NBA Draft: Legend Compares Kobe Bryant’s ’96 Draft to LeBron James ’03 Draft

The 1996 NBA Draft is one of the best NBA Drafts ever.

If you’re keeping score at home: There was a glut of talent in that 1996 draft class that includes Hall of Famer, Allen Iverson and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

To add more context: the 1996 NBA Draft is widely considered to be one of the deepest and most talented NBA drafts in history,

One-third of the first round picks later became NBA All-Stars.

The draft class produced three players who won NBA MVP awards in Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Steve Nash. Additionally,seven other drafted players became All-Stars in Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O’Neal, Peja Stojaković and Antoine Walker and one undrafted All-Star in Ben Wallace.

That’s a grand total of 11 All-Stars.

Many also remember SLAM Magazine’s iconic cover with those names.

Eight players from this draft were named to at least one All-NBA Team, the most among any draft.

The draft class also produced three players who were been named to the NBA’s all-defensive first team: in Bryant, Marcus Camby, and Wallace.

Camby won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2007, while Wallace earned the same award in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Eventual 5-time NBA champion Derek Fisher was also included in the draft.

“Kobe was the last one to finish but you’re starting to see most of the guys finish with Hall of Fame careers,” Shareef Abdur-Rahim told me on Scoop B Radio.

Abdur Rahim had a decent career averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds in 12 NBA seasons.

Drafted with the third pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies, Abdur Rahim was an All NBA Rookie First Teamer. Abdur Rahim would suit up for the Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings during his 12 year NBA career.

His best statistical season came during the lockout shortened 1998-99 season where he’d post 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1 block per game.

The 2003 NBA Draft class was also impressive. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh headlined it.

Worth noting: That draft contained fifteen players that combined for twenty-six championships. Four of the top five picks are NBA All-Stars and “Redeem Team” Olympic Gold Medalists in Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

While the ‘96 draft class was electrifying, so was the 1984 draft class. That class included mainstays like: Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton.

Abdur-Rahim acknowledges that there’s a lot of talent in ’84 and ’03.

But does he have a favorite?

“I think it’s really difficult sometimes to rank eras,” he said. “But I guess because I was in the 1996 draft, I rank it the best.”

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