When Boston Celtics Hall of Fame small forward Paul Pierce was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the former Kansas standout made a point of thanking each and every team that passed him over in favor of another prospect on draft night in 1998.
Explaining how he used the snub as motivation, Pierce said, “Coming out of college, I was a first-team All-American, a projected No. 2 pick,” continuing on by naming every franchise that doubted him. “Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire,” he explained. “I appreciate that.”
Buy Celtics TicketsBut who were those teams, and who did they go with instead? Let’s look back at the top nine picks of that draft, and whether there were any teams that didn’t end up regretting their selection.
WATCH: Where should we rank Celtics legend Paul Pierce among the NBA’s 50 greatest players? https://t.co/TVurEjxvKU
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 12, 2021
Clippers - Michael Olowokandi
Given making NBA All-Rookie second team was the height of Olowokandi’s career, we’re pretty sure the Clips regret this decision quite a bit.
Grizzlies - Mike Bibby
Though an improvement career-wise over Olowokandi’s given Bibby made NBA All-Rookie first team that same season, it wasn’t much of one seeing as that was also the career apex for the No. 2 pick of the draft by the Grizzlies. Definite remorse here as well.
Nuggets - Raef LaFrentz
Looking at his resume, you might see how Pierce’s teammate was taken first. But LaFrentz didn’t do much at the next level, so the regret here is especially painful given they got the school right — but the player wrong.
Raptors - Antawn Jamison
With two All-Star nods and a Sixth Man of the Year award on top of All-Rookie second team, this one stings the least so far, but it was still an error. Thankfully for them, they rectified this mistake quickly (more on this shortly).
Warriors - Vince Carter
Eight All-Star nods, two All-NBA elections, Rookie of the Year, and All-Rookie first team honors are just some of what Carter accomplished as a player, so the Dubs would have done well — had they not traded him away for the player taken one pick earlier, plus cash. OUCH.
Bucks - Robert Traylor
This one probably hurts the most, because not only did they pass on Pierce, the Bucks drafted the only other comparable player to trade for Traylor, who was largely unremarkable in the NBA (more on that colossal mistake briefly).
Kings - Jason Williams
Williams wasn’t a terrible pick; he won a title later in his career with the Miami Heat and made All-Rookie first team, but the Kings absolutely regret passing on The Truth.
76ers - Larry Hughes
The Sixers could have done worse. Hughes made an All-Defensive first team while leading the league in steals later while with the Washington Wizards, but Hughes was by far a dud compared to Pierce.
Mavericks - Dirk Nowitzki
Here — and only here — is a team that can look back at the draft and say they made a reasonable choice by not selecting Pierce. Dirk, of course, would also win one title and be named Finals MVP but was in the lead by a fair bit in the accolades department with 14 All-Star bids and a dozen All-NBA team selections.
That they fleeced the Bucks to do it makes it all the more impressive.
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