The NBA Draft should be, and often is, a source of great joy (don't even get us started on the Draft Lottery). Terminally morose fanbases are lifted up, terrible franchises become immediate contenders, 18-year-old men born into poverty become millionaires in a moment — and that’s just what happened when the Cavaliers drafted LeBron James in 2003.
That said, the fairy tale doesn’t always have a happy ending. Sometimes the No. 2 pick has a drug problem, or straight-up just can’t play. Then there are the fashion disasters, which have ranged from the excessive (Jalen Rose’s red pinstripes) to the hysterical (Samaki Walker’s fedora) to the just plain sad (Karl Malone’s fifth-grade graduation tie). As we prep for the 2011 Draft this Thursday, we present you with the 50 Biggest Draft Day Fails. And with the 50th pick, we select...
50. White on White Crime
YEAR: 2003
King James, The Chosen One. The No. 1 pick of the '03 Draft. Of course these days, he's probably better known as The Most Hated Man in the NBA. Much of it comes from scorned Clevelanders, but more than a few others don't care for his apparent haughty sense of entitlement either. However the signs were there from the beginning and the Cavs' supposed savior felt the need to dress the part. Hey Bron, you going to get drafted or baptized?
49. Net Loss
YEAR: 1987
After being drafted No. 3 by New Jersey, Dennis Hopson scored 3,633 career points. Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, and Horace Grant (picks 5, 10, and 11) scored more than 3,000 points from the free throw line alone. We think you get the point.
48. Rush Hour 3?
YEAR: 1997
For the 23rd overall pick of a top heavy draft, Bobby Jackson had a pretty respectable career. Selected by Seattle and almost immediately traded to Denver, Jackson spent a few years as a journeyman before find his niche. He won a Sixth Man award with the Kings in '03 and his clutch play in Sacramento's post season runs earned him the nickname "Action Jackson". But are we sure they weren't talking about this suit?
47. Mo' Buttons, Mo' Problems
YEAR: 2001
Tyson Chandler, the second overall pick of the the '03 Draft was immediately traded by the Clippers to Chicago. He went through two other teams before finding his place-and a championship-in Dallas. And presumably a better big & tall shop.
46. Traylor For Two
YEAR: 1998
Even at 18-years-old, Dirk Nowitzki still showed the signs of an all-time great. He was a champion in his German league and was the country's player of the year. But for some reason Robert Traylor (R.I.P.) was projected ahead of him. Milwaukee was particularly interested in Traylor, so they drafted Nowitzki 9th in exchange for the Mavericks drafting their man with the 6th pick. Dallas wasn't done dealing either. Phoenix had their eye on Pat Garrity and were so intent on having him that they were willing to part with backup point guard Steve Nash. Garrity and Traylor both had middling NBA careers. The Mavericks haven't had a losing season since.
45. Sihuge Mistake
YEAR: 1956
After Tom Heinsohn was selected with the Boston Celtics' territorial pick, the Rochester Royals had the first overall pick in the '56 Draft. Their choice, Sihugo Green, played only one season for the team. The next draftee? Bill Russell, selected by the St. Louis Hawks and traded to the Boston Celtics. Are we saying that Rochester would still have a team if they'd drafted the center many people think is the best big man of all time? No, but it couldn't have hurt.
43. Arauwho?
YEAR: 2004
Not that they actually miss him, but maybe Raptors fans would still have Chris Bosh—and winning basketball—had they gone with Andre Igoudala (#9) instead of Rafael Araujo (#8) in '04? Just a thought.
43. O'Bannoned
YEAR: 1995
This wasn't a particularly deep draft, nor did New Jersey pass on any franchise changing talents. But everyone else managed to select a player who lasted more than two seasons. UCLA's O'Bannon, the 9th pick by New Jersey was out of the league with a career average of 5PPG. Kurt Thomas, the 10th pick, is STILL in the NBA.
