In honor of tonight’s NBA Draft, and since no Terps will figure into tonight’s proceedings (is Dave Neal eligible?), here’s a look back at some past Maryland draft moments:
- Golden State takes Joe Smith No. 1 overall in 1995: Antonio McDyess, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett. Those are the names of the next four players selected after Smith in ‘95. All undoubtedly had better NBA careers than Smith, that season’s Naismith Player of the Year.
Still, you don’t normally hear Smith’s name mentioned as a “bust”, at least not in the same conversation as Sam Bowie or Kwame Brown. That’s because Smith has carved out a nice, if rather ordinary, 13-year career.
- The now-defunct Vancouver Grizzlies take Steve Francis No. 2 overall in 1999: And Francis wasn’t so happy about it. The fans in Vancouver weren’t amused either when the Terps’ one-and-done superstar of 1998-99 forced a trade to Houston.
But Francis won this battle in the end. He went on to appear in three all-star games and at one time was among the best scoring point guards in the league before knee injuries derailed his productivity. Oh, and Vancouver no longer has a team.
- Len Bias, 1986: The No. 2 pick of the reigning world champion Boston Celtics, Bias was set to join Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish and presumably start the next chapter of the Celtics dynasty of the 1980’s.
Two days later, Bias was dead from a cocaine overdose. Perhaps more than any single image or highlight tape, Bias’ appearance at the draft — in that green Celtics cap — serves as a lasting reminder of what could have been.
[...] The Diamondback’s Aaron Kraut says Smith, Francis, Bias amongst most memorable NBA Draft moments for Terps [...]