Which draft is the best in NBA history? This is a question that will not have an exact answer, because every generation of fans has their own players and their favorite eras. So, what about the top three draft years in NBA history? There is no doubt that the 1996 Golden Generation must occupy a seat.
Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Nash (Steve Nash), Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Marcus Camby, Antoine Walker , Rahim (Shareef Abdur-Rahim), Peja (Peja Stojaković), Jermaine O&39; Neal (Jermaine O&39; Neal), Big Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas), the unsuccessful Ben Wallace (Ben Wallace)...
In this year's draft, two playoff teams can start, and an All-Star team or even a dream team can be formed. The light of the 1996 draft of was very dazzling. The memories they brought to fans shone like stars, and one of the most familiar memories was naturally the famous photo taken by SLAM magazine for this group of rookies shortly after the draft. cover photo. The photo
is so famous, it can be said that as long as the 96th draft picks are mentioned, it will pop up in the mind. However, some fans have seen this photo for 20 years, and there are still some doubts that cannot be solved, such as the question that most people will ask: Why is there no champion Iverson in the photo?
Some people say that Iverson was going to participate in a college sports meet and could not attend the shooting. But this game was actually held in 1995, and other college players from the same class are still there, so this statement is not very accurate.
Someone also said that this photo shoot was called by "SLAM", but Iverson and the magazine had already fallen out, so they were not there. However, the fact is that AI had just appeared on the cover of "SLAM" a month before this cover was filmed. Throughout his career, he has become their cover character 12 times, so this explanation is not tenable. Among the different reasons for
, one seems to be more reasonable: said that at the time "SLAM" was in the rookie training camp the day before, notifying the players to shoot, but Iverson happened to have left that day, which resulted in no receipt. The notice therefore missed the entire filming the next day. No matter what , this photo without Iverson is destined to become an irreplaceable classic because of the "secret" behind it.
Yes, there is another saying that Iverson was the photographer who took the photo with the camera that day! Well, this sounds pretty cool.
In fact, this is not the first time that the rookies of the golden generation of 96 "have an oolong" on such an important shooting occasion. If the cover photo of "SLAM" is only used for commercial and publicity, it would not hurt even if one or two players are not present, then the group photo taken with the NBA president on the eve of the draft and kept as official materials is still absent. It is really funny Up.
This official photo with the then president David Stern (David Stern) is the tradition of the annual draft. In addition to data preservation, it is also an affirmation to every new star who is hopeful of being selected by the lottery. But everyone found that there is no such an important picture of , but there is a key figure missing in this draft, Sharif Abdul Rahim.
Why is this? The answer of the fan group was stated in an article written by Raheem himself 20 years later:
rookie Raheem didn’t know how busy the draft was. He had just finished training in Vancouver and Toronto before arriving the day before. New Jersey, where it was held, was less than 48 hours before the official draft began. However, after attending media interviews, meetings, and taking photos, he found that the two suits he had ordered had not been delivered to the hotel, so he had to go out and buy another one.
1996 Raheem only19 years old, a stunned young man who has never been to New York. He lost his way on the busy streets and underestimated the traffic jams in big cities. When he returned to the hotel to change his clothes, other rookies had already taken the seats. The bus bound for the venue. In the end, arrived at the venue 30 minutes later than the others, and missed the photo with the president.
"At that time, when everyone had gone to the venue, I was still busy changing clothes. After putting on my suit, I found that I forgot to wear socks and even my tie." Raheem said.
Thinking of the embarrassment and immature on the day of the draft, Raheem also "by the way" exposed a big news- Kobe almost went to the East!
According to Raheem's recollection, when he hurriedly changed his clothes in the hotel room and prepared to go out to the draft scene, he found that the light of the phone message was flashing, so he pressed the play button.
"Kobe, I know you don't want us to choose you, but we think you are the person the team needs, so we will choose you anyway." This is a mistake that should have hit Kobe’s room. The message in Raheem's ear left the message of an Eastern Conference general manager with a top ten pick.
Raheem and Kobe participated in the ABCD training camp together, but they were not familiar with each other, and the former was too rushed at the time, so I didn’t care too much about this message, just thinking "OK, I think I know Kobe is going Where is it?"
After years of media speculation, the team that wants to pick Kobe should be the Nets with the No. 8 pick. At that time, Kobe’s agent Arn Tellem and Lakers general manager "LOGO" West (Jerry West) wanted Peter Pan to (come) to Los Angeles, so they did everything possible to ensure success, and the biggest The threat is precisely the Nets who are more advanced in the draft.
It is said that the general manager of the Nets John Nash (John Nash) has privately revealed to the New York media that he wants to bring Kobe's outstanding talent to New Jersey.
Now of course we know where Kobe went in the end, but what made change his mind? Was it because he didn't get any response from Kobe before the draft? But Kobe didn't receive that message at all? Do they know that they made the wrong call?
This will again be one of the biggest "ifs" in NBA history-Kobe started his career on an Eastern Conference team, can you imagine it?
Finally, there are these details about the 1996 draft: After
heard Stern call out his name first, Iverson stood up and embraced the group of friends and relatives who were in the small green house, and then broadcast the scene on TV. Down, walk in the opposite direction of the stage. It turned out that Iverson had two friends waiting outside. Before stepped onto the stage and shook hands with the president, AI wanted to give them a hug.
Not many people knew Nash on the night of the draft. Most people only knew that he was from Canada. He was a small guard and didn't even know he could play football.
Marbury and Ray Allen are very happy after swapping clubs because he wants to play with Kevin Garnett. They have played in the AAU League and McDonald's Star Game with Raheem, and they have a very good relationship.
Walker was selected with the 6th overall pick in the first round. He happened to be the only rookie wearing a green jacket that night. Among the top five picks of
, only Ray Allen did not enter the rookie team of the season. Big Ben, who was not selected by any team in the
draft, ran to Italy to play and performed well before being called back to play in the NBA by then Bullets General Manager Wes Unseld.
... The 1996 draft is really too much story, let us talk about 20 years.
- End -
[Reference]
22 Years Later: A Look Back at the 1996 NBA Draft-Basketball Network
Where are they now? The 1996 NBA draft-Business Insider
Kobe Bryant and the draft day trade that changed NBA history-CBSSports.com
NBA Draft 1996 Sneakers-Sole Collector
The Greatest Draft Class – Theplayerstribune
Marcus Camby Talks &39;96 Draft Class, Knicks, Raptell at Raptell Ness Store Opening – YouTube
The 1996 NBA draft class had the best rookie photo EVER-SBNation.com
Re-Drafting The Entire First Round Of The Legendary 1996 NBA Draft-Thesportster
Draft Flashback: 76ers select Allen Iverson with the 1st pick in 1996-Ballis0life.com for the 1996 NBA Draft Class as the Best Class of All Time-Back Of The Jersey
BEN WALLACE GIOCO' NELLA VIOLA: ABBIAMO LE PROVE-RAC
etc.
Is the 96th in your mind the best? (ˉ▽￣～)
