Well, let me tell ya, that 1996 NBA draft, now that was something. Folks still talk about it, and I reckon they’ll be talkin’ for a long time. It happened back on June 26th, 1996. I don’t know much about the fancy stuff like “draft classes” and all that, but I know one thing—this draft was deep, real deep. Like, you could throw a rock in and hit a future star every time. They say it’s one of the best in history, and I believe it.
Now, the Toronto Raptors, they got the first pick that year. But hold on a minute, they didn’t keep it. Yup, they had to give it up. There was some agreement with the league, somethin’ about expansion and all that. And so, they let that first pick go to the hands of someone else. Turns out, the Charlotte Hornets took a fella with the 13th pick that was gonna be one of the greatest to ever step foot on a court. That’s right—Kobe Bryant. A real legend. But, and this is the crazy part, he didn’t even play a single game for the Hornets! Nope, he was traded away before he even put on that Hornets uniform. How about that?
I’m tellin’ ya, that draft was full of surprises. Let’s talk about some of the big names that came out of it. Allen Iverson—he was picked number 1 by the Philadelphia 76ers, and boy, that guy could play. Everybody knows him. Then there’s Steve Nash, who went a little later on. He ended up being a real star too, won some MVPs, and helped change the way people play point guard. But hold on, there’s more! You got Ray Allen, who could shoot the lights out, and a whole bunch of other future All-Stars and Hall of Famers. They say that over a third of the first-round picks turned into All-Stars. Now that’s somethin’!
Let’s go over the list a little, shall we? The first round had folks like Marcus Camby, who was a big ol’ fella who could block shots and rebound. Then there’s Kobe Bryant—he got picked 13th, but we all know he was the star. And don’t forget about Steve Nash, who was picked 15th, but turned out to be one of the best point guards ever. A lot of folks might not have seen it comin’ back then, but he sure proved ’em wrong.
It wasn’t just the big names, though. There were all kinds of folks who went on to have great careers, even if they weren’t as famous. Some of them made big impacts on their teams and helped them win games. This draft really showed what the league was gonna look like in the years to come. It was like a preview of a new era of basketball, with all these young fellas who were ready to take over.
Some folks might say it’s the best draft ever, and I ain’t gonna argue with that. But what I will say is, it sure had a lot of talent, and a lot of excitement. From the first pick to the 58th, this draft was a special one. A whole bunch of players made their mark, and it’s no wonder why people still talk about it all these years later.
So if you ever get a chance to go back and look at the 1996 NBA draft, you best believe you’re gonna see a lot of future stars. It’s one of those drafts that changed the game, and made the NBA what it is today. Ain’t that somethin’?
Notable Players from the 1996 NBA Draft:
- Allen Iverson – Picked 1st by the Philadelphia 76ers
- Kobe Bryant – Picked 13th by the Charlotte Hornets (but traded to the Lakers)
- Steve Nash – Picked 15th by the Phoenix Suns
- Ray Allen – Picked 5th by the Milwaukee Bucks
- Marcus Camby – Picked 2nd by the Toronto Raptors
Tags：[1996 NBA Draft, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, NBA Draft History, Basketball Legends, NBA All-Stars]
