NBA Draft: The greatest blows in history

There are the worst draft flops by the franchises with the first choice. Conversely, there are also much better deals made on the evening of the annual American basketball ceremony. Four international players feature in this reduced list of five players. Their footprint in the Big League has been real. And it still is for some of them. Here are the five best steals in NBA draft history.

Manu Ginobili

The penultimate pick of the 1999 draft, the elegant Argentinian left-handed back landed at the San Antonio Spurs. Manu Ginobili will have spent his entire career in the United States with the Texas franchise. The latter will have made him an essential member of his Big Three with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Retiring at the age of 41, Ginobili enjoyed a successful career. Individually, he was elected MVP of the Olympics and the Euroleague. And this, in addition to being a two-time All-Star NBA. Collectively, the native of Bahia Blanca has won the three most prestigious competitions in the world. Starting with the Euroleague in 2001 with Bologna and the NBA four times (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014) with the Spurs. But also the Olympic Games (Gold medal in 2004 in Athens) with his country. High class !

isaiah thomas

Isaiah Thomas is one of the smallest NBA players of the 2010s. But he has such a big heart! The obstacles and difficulties encountered on a sporting and personal level did not bring him down. Like his selection in last position in the 2011 NBA draft. Thomas redoubled his efforts to prove to everyone that they had been wrong not to retain him earlier in the vintage. With more than 11 points on average per game, he was impactful in his first season in the Great League. He then changed dimension by becoming All-Star five years later! The following season, Isaiah Thomas became one of the best scorers in the NBA. This with nearly 29 points scored per game! His rise has been nothing short of amazing. However, his subsequent downfall was just as dramatic.

Nikola Jokic

The Serbian international interior is one of the new stars of the NBA. All-Star for the past four seasons and even crowned MVP of the championship in 2021, Nikola Jokic is a size XXL. Few people would have predicted such a future for him. It must be said that in his youth, the person concerned was an obese teenager addicted to Coca-Cola. His incredible sense of teamwork, his exceptional agility with the ball in hand for a 2m13 athlete and his great versatility make him an essential player in Mike Malone’s system. His selection in 41st position in the 2014 NBA draft now looks like an aberration. All the other teams in the championship have missed out on this gem.

Luis Scola

Like his compatriot Manu Ginobili, Luis Scola has gone under the radar of all NBA franchises. With the exception of one team, the San Antonio Spurs! The Olympic champion caught the eye of the Texas organization. It has been open to international basketball since the end of the 1990s. However, the Argentinian interior has never worn the colors of Spurs. The 56th pick in the 2002 draft waited until 2007 to make his big debut in the NBA. It was with the Houston Rockets, another franchise located in Texas. There, Luis Scola established himself as a major player. He notably achieved a season there with more than 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists on average per game. All-Star statistics! Having subsequently moved a lot (Suns, Pacers, Raptors and Nets), Scola left the NBA in 2017, at age 37!

Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol is one of the greatest steals in NBA draft history. He was indeed selected in the second round, as the 48th choice more precisely. The Lakers then owned his rights, as the franchise having drafted him. Unlike his big brother Pau Gasol, Marc waited a year before joining the Great League. Meanwhile, Los Angeles and Memphis have made a transfer including the two brothers. Pau will become a double NBA champion with LA While Marc will establish himself as his worthy successor to the Grizzlies. To the point of being voted best defender in the championship and three times All-Star. 2019 will be the year of consecration for Marc Gasol. He will have been crowned both NBA champion with the Raptors and World champion with Spain. All while being a major part of both teams!