Top 8 Draft Classes of the Last 30 Years

There’s no such thing as a sure thing in the NBA Draft. Injuries, off-the court issues and other factors have derailed the careers of players who seemed to be destined for greatness, while then-under-the-radar selections have gone on to enjoy illustrious careers littered with championships and personal accolades. Every year a new crop of players enters the league, and although the 2011 NBA Draft isn’t expected to be anything special in terms of star power, there have been a number of draft classes in the last 30 years that have produced some of the greatest players to ever hit the hardwood. In lieu of today being draft day, here’s a look at the top 10 draft classes of the last 30 years:

8. 1999: Although no MVPs or leaders of world champions were born into the NBA through the 1999 NBA Draft, that’s by no means a knock on the quality of the class. 1999 produced nine all stars (Elton Brand, Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Manu Ginobili, Ron Artest, Andrei Kirilenko, Wally Szczerbiak, Richard Hamilton and Shawn Marion) and seven key contributors to championship teams (Artest, Ginobili, Hamilton, Marion, Jason Terry, Lamar Odom and James Posey). The 1999 NBA Draft was not rich in superstars, however, it was extremely deep and produced a considerable amount of players that have gone on to enjoy very successful NBA careers.

7. 1998: It’s difficult to choose between the class of ’97 and the class of ’98, as both groups have produced excellent players. While Tim Duncan — one of the greatest players in NBA history — gives substantial weight to the class of ’97, the Dirk Nowitzki-led class of 1998 has a greater amount of star power, thus trumping Duncan and the class of ’98 for a spot on the list. Although this draft may be remembered more for being the year Michael Olowakandi went No. 1 overall, that’s not to say the draft didn’t exceed expectations after the Clippers’ fumblerooski of the top pick. Aside from the league’s newest reigning Finals MVP, the 1999 draft produced Paul Pierce, who is one of the greatest scorers in Celtics’ history; Vince Carter, who was the first athletic “freak” to enter the NBA; and high-quality, above-average players in Antawan Jamison, Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis and Al Harrington — all of whom, have been major contributors to very good teams at various points in their careers.

6. 2003: When it’s all said and done, 2003 could go down as arguably the greatest draft class of the last 30 years. Better than Michael Jordan’s stacked 1984 group and better than the Kobe Bryant/Allen Iverson led class in 1996. Even though it’s only been eight seasons since the group of ’03 entered the NBA, it is home to two players, who could retire right now, and be first-ballot hall of famers (LeBron James and Dwyane Wade). Aside from producing two of the top 25 players in NBA history (James and Wade), 2003 also produced Carmelo Anthony, who has become one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league, and Chris Bosh, who has been an all star six years in a row, while holding down a career average of 20 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Although the talent and quality takes a significant dive after the top four players from 2003, the players below James, Wade, Anthony and Bosh haven’t been lying asleep for the past eight years either. In fact, four players (Josh Howard, Chris Kaman, Mo Williams and David West) have been named to an NBA all-star team, and Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw have both taken home some hardware, winning the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player awards, respectively.

Next: Three of the Greatest Centers of All Time

5. 1992: The 1992 NBA Draft wasn’t home to an extremely deep crop of great players; however, Shaquille O’Neal, who was selected No. 1 overall, brought enough gusto to the the table to propel the class of ’92 among the greats. O’Neal’s resumé of career achievements goes on and on — from MVP awards and championship rings to monster dunks and a never-ending list of nicknames — and although he ended his career on a very lackluster note, the Big Aristotle’s impact on the game of basketball was even bigger than his 7-foot-1-inch, 325 pound frame. Flanking O’Neal in the Class of ’92 is yet another center who left a major impact on the game of basketball — Alonzo Mourning. A seven-time all-star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a world champion, Mourning was never an unstoppable scorer, however, his impact on the game extended much further than his career averages of 17.1 points and 8.5 rebounds. He was a terrific post defender, who would have been the starting center for nearly every NBA team during his final three seasons with Miami, despite being well into his 30s. Aside from the beastly big men, the 1992 draft also produced seven-time NBA champion and master of the clutch, Robert Horry, who hit big shot after big shot during crunch time throughout his career.