42. Swift Exit
YEAR: 2004
Five high schoolers were selected in picks 12-18 in the '04 Draft. Only one of them is not still in the NBA. It's not Sebastian Telfair, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith or J.R. Smith, it's Robert Swift. Only 97 games played in just four seasons with a 4 PPG average.
40. As Bland as His Name
YEAR: 1989
Could you imagine Tim Hardaway (pick 14) or Shawn Kemp (pick 17) in Celtic green? Now what about Michael Smith? No, not the Christian singer. The small forward from BYU and 13th pick of the '89 Draft? You know, played two seasons in Boston? 698 career points? Aw, forget it.
40. Kramer?!
YEAR: 1964
Behind door No. 6, we have Barry Kramer (from NYU of all places) and a two-season career of 3.7 PPG. Behind door No. 8, we have one of the 50 Greatest Players of all time in Willis Reed, and behind door No. 10 a two-time All-Star in Paul Silas. San Francisco Warriors, which would you like to choose? Are you sure?
39. Aqua Hellvet
YEAR: 1997
What is it with the Clippers and these damn suits? Sixteen picks crossed the stage in the '97 Draft before Maurice Taylor shook David Stern's hand and nearly blinded him for life. Here's an idea, Clipperland: Next year, instead of having your prospects work out, let them try on some suits. If any of them look like this...pass.
38. Air Mail?
YEAR: 1985
The Cleveland Cavaliers would trade the 9th pick in the draft, Charles Oakley, to the Chicago Bulls for the 11th pick, Keith Lee. In this deal Michael Jordan made a friend for life in Oakley, but something tells us he'd rather have had Karl Malone, who was selected two spots later at 13. Then again, maybe it was the suit?
37. MJ Drafts a Hippie Crybaby
YEAR: 2006
Michael Jordan's defining characteristic on the court was his will to succeed. His defining characteristic as a GM? Well, when drafting Adam Morrison (only four NBA seasons, 7.5 PPG) is only your second worst pick...
36. Not So Lucky #7
YEAR: 2006
If it weren't for their blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade two years later, the Celtics would be reminded of this mistake far more often. Trading the No. 7 pick (which would become Brandon Roy) for Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff isn't exactly Auerbachian.
35. Who Shot Ya?
YEAR: 2002
He doesn't seem like a particularly violent guy, but Drew Gooden must have had some serious enemies if he felt the need to get drafted in a kevlar suit. Remember, stay low and keep firing...
34. Bensoned
YEAR: 1977
It's been 34 years since a white player was selected first overall. We're not blaming the University of Indiana's Kent Benson directly, but his underwhelming career combined with the legends drafted behind him (Bernard King, Jack Sikma, Norm Nixon) certainly didn't help. Things ain't looking so good for you going No. 1 this year Jimmer.
33. Not as Simple as Black and White
YEAR: 2008
With career averages of 18 & 3, Eric Gordon is far from a bust as the 7th pick. In fact, the Clippers guard may be heading towards a promising career. And upon retirement, he may dedicate more time to his primary interest: recreating M.C. Escher paintings with fabric.
32. Flash Gordon
YEAR: 1984
The Clippers just wouldn't be the Clippers without bad draft picks and this was the blueprint. Fifteen teams passed on John Stockton, but only one of them drafted Lancaster Gordon eighth overall, a player who would start only six games during a four-year career. We'll let you guess which team that was.
31. Vive La France
YEAR: 2001
The San Antonio Spurs couldn't have developed their reputation for acquiring top notch talent-like Finals MVP Tony Parker-unless so many other teams kept passing on them. Parker was the 28th pick of the first round in a Draft that included Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry.
30. Manuel Gee-No-Bee-Lee
YEAR: 1999
See? This is exactly what we're talking about. 56 picks were made before Manu was drafted in '99. Fifty six. Have you seen Cal Bowdler lately, Atlanta? And how's the Evan Eschmeyer experiment, New Jersey? Hey Chicago, care to explain how you passed on Ginobili four times?
