2002 NBA draft | |
---|---|
General information | |
Sport | Basketball |
Date(s) | June 26, 2002 |
Location | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) |
Network(s) | TNT |
Overview | |
57 total selections in 2 rounds | |
League | NBA |
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] This was the last draft that was broadcast on TNT, as ESPN secured rights to air the 2003 draft. 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 each had a 22.5% chance of acquiring the first pick, but the Houston Rockets, with just an 8.9% 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 of 17 international selections, with six of them coming in the first round.[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 intense rehabilitation, 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 because it prohibited riding a motorcycle. Instead, the Bulls executed a $3 million buyout of the contract in 2004 instead of having him walk away with nothing.[6]
The draft was relatively weak outside of the top prospects. Several top players had promising careers end prematurely due to injury, including as Yao Ming, Williams and Dajuan Wagner. Nevertheless, Yao was named a Hall of Famer—a selection predicated as much on his role in popularizing basketball in China as it was for his on-court play. As of 2021[update], Udonis Haslem is the only remaining active player from the 2002 class, though Haslem went undrafted.
Draft selections[edit]
PG | Point guard | SG | Shooting guard | 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 |
# | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |
~ | Denotes player who has been selected as Rookie of the Year |
Notable undrafted players[edit]
These players were not selected in this draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
Player | Position | Nationality | School or club team |
---|---|---|---|
J. R. Bremer | PG | ![]() |
St. Bonaventure (Sr.) |
Devin Brown | SG | ![]() |
UTSA (Sr.) |
Josh Davis | PF/SF | ![]() |
Wyoming (Sr.) |
Reggie Evans | PF | ![]() |
Iowa (Sr.) |
Lynn Greer | PG/SG | ![]() |
Temple (Sr.) |
Anthony Grundy | PG/SG | ![]() |
NC State (Sr.) |
Adam Harrington | PG/SG | ![]() |
Auburn (Sr.) |
Lorinza Harrington | PG/SG | ![]() |
Wingate (Sr.) |
Udonis Haslem | PF | ![]() |
Florida (Sr.) |
Linton Johnson | SF | ![]() |
Tulane (Sr.) |
Arvydas Macijauskas | SG | ![]() |
Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania) |
Keith McLeod | PG | ![]() |
Bowling Green (Sr.) |
Jannero Pargo | PG | ![]() |
Arkansas (Sr.) |
D.J. Mbenga | C | ![]() ![]() |
Leuven Bears (Belgium) |
Smush Parker | PG/SG | ![]() |
Fordham (So.) |
Predrag Savović | SG | ![]() |
Hawaii (Sr.) |
Awvee Storey | PF/SF | ![]() |
Arizona State (Sr.) |
Yuta Tabuse | PG | ![]() |
BYU–Hawaii (Fr.) |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on 2007-12-26. 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.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2011.