In the NBA, the draft is undoubtedly one of the most high-profile events of the year. The 2002 NBA Draft saw the emergence of a group of talented young players, many of whom went on to achieve great results in their future careers. However, when we revisit the results of that year's draft, we find some surprising changes in the rankings.
After the American sports media rearranged the draft that year, the top pick Yao Ming could only be relegated to second place, and the second-round pick Boozer rose to fourth, so who is the first-ranked player, and is he really no suspense?
10, Dunleavy
Now many fans know Dunleavy because he is the general manager of the Warriors now, in fact, as a player, he and Yao Ming both participated in the 2002 NBA draft, when he was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the third pick in the first round and started his career, although the pick is relatively high, but Dunleavy's development in the NBA is not good, and he has been on many teams, except for his three-point shooting ability, other aspects are more average, He averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three-point range.
9, Scola
Many fans may not know that Scola was also selected by the Spurs in the NBA draft in 2002 with the 56th pick in the second round, but for some reason, he did not land in the United States immediately, and in 2007, the Rockets acquired Scola through a trade, and he officially played in the NBA.
Scola has excellent offensive ability, although he lacks physical talent, but relying on perfect foot skills, he has become the absolute main force of the Rockets and an important helper for Yao Ming, Scola played in the NBA for 10 seasons, and his career average is 12 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
8, Barnes
Matt Barnes was selected by the Grizzlies with the 46th pick in the second round in 2002, he is also a famous "thorn" in the NBA, known for his fiery temper, although in terms of personal data, he has almost no bright spots, averaging 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, but he has played for many teams, because of his defensive ability, as well as shooting ability, can help the team, became a famous "blue collar" player in the NBA, in 2007, Barnes was already at the end of his career, Followed the Warriors to win the coveted championship, which also fulfilled his championship dream!
7, Haslem
Haslem was drafted in 2002, joined the Miami Heat in 2003, played for the Heat for 19 seasons, helped the team win three championships, although Haslem has average stats, averaging 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, but he has become one of the greatest players in Heat history, holding two records in Heat history, one is the longest player on the team, the other is the player who grabbed the most rebounds, in January 2024, Haslem ended his long career.
6,Inner
Nene Hilario was selected by the New York Knicks with the 7th pick in the first round in 2002, and was immediately traded to the Denver Nuggets, where he played for 10 seasons, as the team's main center, helped the team reach the playoffs many times, and in 2009 reached the Western Conference finals, unfortunately lost to the Lakers led by Kobe, Nene is not only physically strong, but also very delicate in technique, has a beautiful mid-range shot, played 18 seasons in the NBA, and his career average data is 11.3 points per game and 6 rebounds.
5, Butler
Caron Butler was selected by the Heat in the first round in 2002 with the 10th place, however, the team he really became famous for was the Washington Wizards, and Arenas and Jamison, forming the Big Three, was a very competitive team in the East at the time, 07-09 season, averaged more than 20 points per game for two consecutive seasons, and was also selected as an All-Star, was traded to the Mavericks in 2010, and won the team championship with the team in 2011. The defense was also very good, and he was an excellent small forward in the league at the time.
4, Boozer
Boozer is a very inspirational player, he is just a second-round pick, in 2002 in the second round of the 34th pick was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that really made him shine, or the Jazz, he and Delon formed the "new postman", quickly became a strong team in the West, they are also Yao Ming's "bitter master", the Rockets were eliminated by the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs for two consecutive years, although Boozer's height is average, but his skills are outstanding, and his excellent mid-range shooting makes many players unable to defend, Boozer's career, averaging 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
3, Prince
"Little Prince" Prince was the 23rd pick by the Pistons in the first round in 2002, although his personal data is not very good, averaging only 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, but he should be the most honored of all the draft players in 2002, because of his good defensive ability, became the absolute main force of the Pistons, and helped the team win the championship in 2004.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he was selected for the U.S. men's basketball team, won the men's basketball gold medal with the team, and was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Team for four times.
2, Yao Ming
Yao Ming is the first real foreign player to win the NBA No. 1 pick, he is different from Olajuwon, he does not have any American basketball background, although he has been questioned by some people since he entered the NBA, but Yao Ming's individual performance is still very good, averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in his rookie season.
Yao Ming has been selected as an All-Star many times, and he is also one of the best centers in the league at that time, although from the perspective of team honors, the best result is the second round of the West, but Yao Ming has been recognized by many people in these 9 seasons in the NBA, if there is no injury impact, he will definitely achieve higher achievements, Yao Ming's NBA career data is 19 points per game, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.
1, Stoudemire
Who can beat Yao Ming in the 2002 draft rearrangement? Then there is only one person, Suns legend Amare Stoudemire, he was selected by the Suns with the 9th pick in the first round, and in his rookie season he averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and won the honor of best rookie.
Their "run and bomb" style of play was all the rage at the time, as the core of the inner line, Xiao Si, with a super explosive body, and excellent mid-range shooting feel, made him the league's top inside, and was also selected as the best team of the season in 07, it can be said that Xiao Si at his peak is definitely a very terrifying superstar.