'Even the white boys had swag' - Stephon Marbury breaks down how the 1996 Draft Class changed the NBA

During the offseason, usually near the end of June, NBA front-office executives have the opportunity to change the history of their franchise for good. Namely, at that time, the annual NBA Draft is held, where the best talents from around the world are selected to secure their place in the long history of the Association.

Although the 2024 Class was, as experts claim, one of the worst in recent history, there are moments when that annual group of fresh talent stands out so much that it is remembered forever.

The iconic class of '96

One of those classes that will still be considered in the top three of all time is the one from 1996, headlined by superstars and MVPs Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash, along with many more who left their mark on the sport we all love.

Stephon Marbury, the shifty playmaker who sought his place in the NBA that year as well, recently reflected on what makes him and his classmates special. "Starbury" wasted no time saying that with them, a new era in the best basketball league in the world began.

"It was the shift. It was the moment where, it was the moment where it was going from Jordan wearing damn pants above your knee, it went past all that. It went to a whole new era, now you got Iverson walking cornrows and pants hanging down. Guys pulling up with Rolls Royces with music and it's like a whole new era now. Completely different," the fourth overall pick of that class said.

"It wasn't like raunchy, we still sophisticated NBA style, but it was different type of swag, different type of fly. People weren't looking just at top players, everybody was looking at everybody. The whole class got the shine. Everybody was dope, everybody was cool. Even the white boys had swag with what they did and how they did it," he added.

Iverson, Kobe, Nash...

The 1996 class is one of two in history that produced three players who won the MVP award. A.I., Kobe, and Nash left their imprint on the Association and were idols to many who came after them.

With his authentic style, Iverson brought change to the NBA, and many saw him as a role model, considering that people in the United States could relate to his life story.

"The Answer," in addition to his fantastic performances and scoring outbursts on the court, also led the overall culture change that Stephon mentioned. Kids started wearing sleeves, baggy shorts, and cornrows, and A.I. is still considered one of the most influential players of all time to this day.

Kobe's long list of accomplishments speaks for itself, and after all, the "Black Mamba" was rightly called the closest successor to the arguably greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan. And Nash, with his pass-first style and pinpoint-precise assists, led a revolution with the Phoenix Suns through the "Seven Seconds or Less" scheme under the legendary head coach, Mike D'Antoni.

Additionally, seven more classmates made at least one All-Star appearance, including "Starbury." Best ever or not, the 1996 NBA Draft Class definitely brought a different type of swag and introduced changes that can still be felt around the Association.