A Look Back at the NBA Draft Class of 1994

It’s been more than two decades since the NBA Draft Class of 1994 entered the league, but their impact is still felt today. That class produced some of the biggest names in the game, including future Hall of Famers like Kobe Bryant Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. It was also a Draft Class that changed the way teams looked at International Players as it featured several stars from outside the United States

Looking back, it’s clear that the Class of 1994 was one of the most talented and impactful draft classes in NBA history Here’s a closer look at some of the Top Players from that class.

The Star-Studded Class of ’94

The NBA draft class of 1994 was one of the most star-studded and consequential in league history. Nearly a quarter-century later, its impact is still being felt. That year’s draft produced two future Hall of Famers (Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd), as well as several all-time greats who changed the course of NBA history (Dwyane Wade Carmelo Anthony LeBron James).

The ’94 class also had a deep bench of role players and journeymen who carved out lengthy careers in the league. In all, more than 60 players from that draft class went on to play in the NBA.

Here’s a look back at some of the biggest names from the 1994 NBA draft

The Standouts of the Class

While the 1994 NBA Draft class may not be remembered as one of the best in history, it did produce a number of standouts who had significant impacts on the league. Among them were Future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd as well as All-Stars like Glenn Robinson and Eddie Jones

Kidd, who was taken with the second overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks went on to have a stellar career, winning an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011 and being named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history Robinson, who was drafted first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks was a two-time All-Star and one of the best scorers of his generation. Jones, meanwhile, was a three-time All-Star who enjoyed a long and productive career with several different teams.

Other notable players from this Draft Class include Juwan Howard Grant Hill Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall. While none of them reached the same heights as Kidd, Robinson or Jones, they all carved out nice careers for themselves and made significant contributions to the league.

The Disappointments of the Class

The 1994 NBA Draft class is often remembered as one of the best in history. It included future Hall of Famers like Kobe Bryant Jason Kidd and Dwayne Wade. However, not every player from that class turned out to be a superstar. In fact, many of them were major disappointments.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest busts from the 1994 NBA Draft class:

1. Wesley Person – Selected with the 14th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns Person was expected to be a great shooter and solid scorer in the NBA. However, he only played four seasons in the league and averaged just 8.9 points per game

2. Eric Montross – The Boston Celtics thought they had found their next great big man when they selected Montross with the 9th overall pick. However, he failed to live up to expectations and only played three seasons in the NBA, averaging 3.7 points per game

3. Juaquin Hawkins – Hawkins was selected with the 25th overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics but never played a single game in the NBA. He is widely considered one of the biggest busts in draft history.

4. Chris Whitney – Whitney was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 23rd overall pick but only played three seasons in the league before his career fizzled out. He averaged just 5.2 points per game during his time in the NBA.

The Class of ’94: Where Are They Now?

It has been 25 years since the 1994 NBA draft which produced some of the most iconic players in league history. Players like Shaquille O’Neal, Jason Kidd, Grant Hill and Dikembe Mutombo were all taken in the first round that year, and they would go on to have Hall of Fame careers. But what about the rest of the class? Where are they now?

In the second round, the Houston Rockets selected future All-Star Glen Rice with the 35th overall pick. Rice had a productive 16-year career in the NBA, finishing with over 18,000 points and 4 All-Star Appearances He is currently an Assistant Coach for the NBA G League’s Stockton Kings.

Other notable second-round picks from 1994 include Eric Williams (45th overall), Greg Ostertag (28th overall), and Bryant Reeves (6th overall). Williams had a solid career as a role player appearing in over 1,000 games for 6 different teams. Ostertag was a reliable center for the Utah Jazz for 11 seasons, while Reeves’ career was cut short by injuries after just six seasons with the Vancouver Grizzlies

There are several players from the 1994 Draft Class that are still active in basketball today. Jason Terry, drafted 10th overall by the Atlanta Hawks is currently in his 21st season in the NBA and is showing no signs of slowing down. Mutombo, drafted 4th overall by the Denver Nuggets is also still active at age 58 as he works as an ambassador for his native country of Congo.

The All-Time greats of the Class

In what is considered one of the deepest and most talented NBA draft classes of all time, the Class of 1994 has produced some of the league’s all-time greats. Although it has been over 20 years since these players first entered the league, their impact is still being felt today. From All-Stars to MVPs to champions, the Class of 1994 has it all.

All-Time Greats
The class is led by none other than four-time NBA MVP Lebron James One of the greatest players in NBA history James was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and has since gone on to become one of the league’s most decorated players. He has been named an All-Star 14 times, won three championships, and is widely considered to be one of the best players of his generation.

