Fair Play: The biggest bust in the NBA draft
FOR some strange reason, I have always taken a liking for the LA Clippers.
Back when I started paying attention to the NBA in high school, the Clippers was the second team in my priority list of NBA teams to cheer. The first, of course, was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
I was always curious why LA has two NBA teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, and I thought it must have been quite a burden to play second fiddle, and in close to empty home courts, to your crosstown rivals.
Since I hated the Lakers, I rooted for the Clippers, even if they’ve always had the league’s worst record.
I got to like the Clippers more during the 1998 draft.
It was the end of the Michael Jordan era, and I thought it was but fitting the Clippers picked another namesake, Michael Olowokandi, as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. (My favorite athletes were MJ, Michael Schumacher, Michael Chang, Mike Tyson and Michael Johnson).
I watched a few minutes of MO’s first game and it was clear he wouldn’t be an MJ. I think he scored four points and the commentators then were a bit reserved with their opinions.
I remember one of them saying Olowokandi needed to work on his inside game, needed to toughen up, the whole nine yards.
Now, Olowokandi is considered one of the biggest busts in the NBA draft since he was chosen ahead of stars like Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Rashard Lewis.
Eleven years after that draft bust, the Clippers have the No. 1 pick again.
Like a spurned fan, I hope they do it right this time.
But the problem is, MJ’s retired for the third time, so are Schumi and Johnson and Chang, while Tyson’s broke and the last time I’ve read about him, the former baddest man in the planet was accepting a few hundred bucks from anyone who would want to brag that they sparred with him.
And I’m starting to like Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
But not when they’re facing LeBron James and the Cavs.
HEART-BREAKER. Speaking of the Cavs, I watched a live game featuring LBJ in the playoffs for the first time and as luck would have it, they lost.
After checking online reports, I learned the Cavs were up by 15 at the half. A cup of coffee later and after checking my crops in Farm Town, the Cavs were only up by two.
So I rushed to the TV to catch the final quarter only to be disappointed in the final seconds when Lewis, one of the guys picked ahead of MO, hit the game-winning three-pointer.
I hope the Cavs have better luck next time.
BLAST FROM THE PAST. The last time I saw a live match involving Andre Agassi was when I had my second break from sportswriting. The last time I saw Steffi Graf play live, I was still on my third year as a college sophomore.
Last Sunday night, I got to see Steffi and Andre play again, live. Though they lost in the mixed doubles exhibition to Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters, Andre showed he still has one of the best returns of the game, while Steff’s forehand and slice backhand, even coming from her 39-year-old arms, are as good as ever.
Andre once titillated the tennis journalists when he said he was trying to convince his wife to play mixed doubles in a Grand Slam.
I hope, after last Sunday’s exhibition, they’d try it, even just for once. What a hit it would be. Instead of counting aces, statisticians would be counting kisses.
Back when I started paying attention to the NBA in high school, the Clippers was the second team in my priority list of NBA teams to cheer. The first, of course, was Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
I was always curious why LA has two NBA teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, and I thought it must have been quite a burden to play second fiddle, and in close to empty home courts, to your crosstown rivals.
Since I hated the Lakers, I rooted for the Clippers, even if they’ve always had the league’s worst record.
I got to like the Clippers more during the 1998 draft.
It was the end of the Michael Jordan era, and I thought it was but fitting the Clippers picked another namesake, Michael Olowokandi, as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. (My favorite athletes were MJ, Michael Schumacher, Michael Chang, Mike Tyson and Michael Johnson).
I watched a few minutes of MO’s first game and it was clear he wouldn’t be an MJ. I think he scored four points and the commentators then were a bit reserved with their opinions.
I remember one of them saying Olowokandi needed to work on his inside game, needed to toughen up, the whole nine yards.
Now, Olowokandi is considered one of the biggest busts in the NBA draft since he was chosen ahead of stars like Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Rashard Lewis.
Eleven years after that draft bust, the Clippers have the No. 1 pick again.
Like a spurned fan, I hope they do it right this time.
But the problem is, MJ’s retired for the third time, so are Schumi and Johnson and Chang, while Tyson’s broke and the last time I’ve read about him, the former baddest man in the planet was accepting a few hundred bucks from anyone who would want to brag that they sparred with him.
