The NBA Draft…the night when dreams are realized, #TrustTheProcess goes viral, and Jay Bilas morphs into a drinking game. It’s the night when playoff teams push to become champions and lottery teams push to become relevant. On draft night, everyone is an expert. Every team has a prayer.
No matter what, though, this is the best night of the year if you’re a basketball fan. Sure, Game 7 of this year’s NBA Finals was legendary and during the regular season we had a team win 73 games. But the draft is the perfect showcase for the digital age. Every year, social media takes the proceedings and supercharges them.
Twitter, in particular, has changed how we digest the draft each summer. Information moves so quickly you can’t keep up. NBA reporters like Adrian Wojnarowski regularly tweet picks before they happen (aka Wojbombs), so by the time the commissioner comes to the podium ready to drop knowledge on the masses, the NBA Twittersphere has already moved on. Reactions come fast and furious, and often make for a more entertaining follow than the actual show itself.
This year was no different. Here’s how Twitter reacted to last night’s NBA Draft:
Joel Embiid sets the stage:
DRAFT DAY!!!! Good luck to all the fellas tonight #TapeDelay pic.twitter.com/8vF4HTQ2CM
NBA style back in the day...
The day my life changed. Can't believe it's been 13 yrs! 😳 Baggy suits were in at the time FYI #fbf #nbadraft #nba pic.twitter.com/ESQC1mNkok
...to NBA style now:
Last Night, Ben Bentil made Ghana proud. 51st pick in the 2016 #NBADraft by Boston Celtics. Congrats to him pic.twitter.com/4qm3rT48QN
Caris LeVert was the 20th pick in last night’s #NBADraft!
That suit, though. 👀#GoBlue » https://t.co/C10vFszN8k pic.twitter.com/uknZq8LNzP
Bruh Kris Dunn outchea repping JC Penny with confidence. He's about to be ruthless in the league.
Worst style fail of the night:
😭😭😭 South Carolina man... RT @foolishfoolie: This is why UNC lost the national championship pic.twitter.com/ZzK5Rxqvuo
Boogie Cousins not so subtle subtweet:
Lord give me the strength 🙏🏿
On the Celtic’s Draft Night:
Celtics fans right now #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/AhNbNS1aAj
Celtics fans right now... pic.twitter.com/1nzwUDBsVF
Are we supposed to reorganize those letters into someone's name or what. https://t.co/QS1vxwNiwE
When nobody bites on your horrible bluff and you have to take Jaylen Brown pic.twitter.com/7XlErl2D5V
Jaylen Brown sounds like a guy who uploads “hot beats" to his SoundCloud account. #NBADraft
On Ben Simmons Going #1 Overall:
Congratulations @BenSimmons25. I know you'll make all of us Philly fans proud!!
Welcome to Philly @BenSimmons25! Looking forward to you and @JoelEmbiid dominating at Wells Fargo #TrustTheProcess https://t.co/zzea4Txkvd
Yo @jahlilokafor ... We gotta invite that young buck @BenSimmons25 to join us for that cheesesteak
And more Sixers:
After 3 long years... It took all these guys to reach @BenSimmons25 #TrustTheProcess @BTHypeNBA pic.twitter.com/r2UJMF6pg9
Hinkie going to be creeping in the rafters and cellars of Wells Fargo Center next year like The Phantom of the Opera
sam hinkie looks like the villainous adult in every kids movie from the 90s pic.twitter.com/utcZl7jnXf
pg - corpse
sg - furkan korkmaz
sf - timothe luwawu
pf - ben simmons
c - joel embiid
SWOON.
Hinkie 3:16. pic.twitter.com/lMsStJXWX0
On the Serge Ibaka Trade:
When your boy tells you Serge Ibaka got traded... (longhornnetwork/IG) https://t.co/vw3skf2xzD
The #Thunder just got HOW MUCH for Serge Ibaka from the #Magic??? #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/qGGlSdDRfH
On the Thon Maker Pick:
*Thon Maker walks into first practice with a CD book filled with burned mixes from 2003 and a Tamagotchi* https://t.co/m2PM1Tkm2o
Thon Maker sleeper of the draft watch 10th pik remember what happen in 98
On all those Jimmy Butler rumors:
RT @KCJHoop Gar Forman: "We like Jimmy Butler. We didn't shop Jimmy Butler." pic.twitter.com/ldj4kft1Rz
if Thibs passed on Jimmy Butler for LaVine and #5, that's more drunk than I've ever been.
On the Knicks’ absence:
The #NBADraft without the Knicks tonight was like if Seinfeld had an episode without Kramer. Huge comedy was missing.
Watching the #NBADraft as a Knicks fan feels like i attended a party that i wasn't invited to pic.twitter.com/4ppYJXvlFl
People taking shots at the Nets:
Turned on the NBA Draft and nobody's in the stands at the Barclays Center. It looks like a Nets game.
Celtics fan thanks Billy King pic.twitter.com/EIBmXye7gy
Throwing shade at skinny Silver and Ingram:
Adam Silver & Brandon Ingram are on the same diet. #NotEating
