This Day In NBA Sports History: June 26, 1991-2008
The best of this day in NBA sports history. June 26. First-round picks in the NBA Draft, Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Yao Ming, Allen Iverson, Larry Johnson, and a Citizenship Sports Award. What happened on this day in NBA history?
Derrick Rose
The 2008 NBA draft was held at the Washington Mutual Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Chicago Bulls, who had a 1.7% chance of getting the first pick, won the lottery on May 22. The Bulls winning this lottery was the second-longest odds to secure the No. 1 overall pick. It surpassed the Orlando Magic’s win in 1993, which occurred with a 1.5% chance.
Derrick Rose of Memphis was selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Rose was named Rookie of the Year that season and NBA MVP in the 2010-11 season, becoming the youngest player to win this award at the age of 22.
LeBron James’ Story Started On This Day In NBA Sports History
The Cleveland Cavaliers, with a 22.5% chance of getting the first pick, won the lottery on May 22, 2003. LeBron James was selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. James was one of the most anticipated selections in the history of the sport.
He was the second player drafted directly out of high school with the first overall pick, following Kwame Brown in the 2001 NBA Draft. James won multiple NBA MVP Awards, and Finals MVP Awards, and is the all-time scoring leader.
Yao Ming
The Houston Rockets, with an 8.9% chance, won the 2002 NBA Draft lottery. Yao Ming was selected with the first overall pick in the draft by the Houston Rockets. Ming is the first player who had not played basketball in either high school or college in the United States.
Citizenship Sports Awards
12-year NBA veteran Hersey Hawkins and second-year WNBA player Dawn Staley received the Citizenship Through Sports Award at the Gannett Building in Arlington, Virginia. This award is given by the professional, collegiate, scholastic, and Olympic communities to collectively recognize athletes for outstanding citizenship, sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and community service.
The award is an initiative of the largest sports association, the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA), to recognize athletes who have demonstrated the values of citizenship through sportsmanship and ethical play. The Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) is a 10-member organization representing the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball (MLB), NFL, NHL, NCAA, NAIA, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
Allen Iverson Was Drafted On June 26, 1996
The Philadelphia 76ers, who had the second-longest odds to win the first overall pick, won and selected Georgetown Guard Allen Iverson with the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey. It is widely regarded as one of the most talented drafts in NBA history, with more than a third of the first-round draft picks going on to become NBA All-Stars. This class featured three NBA MVPs, including Kobe Bryant, Iverson, and Steve Nash.
Larry Johnson
The Charlotte Hornets selected UNLV Forward Larry Johnson with the first pick in the 1991 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden. Johnson was named the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 19.2 points and 11 rebounds per game. He was the first player to represent Charlotte in an All-Star Game.
Final Thoughts: This Day In NBA Sports History
If you missed the last article entitled This Day In NBA Sports History, read about it here on June 21.
