A Look Back at the 1998 NBA Draft

It’s been 20 years since the 1998 NBA draft so let’s take a look back at what many people consider to be one of the best drafts in recent memory.

Introduction

On June 24th, 1998, the NBA held its annual draft. That year’s draft is remembered as one of the deepest and most talented in history, with All-Stars and future Hall of Famers such as Dirk Nowitzki Paul Pierce and Vince Carter being selected. However, the 1998 NBA Draft is also remembered for the number of highschool players who were drafted that year. In total, eight highschoolers were taken in the first round of the draft – a record that still stands today.

In this article, we will take a look back at the 1998 NBA Draft focusing on the highschool players who were selected in the first round. We will discuss where they were drafted, how their careers have progressed, and what impact they had on the league.

The 1998 NBA draft Class

It’s been 20 years since the 1998 NBA draft and it remains one of the most controversial and scrutinized draft classes in league history. That year’s draft was marked by a number of high-profile flops, as well as a few players who went on to have successful careers. Let’s take a look back at that memorable Draft Class

The 1998 NBA Draft was headlined by two players: UCLA’s Kevin Love and Duke’s Mike Dunleavy Jr. Love was taken with the fifth overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies while Dunleavy went third overall to the Golden State Warriors

Other notable players from that draft class include No. 1 overall pick Mike Bibby, who had a solid career with several different teams; No. 2 pick Andrea Bargnani, who was a bust with the Toronto Raptors but found success later in his career with the Brooklyn Nets and No. 4 pick Vince Carter who became one of the league’s best players during his time with the Raptors and is still going strong today as a member of the Atlanta Hawks

There were also a number of busts in that draft class including No. 6 pick Larry Hughes who had a journeyman career; No. 7 pick Raef LaFrentz, who never lived up to his potential; and No. 8 pick Michael Olowokandi, who is widely considered to be one of the biggest busts in NBA history

Notable Picks from the 1998 NBA Draft

The 1998 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 1998, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
With the first overall pick in the draft, the Los Angeles Clippers selected Michael Olowokandi, a 7’0″ center from the University of California Los Angeles Other notable picks from the draft include German star Dirk Nowitzki (9th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks), French forward Ron Artest (16th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls), American guard Mike Bibby (second overall pick by the Vancouver Grizzlies) and Chinese center Wang Zhizhi (36th overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks).
In total, 29 International Players were selected in the 1998 NBA Draft representing a then-record 12 different countries. Brazil (5), Yugoslavia (4), Canada (3) and France (2) were some of the countries represented in the draft.

Where are they Now?

In 1998, the NBA saw one of the most talented drafts in its history. With future stars like Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Vince Carter entering the league, it was poised to be a draft for the ages.

Nowitzki was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 9th pick but was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night. He would go on to have a Hall of Fame career, becoming one of the best shooting big men in NBA history Nowitzki was an NBA Champion in 2011 and was named Finals MVP He also won an NBA MVP Award in 2007 and is a 14-time All-Star. Nowitzki famously announced his retirement from the Mavericks in 2019 after 21 seasons with the team.

Pierce was drafted 10th overall by the Boston Celtics He would go on to spend 15 seasons with the Celtics, becoming their all-time leader in 3-point field goals made. Pierce is a 10-time All-Star and won an NBA Championship with the Celtics in 2008. He was named Finals MVP that year as well. After brief stints with the Brooklyn Nets Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers Pierce retired from basketball in 2017.

Carter was drafted 5th overall by the Golden State Warriors but was then traded to the Toronto Raptors on draft night. He would go on to have a storied career, becoming one of the best dunkers in NBA history Carter is an 8-time All-Star and won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in 2000. After stints with several teams throughout his career, Carter announced his retirement from basketball in 2020 after 22 seasons.

The 1998 NBA draft in Retrospect

It’s been 20 years since the 1998 NBA draft which is widely considered to be one of the best classes in history. In retrospect, it’s easy to see why. Players like Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Vince Carter went on to have long and successful careers, full of individual and team accomplishments.

It’s interesting to look back and see how things might have been different if the draft had gone differently. For example, if the Los Angeles Lakers had drafted Dirk Nowitzki instead of Ron Artest (Metta World Peace), would they have won more championships? Or if the Toronto Raptors had drafted Paul Pierce instead of Tracy McGrady would they have been able to build a contending team around him?

These are the kinds of questions that we can only speculate about. But one thing is for sure: the 1998 NBA Draft was a special class that has left a lasting impact on the league.

What if?

What if the 1998 NBA Draft had gone differently? This was a loaded draft, with future MVPs Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki, as well as All-Stars Paul Pierce and Vince Carter. But what if some of the other prospects had been drafted instead? Who would have ended up where? Let’s take a look at how things could have turned out.

