10 years ago, Adam Silver had his first NBA Draft as commissioner, the Cleveland Cavaliers brandished their third No. 1 pick in a four-year span, and a “yet-to-be-famous” Serbian was taken with the 41st pick. Other notable events included the first “first-round” selection of a player from the NBA Development League and the Charlotte Hornets “returning” to the NBA Draft after being the Charlotte Bobcats.
As for the players, here are several who still survive after 10 years in the league.
Andrew Wiggins
We have to start with Wiggins. He was, after all, the No. 1 pick who went on to grab the Rookie of the Year award during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also earned an All-Star spot and was a part of the Golden State Warriors squad that won a title a few years ago.
Nikola Jokic
Jokic will be known as the Serbian guy who was drafted during a commercial break. No one knew him back then, but he is one of the best in the league today. He can be relied upon to get triple-doubles every other game and was the leader of the Denver Nuggets when they won the title back in 2023.
Ppl forget Jokic got drafted during a tacobell commercial pic.twitter.com/yS359dapPN
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) May 2, 2023
Joel Embiid
Embiid had a rough start. A foot injury forced him to sit out the next two seasons after being drafted. Now, you can see him score at least 30 points per game for the Philadelphia 76ers, and he even won the MVP award back in 2023. His fun personality also makes him a popular player to root for.
Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine
That unforgettable dunk contest back in 2016 will be hard to top. Gordon and LaVine were just two guys who entered the NBA in the same year, but they will live forever in All-Star history after they traded amazing dunk after amazing dunk. You could even say that it was a “tie”; even if LaVine won, fans knew that Gordon deserved it as well.
Dunking Is An Art Form!
6 years ago today, aerial artists ZACH LAVINE & AARON GORDON competed in arguably the greatest dunk contest ever.Who do YOU think deserved the win? pic.twitter.com/AkGYSj8qon
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 13, 2022
Jabari Parker
Remember Jabari Parker? He was the second pick of the 2014 NBA Draft but is no longer in the NBA. That’s why guys like Julius Randle, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jerami Grant, Jordan Clarkson, and Marcus Smart should be thankful that they’re still playing at a high level as they enter the 11-year mark of their careers.
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