29. Putting Knicks Fans in a Weis
YEAR: 1999
Drafted 15th by the Knicks, Frederic Weis never played a game in the NBA. Rather have Ron Artest (pick 16), Knicks fans? Blame Vince.
28. Therein Lies the Rubio
YEAR: 2009
The Wolves had the 5th and 6th picks of the '09 Draft. They picked a point guard. Then another one. One of them (Flynn) has been hounded by injuries and the other still hasn't played a game in the NBA (Rubio). If only they'd had a third pick maybe they could've struck PG gold.
27. Jackson 3.5
YEAR: 2004
After landing LeBron James in the '03 Draft, the Cavs had another Top 10 pick in '04 and were poised to secure another talent such as Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, or Jameer Nelson. They selected Luke Jackson with their No. 10 pick. Bad, um...Decision guys (you'd leave too if your front office was this dumb).
26. Bender's Game
YEAR: 1999
After Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady, everyone was eager to draft the next great prep-to-pro phenom. The Indiana Pacers thought they had theirs in Jonathan Bender with the 5th pick. Instead, they got a career 5.5 PPG. Even Wally Sczerbiak (drafted 6th) chuckled at that one. So should Rip Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, and Jason Terry (7-10).
25. Y2K Draft Crash
YEAR: 2000
The first overall pick, Kenyon Martin was—and still is—the best player in the 2000 Draft. Need we say more?
24. The '86 Draft Class Is 86'ed
YEAR: 1986
Len Bias will always be the face of the '86 Draft due to his tragic drug overdose, but he wasn't the only disappointment. Just the biggest. Chris Washburn and Roy Tarpley also struggled with drugs. Arvydas Sabonis wouldn't join the NBA for another 9 years after being drafted. There was only one All-Star selected in the entire first round. Just a day we'd all rather forget.
23. Ferry to Nowhere
YEAR: 1989
Danny Ferry went to three Final Fours as a Duke Blue Devil, so you can imagine how high his draft stock was. Still not sure? High enough that he opted to play overseas instead of for the Clippers who drafted him at No. 2. The Clips eventually traded Ferry to Cleveland for Ron Harper (who was a baller in his day) and two first round picks. Ferry played 10 seasons for the Cavs, averaging double figures in just two of them.
22. Shoulda Been Nervous
YEAR: 1989
Plainly put, the '89 Draft sucked. Sure there were a few greats: Sean Elliot, Glen Rice, Shawn Kemp, Vlade Divac; but 11 of the top 15 picks never made an All-Star Game. They were just a collection of underwhelming talents who happened to declare at the right time. The Kings just happened to pick the biggest dud of them all with the No. 1 pick. Pervis Ellison, welcome to obscurity.
21. Hogue's No Hero
YEAR: 1962
Paul Hogue, the second overall pick to the Knicks, played two seasons in the NBA before retiring with a 6.3 PPG average. John Havlicek, drafted 7th, played 18 seasons, won 8 titles and was an All Star 13 times. Hell, if Dolan and the Knicks are so intent on wasting money, they might as well invest in a DeLorean and a flux capacitor and relive '62.
20. LaWho Martin?
YEAR: 1972
The Portland Trailblazers had the first overall pick in 1972 and chose LaRue Martin, a career 5.3 PPG scorer. The Buffalo Braves would have to settle for Bob McAdoo, one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time. Pay attention, a pattern is developing here.
19. Kobe Passed?
YEAR: 1996
Kobe Bryant has a reputation of being pretty competitive. So we wouldn't be surprised if he still has Lorenzen Wright, Kerry Kittles, Samaki Walker, Erick Dampier, Todd Fuller, and Vitaly Potapenko written on a list somewhere. Who are they? The 7-12th picks of the '96 Draft. And he's probably got a whole damn shrine devoted to the Charlotte Hornets front office that traded him for...Vlade Divac!
