2002 NBA draft
| 2002 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date(s) | June 26, 2002 |
| Time | 7:30 pm (EDT) |
| Location | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
| Network(s) | TNT |
| Overview | |
| First selection | Yao Ming, Houston Rockets |
The 2002 NBA draft was held on June 26, 2002, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from non-North American leagues.[1] The draft was broadcast on TNT at 7:30 PM (EDT). The NBA announced that about 42 college and high school players, and five international players, had filed as early-entry candidates for the draft.[2] The Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors both had a 22.5 percent probability of acquiring the first overall pick, but the Houston Rockets, with an 8.9 percent probability, won the NBA draft lottery on May 19.[3][4] The Bulls and Warriors were second and third, respectively. As punishment for salary-cap violations during the 2000–01 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves forfeited their first-round draft pick.
The 2002 draft set a record with 17 international selections, with six coming in the first round alone.[5]
Number 2 pick Jay Williams violated his contract by riding a motorcycle, and nearly lost his life in an accident that shattered his pelvis, severed a main nerve in his leg, and tore three ligaments in his left knee including his ACL. Although he underwent an intense rehabilitation program, Williams never played a game in the NBA again. When it became clear Williams would not be returning to the Bulls because of his injuries, he was waived. The Bulls could have voided Williams' contract, since riding a motorcycle was contractually prohibited. Instead the Bulls completed a $3 million buyout of the contract instead of having him walk away with nothing.[6]
This draft has been deemed as one of the worst of all time, while one sports outlet deemed it THE worst NBA draft ever.[7][8][9]
Key
| G | Guard | PG | Point guard | SG | Shooting guard | F | Forward | SF | Small forward | PF | Power forward | C | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| * | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-NBA Team |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| x | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-NBA Team |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |
Draft selections
Notable undrafted players
These players were not selected in this draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Position | Nationality | School or club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Brown | SG |  United States
|
UTSA (Sr.) |
| Josh Davis | PF/SF | United States
|
Wyoming (Sr.) |
| Reggie Evans | PF | United States
|
Iowa (Sr.) |
| Lynn Greer | PG/SG | United States
|
Temple (Sr.) |
| Anthony Grundy | PG/SG | United States
|
NC State (Sr.) |
| Udonis Haslem | C | United States
|
Florida (Sr.) |
| Linton Johnson | SF | United States
|
Tulane (Sr.) |
| Arvydas Macijauskas | SG |  Lithuania
|
Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) |
| Keith McLeod | PG | United States
|
Bowling Green (Sr.) |
| Jannero Pargo | PG | United States
|
Arkansas (Sr.) |
| Smush Parker | G | United States
|
Fordham (So.) |
| Predrag Savović | SG |  Serbia and Montenegro
|
Hawaii (Sr.) |
| Awvee Storey | PF/SF | United States
|
Arizona State (Sr.) |
| Yuta Tabuse | PG |  Japan
|
BYU–Hawaii (Fr.) |
References
- ^ NBA.com: 2002 Draft Handbook
- ^ NBA.com. Twenty-Four Early Entry Candidates Withdraw from Draft 2002. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
- ^ NBA.com. Ties Broken for NBA Draft Order of Selection. April 24, 2002. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
- ^ "Cavaliers Win NBA Draft Lottery 2003". NBA.com. Retrieved 2007-04-20.
- ^ Lago, Joe. Draft record set with 17 foreign-born picks. June 26, 2002. Retrieved June 26, 2002.
- ^ Nance, Roscoe. Bulls, Jay Williams agree to contract buyout. February 2, 2004. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
- ^ Top 10 Worst Drafts in NBA History
- ^ Top 15 Worst NBA Draft Classes of All-Time
- ^ The 10 Worst NBA Drafts in the Lottery Era
- ^ a b The Knicks traded #7 pick along with Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson to the Nuggets for Antonio McDyess, #25 pick and a 2003 second-round pick.
- ^ "NBA Restores Timberwolves' 2005 Draft Pick". NBA.com. Retrieved January 28, 2011.