Theoretically, the highest-drafted gamers within the NBA ought to decide the way forward for the game. Millions are spent on scouting by groups to get the draft proper. But the draft isn’t a science.
Occasionally, the largest stars fall by means of the cracks—drafted past the tenth, twentieth, and even fortieth choose—solely to be the subsequent generational stars.
Jimmy Butler: Last Pick to Playoff Beast
Selected with the thirtieth total choose by the Chicago Bulls in 2011, Jimmy Butler wasn’t alleged to make a lot noise within the NBA. Scouts questioned his scoring, and his ceiling was questioned. But in a draft stuffed with busts similar to Derrick Williams and Jan Veselý, Butler proved himself to be an precise star.
Butler is now the poster baby for clutch performances and resilience. With his infamous work ethic and playoff heroics, he is taken the Miami Heat to the postseason on a number of events. Although he hasn’t gained a hoop but, Butler’s contribution as a two-way participant and chief can’t be denied.
Kobe Bryant: A Legend Overlooked 12 Times
Kobe Bryant‘s story is among the most infamous in draft lore. Picked thirteenth total within the 1996 NBA Draft, Bryant was initially drafted by the Charlotte Hornets, who subsequently traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac. The relaxation, as they are saying, is historical past.
Kobe grew to become a five-time NBA Champion, two-time Finals MVP, 18-time All-Star, and one of many prime scorers in league historical past with 33,643 profession factors. How 12 groups averted him continues to be one of many biggest what-ifs in basketball.
John Stockton: The Assist King Nobody Saw Coming
John Stockton went sixteenth total to the Utah Jazz within the 1984 NBA Draft, overshadowed by giants similar to Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. However, Stockton solid a Hall of Fame profession of his personal, topping the NBA in assists (15,806) and steals.
He topped the league in assists for 9 consecutive seasons, a file that might probably by no means be surpassed. A ten-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA alternative, Stockton was the epitome of a flooring common and one of many integral cogs of Utah’s ’90s dominance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Greek Freak No One Believed In
Giannis Antetokounmpo was picked fifteenth total by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013, a draft that started with one of many greatest busts of all time—Anthony Bennett. At the time, Giannis was an unrefined, lengthy child, with not a lot tape to guage his upside.
Fast-forward 10 years, and Giannis is a two-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, NBA Champion, and Finals MVP. His paint presence, world-class protection, and tireless drive have rendered him one of many league’s most feared gamers right now.
Nikola Jokić: The MVP Pick No One Watched Live
Nikola Jokić was taken forty first total by the Denver Nuggets within the 2014 NBA Draft, throughout a Taco Bell industrial, no much less. Today, Jokić is thought to be the perfect second-round choose in NBA historical past.
The Serbian heart has gained two MVPs, took the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA Championship in 2023, and nonetheless produces jaw-dropping statistics. In the 2025–25 season, he averaged 29.6 factors, 10.2 assists, and 12.7 rebounds per sport.
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