And I’m starting to like Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
But not when they’re facing LeBron James and the Cavs.
HEART-BREAKER. Speaking of the Cavs, I watched a live game featuring LBJ in the playoffs for the first time and as luck would have it, they lost.
After checking online reports, I learned the Cavs were up by 15 at the half. A cup of coffee later and after checking my crops in Farm Town, the Cavs were only up by two.
So I rushed to the TV to catch the final quarter only to be disappointed in the final seconds when Lewis, one of the guys picked ahead of MO, hit the game-winning three-pointer.
I hope the Cavs have better luck next time.
BLAST FROM THE PAST. The last time I saw a live match involving Andre Agassi was when I had my second break from sportswriting. The last time I saw Steffi Graf play live, I was still on my third year as a college sophomore.
Last Sunday night, I got to see Steffi and Andre play again, live. Though they lost in the mixed doubles exhibition to Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters, Andre showed he still has one of the best returns of the game, while Steff’s forehand and slice backhand, even coming from her 39-year-old arms, are as good as ever.
Andre once titillated the tennis journalists when he said he was trying to convince his wife to play mixed doubles in a Grand Slam.
I hope, after last Sunday’s exhibition, they’d try it, even just for once. What a hit it would be. Instead of counting aces, statisticians would be counting kisses.
Comments
1.Mychal Thompson (not sure of the name) was taken no.1 by Portland after trading franchise player (but oft injured) Bill Walton. He was best known for backing up the Showtime Lakers.
2.Bill Cartwright of the Knicks was considered a jumpshooting center, but was an integral part of the first triple championship Bulls squad.
3.Joe Smith of Golden State never became a star but was pursued by teams who wanted versatile big men.
Of course, some of the big number one busts were the following.
1. Larue Martin, picked no.1 by Portland in 1972, was considered the first "lemon".
2. Kent Benson, picked by the Bucks in 1977 became forgotten on the bench. fortunately, that season gave Miluakee several first round draft picks that they received for trading Kareem-Abdul Jabaar to the Lakers. They also picked perenial all-star Marques Johnson to off-set the bust that was Benson.
3. Joe Barry Carrol, picked by Golden State. He was big, slow and soft.
4.) Kwame Brown, Michael Jordan's biggest mistake
the NBA players that has been mentioned are primarily centers or big men. There has also been smaller no.1 picks that flopped. Centers who are no.1 picks usually has more pressure on them to achieve because much is expected from them.
Kwame Brown failed because he lacked the maturity. jumping from high school to the NBA is not for everyone. Garnett, Kobe, Lebron are exceptions-not the rule.
Portland missed out on Michael Jordan (no.3) because they felt Sam Bowie (6'11") as No.2 pick overall in 1984 was a better pick for them. on that same year, Hakeem Olajuaon was No.1 while Barkley and Malone were picked much later. the NBA 1984 draft is considered by many as the greatest drafting year ever.
Ralph Sampson (Houston 1983) was considered to be the new standard of NBA center when he was picked No.1. After his initial contract, the Lakers wanted to get him as a successor to Jabbar. Houston already had Olajuan (the twin towers) and Sampson wanted to be the focus of the team. Rockets management however asked for the moon and the stars for Sampson (they wanted Worthy, Scott and several draft picks), thus a deal was never made. Unfortunately for Sampson, a knee injury forced him out of the game.
Glen Robinson (Miluakee 1994) was the first 50 million dollar rookie. though he became an all-star, it was due to his scoring and not because of his team's success on court. Grant Hill and Jason Kidd were co-winners of the rookie of the year on that batch.
No.1 picks aren't surefire ways to success. That's why teams right now are looking at free-agents who are franchise and PROVEN players and they now look at the draft to complement them. the NBA policy of 3 year-first year contracts does not assure a team that they will hold on to their prized rookies.
The New York Knicks are a classic example. they are clearing their salary cap so that they can buy Lebron on 2010 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. NY can offer an amount beyond any that the Cavs can offer. NY wants a proven player, not a project. But I don't think Lebron will move, not unless NY gets decent players to complement him. Lebron already has that in Cleveland.