18. No Stars, Just Stripes
YEAR: 2002
Selected eighth overall by the Clippers in the '02 draft, Chris Wilcox has been played for five teams during his nine years in the league. But we'll let you decide which was worse: L.A. passing on Amare Stoudemire (9th) and Caron Butler (10th) or this suit? The Clippers screw up their draft almost every year, but rarely do we get to see the sound of nails on a chalkboard.
17. Bye Bye Birdie
YEAR: 1978
Larry Bird was eligible for the '78 Draft because his original class had graduated (Bird dropped out of Indiana University in 1974). His hometown Pacers were set to Draft him, but couldn't convince Bird to leave college for the NBA. So they traded the pick to Portland, who also failed. In all, five teams passed on Bird before Red Auerbach snatched him up with the sixth pick. Hey guys, you could've drafted him and traded his rights, you know.
15. Big Doggin' It
YEAR: 1994
How is drafting a career 20 PPG scorer first overall a fail for the Bucks? When he's given the largest rookie contract ever and proceeds to lead his team out of the first round just once in eight years. And when the players selected immediately behind him are Jason Kidd and Grant Hill, that year's Co-Rookies of the Year. Yeah, fail.
16. D'Ohrant!
YEAR: 2007
The Blazers have had the No. 1 pick four times in franchise history. Four times they selected a center. It worked out once; they got Bill Walton and a championship. But how many would they have if they hadn't passed on Bob McAdoo and Larry Bird? Maybe they'll get over it eventually. Or maybe Kevin Durant will make sure they never forget.
14. Blinded by the White
YEAR: 1997
Tim Thomas' career was a disappointment and a bit of a cliche. He was practically a household name since his high school exploits in New Jersey gained national attention and he showed equal promise at Villanova, averaging 17 & 6. But as soon as he was drafted by New Jersey (and traded to Philly for Keith Van Horn) with the 7th pick in '97, he became the poster child for apathy. There aren't many players who would contest that Thomas had the skills to be an All Star. He just didn't want to try. Strangely enough, an ill-fitting, white pinstripe suit showed all the signs of a man who tried too hard.
13. Penny For Your Thoughts?
YEAR: 1993
Who knows if Penny Hardaway's career would've turned out any differently had he been drafted No. 2 by the 76ers instead of by Orlando at No. 3. But ask Philly fans whether they'd rather have two All-NBA First Team seasons from 1 cent or the league's stepladder in Bradley. Then cover your ears. They can be pretty loud.
12. An Ordinary Joe
YEAR: 1995
Kevin Garnett was a risk as the first high schooler to enter the draft in decades, so no wonder the '95 Draft's most talented player was taken 5th overall. It doesn't take much digging to figure out why Rasheed Wallace slipped so low either. But all the YouTube in the world won't help you explain to your kids why Joe Smith was drafted—with the No. 1 pick—before both of them.
11. Doo Doo Brown
YEAR: 2001
For all the shit Michael Jordan used to give Jerry Krause, 'ol Crumbs must've been choking on his Krispy Kremes this draft night. It wasn't a deep class, but with seven eventual All-Stars and five All-NBA players available, Michael managed to pick the guy with career averages of 7 points and 4 rebounds first overall. Of course, the joke ended up being on MJ—he actually had to play with Kwame!
10. Re-do...STAT!
YEAR: 2002
To be fair, after Yao Ming went No. 1, seven other teams passed on Amar'e Stoudemire before he landed in Phoenix. Sure, Jay Williams almost literally crashed and burned. No, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Drew Gooden, and Nene didn't set the world on fire either. But Nikoli Tskitshvili, who went to Denver at No. 5, is a special case. In three seasons with the Nuggets, Tskits started just 16 games and was out of the NBA just one year later with a career average of 2.9 PPG.
9. Hawks Take a Flier on the Wrong Guy
YEAR: 2005
The 2004 Atlanta Hawks were a rudderless team that won only 28 games. But apparently they still believed in Jason Terry, Stephen Jackson, and Shareef Abdur Rahim enough to find them a complement instead of a replacement. So they drafted Marvin Williams with the 2nd pick, passing on two of the greatest point guards of all time in Chris Paul and Deron Williams, who were immediately snatched up by New Orleans and Utah. But hey, Atlanta went to the second round again! Now if only they had someone to help them get over the hump...