4. 1985: While many might blame the 1985 draft for being kick-starter for the widespread sentiment that the NBA is fixed, it still produced a great deal of star power. The first draft to utilize the lottery format brought in Knick’s great, Patrick Ewing and NBA legend Karl Malone to the NBA. Other notable players selected in 1985 were Joe Dumars, Chris Mullin, Charles Oakley and AC Green — who all went on to win NBA championships or become fixtures at All Star Weekend. We’ll never know whether or not the draft was fixed to bring Ewing to the Knicks, but what we do know, is that 1985 (although no where near as good as the year before’s class) brought just more than talent to the NBA, it brought excellence to the league.

3. 1987: Headline by three surefire hall of famers, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen and Reggie Miller, the 1987 draft was home to quite a bit of talent. Two of the league’s top point guards throughout the 90’s — Mark Jackson and Kevin Johnson — also heard their names called in the first round, and went on to enjoy very successful careers, as Jackson is the third-leading assist-getter (10,334 assists) in NBA history over the course of his 17-year career. Johnson on the other hand, was a lightning-quick guard, who not only was a great passer, but scored the ball extremely well throughout his career.

Next: The Cream of the Crop

2. 1996: Allen Iverson — arguably the greatest little man in NBA history — was the big name on draft night in 1996, and rightfully so. The 6-foot-nothing guard from Georgetown University made a name for himself as a bonafide scorer and put the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers on his back all the way to the NBA Finals where they fell to a team co-led by another stud from AI’s draft class: Kobe Bryant. Although great expectations surrounded Bryant, who made the jump from high school to the NBA, he didn’t hear his name called until the very tail end of the lottery. However, that didn’t prevent him from establishing himself among the legends, as he is set to enter his 16th year in the league next season, having won five titles, six total MVP awards (finals, regular season and all-star) and numerous scoring records. If you don’t think that the success of Bryant and Iverson is enough to make their draft one of the best, take a look at another player from the class of ’96, who has recently emerged as one of the top playmakers in NBA history: Steve Nash. A two-time MVP and world-class point guard, proved to be like fine wine — only getting better with age. And at the very ripe age of 37, Nash posted an average of 11.4 assists per game this past season to lead the league in that category for the fifth time in the past seven seasons. While the superstar trio of Bryant, Nash and Iverson headlines the class, the star power doesn’t stop at them, as Ray Allen has been an annual fixture on the all-star team and Marcus Camby took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2006-07. Other ’96 draftees such as Stephon Marbury, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jermaine O’Neal, Peja Stojakovic, Zydrunas Ilguaskas and Antoine Walker have had their share of all-star appearances as well. The No. 24 pick in the draft, Derek Fisher, evolved as the consumate role player, winning five titles as a integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers.

1. 1984: Not only was the draft class of 1984 highlighted by the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan, but it produced first ballot hall of famers, champions and superstars. The No. 1 pick of the draft, Hakeem Olajuwon went on to enjoy a very successful career, winning two championships with the Houston Rockets in the mid-1990s, and to this day, he is the only player in NBA history to take home the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP awards all in the same season. Joining Jordan and Olajuwon on the list of hall of famers who heard their name called in 1984 are Charles Barkley and John Stockton — two of the greatest players of all time at their respective positions. At a paltry 6-foot-5-inches tall, Barkley defied the odds and became not only one of the most complete players in basketball, but is regarded as one of the most intense and powerful rebounders of all-time. Stockton went on to enjoy a ridiculous 19-year career, in which he became the NBA’s all-time leader in assists, racking up 15,806 dimes in nearly 20 years with the Utah Jazz. Although neither Barkley nor Stockton ever managed to capture a championship, their accomplishments and contributions to the game undoubtedly cemented their names among the greatest of all time. Role players such as Kevin Willis, Alvin Robertson, Otis Thorpe and Alvin Robertson also came out of this draft and went on to enjoy long, successful careers.