The top five most memorable NBA Draft moments of all time
At the 2023 NBA Draft, 58 prospects' lives will be changed, and long-lasting memories will be created. In preparation for Thursday's event, we look back at the five most memorable draft night moments from throughout the years:
5. Toronto drafts "the Brazilian Kevin Durant," 2014
After teams realized Giannis Antetokounmpo was heading for a promising career, the search for the next foreign star began. The Raptors, who desperately tried to trade up for the "Greek Freak" in 2013, opted to take Bruno Caboclo, "the Brazilian Kevin Durant," 20th overall the following year.
Upon being selected, ESPN's Fran Fraschilla issued an infamous scouting report that Caboclo, a projected second-rounder, was "two years away from being two years away."
As it turned out, Caboclo was a much more complex project than initially thought. He appeared in 25 games across four seasons before Toronto cut ties with him, and he split time between the NBA and G League before returning overseas in 2021.
4. Brandon Jennings arrives fashionably late, 2009
It's not uncommon for players to skip the draft, as some prefer to spend the evening with their families. However, it's extremely rare for one to show up in the middle of the event, which is what Jennings, the tenth overall pick by Milwaukee in 2009, did.
Having been nowhere to be seen, Jennings walked out on stage to shake commissioner David Stern's hand after Phoenix selected Earl Clark, who didn't attend the draft, 14th overall.
Jennings later admitted that he was shopping when he learned he had been drafted and said that the NBA told him to join the festivities at Madison Square Garden.
3. Vancouver drafts Steve Francis, 1999
Long before Zach LaVine appeared to utter "f--- me" when Minnesota selected him in 2014, Francis pouted his way to the podium as the least enthusiastic draftee ever. Vancouver selected Francis second overall in 1999 after he made it clear he had no interest in playing for the team.
In the end, Francis' wish was fulfilled, as he was sent to Houston in an 11-player deal that included three future draft picks, the largest trade in NBA history to that point. The Maryland product played nine seasons in the NBA, winning Co-Rookie of the Year in 2000 and earning three All-Star selections.
2. Chris Webber traded for Penny Hardaway, 1993
Back when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic's Shams Charania weren't around to send trade details directly to our phones, fans had to wait for information straight from the source. Shortly after Orlando selected Michigan's Webber first overall and Golden State took Memphis State's Anfernee Hardaway with the third pick, Stern returned to the stage to make a dramatic announcement.
Stern confirmed that the Warriors were sending Hardaway and three first-round picks to Orlando for Webber, which drew emphatic reactions from the crowd as each detail was revealed. Webber left Golden State after one season and played 15 years in the NBA, while Hardaway experienced some successful seasons alongside Shaquille O'Neal before injuries ultimately derailed his career.
1. Cleveland selects Anthony Bennett No. 1 overall, 2013
Stern kicked off his final draft in iconic fashion by taunting the boo birds with a "louder" hand gesture before announcing the most shocking first overall pick ever, UNLV's Bennett. It was a puzzling selection at the time, as Bennett was ESPN's Jay Bilas' No. 6 rated prospect, prompting an astonished Bill Simmons to request medical attention.
It quickly became apparent that the draft day skepticism surrounding Bennett was warranted. He didn't make a field goal attempt until the fifth game of his career, and it took him 33 games to register his first double-digit scoring performance. Cleveland traded the Toronto native to Minnesota before his second season, and he bounced around with the Raptors and Nets before flaming out of the NBA in 2017.
Honorable mentions: Kobe Bryant traded to the Lakers (1996), NBA drafts Isaiah Austin (2014), 2003 class' pre-draft photo.
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