the 2012 nba draft has just concluded, and it seems to me that this is one of the "deep" draft classes where future marquee stars and diamonds-in-the-rough may come from. we'll have to see them strut their wares in the coming nba season by the end of october.
on this occasion, i thought of blogging something about the best nba draft classes of my generation, or even perhaps of all time. looking at how the rookies back then have gone far in their careers and left an impact in the league and in basketball in general is just amazing. some players are still around, others have gone into retirement, but this generation has perhaps seen quite a level of talent from these draft classes.
3. 2003 draft class
perhaps the most recent of the draft classes we're reviewing, the 2003 draft class features the superstars of today's game like lebron james (first pick), dwayne wade (fifth pick), carmelo anthony (third pick), and chris bosh (fourth pick). other notable players from this batch are david west, chris kaman, kirk hinrich, david west, mo williams, kendrick perkins, tj ford, boris diaw, leandro barbosa, mo williams, and josh smith. most of them are still playing in the nba, but so far the prominent members of the batch who have won an nba title are james, wade (also got a title in 2006), and bosh of the controversial miami big 3 who finally got one this year, kendrick perkins with the 2008 boston celtics. but the first one to get a title was darko milicic, the much-maligned 2nd pick of the draft, who was part of the 2005 detroit pistons team that upset the los angeles lakers that included shaquille o'neal, kobe bryant, karl malone, and gary payton.
2. 1996 draft class
this was the batch of nba players that were quite well known when i started collecting nba cards towards the end of my elementary years and during my first year in the minor seminary. deep and talented, the batch includes former most valuable players allen iverson (first pick), kobe bryant (thirteenth pick), and steve nash (fifteenth pick). those who have won a championship from the batch are bryant and derek fisher (lakers 2000-2002, 2009-2010), ray allen (boston 2008), antoine walker (miami 2006), peja stojakovic (dallas 2011), and even undrafted ben wallace (detroit 2005). other well-known class members include marcus camby, stephon marbury, shareef abdul-rahim, zydrunas ilgauskas, and jermaine o'neal. the caption at the right side of the picture somehow summarizes how decorated this batch has become through the years.
1. 1984 draft class
the caption in the picture says it all: 4 hall of famers, all-time leaders for blocks, assists, and steals, olympic gold medals, most valuable players, all-stars, and everything else. 1984, besides being my year of birth, gave rise to the most memorable players that set their foot in the basketball court, including michael jordan (third pick), hakeem olajuwon (first pick), charles barkley (fifth pick), and john stockton (sixteenth pick). all four of them would soon be inducted in the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame. other prominent names include alvin robertson, sam perkins, kevin willis, and rick carlisle (coach of 2011 nba champions dallas mavericks). the batch though includes sam bowie, who until now is considered one of, if not the, biggest draft busts in the nba history. nonetheless, the 1984 draft class will be remembered for its accolades, and on a greater sense, the influence that its batch members gave to the game.
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