MVP, 18x NBA All-Star and was crowned the 2008 MVP.
Steve Nash was taken fifteenth overall by the Phoenix Suns. Following the draft announcement of Nash, Sun’s fans booed in disapproval due to his relative anonymity. In contrast to this, Nash became an 8x NBA All-Star, 7x All-NBA Selection and 2x NBA MVP.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim was taken third overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies. Nicknamed The Reef, he is a 1x NBA All-Star. Despite his solid stats he shares the NBA record for the most number of games played without making a playoff appearance.
Jermaine O’Neal was taken seventeen overall by the Portland Trailblazers. He is a 6x NBA All Star and won the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2002.
Derick Fisher was taken twenty fourth overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a 5x NBA Champion and the all-time NBA record holder for playoff games played with 259 in total.
Ben Wallace was taken as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Bullets. He is a 4x NBA All-Star, 2004 NBA Champion and a record equaling 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year.