Joining James in the Hall of Fame will be fellow Class of 1994 member Dwyane Wade One of the best Shooting Guards ever, Wade was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Heat in 2003 and went on to have a Hall of Fame career himself. He was named an All-Star 12 times, won three championships, and was named Finals MVP in 2006.

Also sure to be inducted into the Hall of Fame someday are Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant Garnett, who was drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995, is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2020. A 15-time All-Star and former league MVP, Garnett is also one of only four players in NBA history with over 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. Bryant, meanwhile, needs no introduction. One of the greatest players ever, Bryant was drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he would spend his entire 20-year career. A five-time champion and two-time Finals MVP Bryant was an 18-time All-Star and former league MVP who many consider to be second only to Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever.

MVPs
The Class of 1994 has also produced two regular season MVPs in James and Garnett. James won his four MVP Awards back-to-back from 2009 to 2012 while Garnett won his lone MVP Award in 2004 while playing for the Timberwolves. Wade also came close to winning an MVP award on two occasions, finishing second in voting behind Dirk Nowitzki in 2007 and Steve Nash in 2005Despite their individual accolades, all three players have one thing in common: they’ve all won at least one NBA Championship And they’re not alone when it comes to championship winners either…

Championship Winners
Aside from James, Wade, and Garnett; two other members of the class have won NBA championships Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace. Allen was drafted fifth overall by Minnesota in 1996 but was traded before ever playing a game for them; he would go on to win two championships with Boston (2008) and Miami (2013). Wallace meanwhile was drafted fourth overall by Washington but was traded after just two seasons; he would go on to win a championship with Detroit in 2004. Although they never won a championship together as teammates, Bryant and Allen did team up for Olympic gold twice: first at the 2008 Beijing Games and then again at 2012 London Games

The Legacy of the Class

The NBA Draft Class of 1994 was one of the best in recent memory, with a number of All-Stars and future Hall of Famers coming out of it. However, it was also a class that was very top-heavy, with the majority of the impact players being taken in the first round. Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest names from that class and see where they are now.

All-Stars
The class of 1994 boasts 6 All-Stars, including 2 perennial All-Stars in Dikembe Mutombo and Jason Kidd. Alonzo Mourning, Glenn Robinson, Juwan Howard, and Grant Hill were all selected to at least 1 All-Star game during their careers.

Future Hall of Famers
3 players from the class of 1994 are sure-fire Hall of Famers when they become eligible: Dikembe Mutombo, Jason Kidd, and Alonzo Mourning. These 3 players combined for 28 All-Star appearances and 4 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards. They were all also selected to at least 1 All-NBA team throughout their careers.

The Class of ’94: A Retrospective

Nearly three decades have passed since the NBA Draft Class of 1994 entered the league, and it remains one of the most iconic and influential collections of talent in the history of basketball. Featuring hall-of-famers like Kobe Bryant Jason Kidd, and Dikembe Mutombo, as well as All-Stars like Grant Hill and Juwan Howard, the class was truly generational. let’s take a look back at some of the biggest names from the Class of ’94 and see where they are today.

The NBA Draft Class of ’94: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The NBA Draft class of 1994 was one of the most talented and consequential in league history. It featured future Hall of Famers, All-Stars, and role players who would shape the league for years to come.

The class was headlined by two all-time greats: Yao Ming and Jason Kidd. Yao was a physical marvel who changed the way the game was played. He paved the way for international players to succeed in the NBA and is still the standard bearer for Chinese players Kidd is one of the greatest point guards ever, a two-time Olympian, and a surefire Hall of Famer.

There were also several other stars in this class, including Carmelo Anthony Zach Randolph, Juwan Howard, and Donyell Marshall. And though they didn’t achieve the same level of individual success, players like Aaron McKie, Eddie House, Bryant Reeves, and ozone depletion helped their teams win at a high level.

Sadly, not every player from this class had a storybook career. Injuries derailed many promising careers, like those of Bill Curley, Jamal Mashburn, Eric Montross, and Grant Hill. And some players just couldn’t quite live up to their hype, like Glenn Robinson, Rod Strickland , Tyrone Hill ,andano Hardaway .

But overall, the 1994 draft class was one of the best in NBA history Theseplayers left an indelible mark on the game that is still felt today.

The Class of ’94: A Review

The NBA Draft class of 1994 was one of the most talented and deepest in history, with multiple future Hall of Fame players and All-Stars coming out of it. To this day, it is still considered one of the best draft classes ever. In honor of the 25th anniversary of that class, let’s take a look back at some of the top players to come out of it.

A Look Back at the NBA Draft Class of 1994