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The Hornets made a heck of a decision drafting Kobe Bryant with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Unfortunately for Charlotte, the rights to the future Hall of Famer were traded to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. Kobe has gone on to win five championships and is the third all-time leading scorer in NBA history.
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Steve Nash was drafted by the Suns just two picks after Kobe Bryant was selected in the 1996 NBA Draft. Nash revolutionized the point guard position while winning two MVPs.
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The St. Louis Hawks drafted Bill Russell with the third overall pick in the 1956 NBA Draft before trading him to the Boston Celtics. Russell won eleven championships as a player-coach with the Celts.
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The Portland Trailblazers had quite the dilemma on its hands in the 2007 NBA Draft. Deciding between Greg Oden and Kevin Durant for the top pick would define the franchise for years. The Blazers ultimately chose the oft-injured Oden, while the Seattle SuperSonics scooped up Durant. The University of Texas product is now one of the most dynamic scorers in the league.
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Three-time NBA champion Larry Bird is the pride of Indiana State. Larry Legend was drafted sixth overall by the Celtics in the 1978 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA's MVP three consecutive seasons.
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In college, Stephen Curry took over March Madness with his stellar shooting for Davidson. No one thought the slight of build Curry would blossom into the best shooter of all time. Six years after being drafted seventh, Curry won his first MVP.
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Drafted straight out of high school in 1995, Kevin Garnett was the fifth pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 15-time All-Star had stints with the Celtics and Nets before returning to the team that drafted him. Garnett plans to buy a piece of the franchise once he retires.
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The sharpshooter out of UCLA landed with the Indiana Pacers in the 1987 NBA Draft. Reggie Miller was a headache to defend on the court with his backbreaking threes and affinity for trash talk. Miller's jersey has been retired by the Bruins and Pacers.
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Dwyane Wade was part of the star-studded 2003 NBA Draft. Selected fifth by the Heat, Wade's played his whole career in Miami, winning three NBA titles.
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Even back in the 80s, Julius Erving was a player ahead of his time. Dr. J was known for his highlight-reel dunks and silky smooth play on the court. Erving was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
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Drafted ninth overall by the Bucks in the 1998 NBA Draft, Dirk Nowitzki was traded to the Mavericks on draft night. The knockdown shooter is the highest-scoring foreign player to ever grace the league.
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The SuperSonics struck gold in back-to-back drafts. After drafting Durant in 2007, Seattle set its sights on an athletic point guard out of UCLA. Russell Westbrook was considered a project in 2008, but he's blossomed into a wrecking ball of awesomeness on the court.
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The third pick in the 1980 NBA Draft, Kevin McHale is one of the best players in Celtics franchise history. McHale spent his whole playing career with Boston. He won three championships before foot injuries forced him to retire.
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Lucky number 13 in the 1985 NBA Draft, Karl Malone is the second all-time leading scorer in league history behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Mailman, as he's affectionately called, teamed with John Stockton to form a devastating duo.
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The French point guard slipped all the way to 28th in the 2001 NBA Draft where the savvy Spurs selected him. Tony Parker has won four NBA titles and a Finals MVP in his illustrious career.
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A second-round pick in 1964, Willis Reed played a decade with the Knicks. Reed's most famous for playing with a torn muscle in his thigh in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Reed brought New York two championships in his career.
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The 10th selection in the 1998 NBA Draft, Paul Pierce was picked directly after Dirk Nowitzki. The Truth has been hitting clutch shots his whole career. In 2008, he helped bring the Celtics its first championship since 1986.
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A thunderous dunker in his own right, Shawn Kemp was snatched by the SuperSonics 19th overall in 1989. Kemp was selected to six straight All-Star teams in the 90s.
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Manu Ginobli was selected by the Spurs 57th overall (there's only 60) in the 1999 NBA Draft. Ginobli emerged as a clutch shooter and the best player in the draft class. He's won four championships, all with San Antonio.
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John Stockton is the all-time leader in assists and steals in NBA history. Not bad for a guy taken 16th overall in 1984. He was elected to the All-Star team 10 times in his career.
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Despite his eccentric life off the court, Dennis Rodman was a rebounding fiend for whichever team he played for. Drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft, Rodman won five championships with Pistons and Bulls.
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Nate "Tiny" Archibald's 1973 season was an impressive one. He led the league in points and assists, a rare feat. Archibald was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals in the second round of the 1970 NBA Draft.
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Not many players have won as much as John Havlicek did with the Celtics. The seventh pick in the 1962 draft won all eight NBA titles in his career in Boston. Havlicek was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.
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Clyde Drexler is one of the few players to win an NBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal. A member of the "Dream Team," Drexler was drafted 14th by the Trailblazers in 1983.
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Any time a team drafts the greatest player of all time, it's a great pick. What made the Bulls choice of Michael Jordan even better was he wasn't even the top selection. The North Carolina star was drafted third overall in the 1984 NBA Draft. What a steal.
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