8. Save the Last Dance
YEAR: 1986
Drafted 4th by the Pacers, Auburn's other Chuck, Mr. Person was known as The Rifleman during his 14 seasons for his accuracy from three point land. Just like his college teammate, Charles Barkley, Person was also known for his hard-nosed play and frequent trash talking. Of those who dared to talk back, we'd like to think that this suit came up more than a few times.
7. Samaki Walker Thinks It's Easter
YEAR:
If being selected 9th overall by the Mavericks in what could go down as the greatest draft of all time wasn't enough, Samaki Walker secured his place in history with this get up. Walker would go on to play 11 underwhelming seasons in the NBA after his stint at Louisville and we can only hope at some point he crossed paths with a proper stylist. Or maybe that's why Kobe punched him in the eye six years later?
6. The Kandi Man Can't
YEAR: 1998
The Los Angeles Clippers have made the playoffs just once since 1997. Before drafting Blake Griffin first overall in 2009, they only had the top pick one other time, 1998. Perhaps if they'd drafted Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, or Paul Pierce, Clipper games would've been worth going to for the past 13 years.
5. Pippen Should've Been Easy
YEAR: 1987
The Seattle Supersonics originally drafted Scottie Pippen, but traded him to the Bulls for the 8th pick, Olden Polynice. Whoops. To make matters worse, Seattle drafted Derrick McKey 9th, allowing Horace Grant to fall in Chicago's lap with the 10th pick. Chicago's duo would help Michael Jordan win three championships together and Pippen would win three more with MJ after Grant left. In their three seasons together, Polynice and McKey combined to win seven playoff games.
4. Every Rose Has Its Thorns
YEAR: 1994
After Chris Webber left Michigan for the league in '93, the Fab Five's other notable members joined him the following year. Juwan Howard went 5th overall to Washington and graced the stage with an understated tan suit. However the 13th pick by Denver, Jalen Rose, has never been an understated guy. What he is, is the owner of the most garish suit the draft has ever seen. We're fans of Jalen the player and the analyst. Hell, he's one of the few members of ESPN's NBA crew anyone can actually stand. But homie, claiming Craig Sager bit your style? Always a fail.
3. Joe Barely Cares
YEAR: 1980
The Golden State Warriors were desperate to establish an identity and improve their franchise. They needed someone to lead, a transcendent talent that they could build around for years to come. So they traded two-thirds of the greatest frontcourt of all time in Robert Parish (a future Hall of Famer) and their No. 3 pick (soon to be Kevin McHale, another Hall of Famer) to the Boston Celtics in order to draft Joe Barry Carroll first overall. Wait, what the fuck?
2. Air Bowie?
YEAR: 1984
Just doesn't have the same ring to it, huh? For years, Sam Bowie has been the poster child for bad decision making and drafting for "need" more than talent (like any team doesn't "need" Michael Jordan). Picked by Portland only because they already had a guard in Clyde Drexler, Bowie went on to play ten injury riddled seasons before retiring in 1995. That other guy became the most recognizable athlete in the world.
1. Darko Milicic, The World's Most Expensive Cigar
YEAR: 2003
The 2003 Draft Class could be the most talented of all time. Given that three of its four best players are now on the same team, it could also be the most important of all time. All this Big 3 Heatles hoopla? Might not even have existed had things gone differently in 2004. Dwyane Wade would be a Nugget, Carmelo Anthony could have joined a championship roster in Detroit and won about five rings by now, and Darko Milicic wouldn't be a punchline. Instead, the Pistons picked Darko instead of 'Melo (or Wade), and it's only thanks to the Mavs that the world didn't end last week. (Funny thing is, Detroit ended up clearing cap space five years later in an attempt to sign the same players they didn't want to draft.)