The 1998 NBA Draft Today

It’s been 20 years since the 1998 NBA Draft In honor of the anniversary, let’s take a look back at where the Top Picks from that draft are today.

First up is number one pick, Michael Olowokandi. Olowokandi, nicknamed “Kandi Man”, was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers He played 9 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2007. He averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds per game during his career. After retirement, Olowokandi opened a business specializing in African art. He currently resides in London with his wife and three children.

Next is Vince Carter, who was drafted 5th overall by the Golden State Warriors but was immediately traded to the Toronto Raptors Carter is widely considered one of the best dunkers of all time and he’s still going strong today. At 41, he’s currently playing for the Atlanta Hawks and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In 22 seasons, Carter has averages over 20 points per game 10 times and remains one of only six players to do so at age 40 or older.

Other notable players from the 1998 draft include Dirk Nowitzki (9th overall), Paul Pierce (10th overall), and Jason Williams (7th overall). All three players had long and successful careers in the NBA. Nowitzki retired last year after 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks where he became the franchise’s All-time leading scorer. Pierce also retired last year after 19 seasons in the NBA which included winning an NBA Finals MVP award in 2008 with the Boston Celtics Jason Williams played 12 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2011 but made a comeback last year to play professionally in Ice Cube’s BIG3 Basketball League

While there have been many Great players to come out of the 1998 NBA Draft it will always be remembered as one of the deepest drafts in history with a total of 10 Hall of Famers being drafted that year.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the 1998 NBA Draft was truly a special event. It featured a number of great players who have gone on to have successful careers in the league, and it is widely considered to be one of the best drafts in recent memory. If you are a fan of the NBA, then this is definitely a draft that you should go back and take a look at.

Further Reading

-ESPN – relive the 1998 NBA draft with this comprehensive article complete with player analysis and videos
-The Washington Post – take a look at how the members of the 1998 NBA draft class are faring 20 years later
-The Ringer – a comprehensive look at the best and worst players from the 1998 NBA draft

References

In 1998, the NBA Draft was stacked with a great deal of young talent that would go on to have successful careers in the league. However, some of these players did not live up to the hype and failed to make an impact in the NBA. This article will take a look back at the 1998 NBA Draft and see where some of these players are now.

The 1998 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 1998 atGeneral Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. There were a total of 57Players drafted into the National Basketball Association that year. Of those 57players, only 31 managed to play in at least one NBA game Out of those31 players, only 12 have played in more than 500 games and only 8 havemade an All-Star team

The number one overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft was Power Forward Mike Bibby out ofShadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Bibby would go on tohave a successful 14-year career in the league, playing for five differentteams. He was named an All-Star in 2001 and helped lead the Sacramento Kings tothe playoffs six times. Bibby currently ranks 21st all-time in threes made(1,683) and 41st all-time in assists (6,016). He is currently an assistant coachfor his alma mater, Shadow Mountain high school

The second pick in the draft belonged to the Vancouver Grizzlies and theyselected shooting guard Mike Miller out University of Florida Miller also enjoyeda lengthy career in the league, playing 17 seasons for eight different teams. Hewon an NBA Championship with the Miami Heatin 2012 and was named NBA Sixth Manof the Year that same year. He is currently 10th all-time in threes made (2,356)and 36th all-time in three-point percentage (.396). Miller announced hisretirement from Professional Basketball on September 23, 2020.

Withthe third pick in the draft, small forward Paul Pierce out ofKansas University was drafted bythe Boston Celtics Pierce is widely consideredto be one of the greatest Celtics playersof all time and he cemented his legacy byleading them to an NBA Championship inflashy style 2008. He was NBA Finals MVP that year after averaging points per game throughoutthe series. Pierce also made ten All-Star teamsand was named All-NBA First Teamin 2002and 2008. He ranks 15th all-timein three pointers made(2,143), 26thall-time inscoring (26,397 points)and 31stall-time ingames played(1,343). On April 3rd2020,”CelticsMarch”Boston renamedone street nearTD Gardenafter Piercein honor his contributions to franchiseand city throughout his Hallof Fame career.(WEEI)On October 12th2020,”The Truth”was inducted intoNaismith MemorialBasketball Hallof Fame Class 2020.(ESPN)Pierce’s No34 jerseycurrently hangs from raftersat TD Garden alongside other Boston legends such as Larry Bird BillRussell John Havlicek.(CBSSports) currentlyworks asan analyst for ESPN.(ESPN)

Other notable picks fromthe 1998draft include Dirk Nowitzki(9thoverall), Jason Williams (7thoverall), Bonzi Wells (11th overall), Raef LaFrentz (3rd overall), VinceCarter (5th overall)and Rashard Lewis (32nd overall).(Bleacher Report)Nowitzki and Carter are still activein 202021 season whileWilliams serves asspecial Assistant Coach for MemphisGrizzlies.(Forbes)(NBA)(ClutchPoints)