Fansided

5 biggest NBA Draft busts in history

By John Buhler

Nov 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Anthony Bennett (15) looks on against the New York Knicks at Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Anthony Bennett (15) looks on against the New York Knicks at Air Canada Centre. The Knicks beat the Raptors 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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27 Jun 2001: NBA Commissioner David Stern congratulates Kwame Brown of Glynn Acadamy in Brunswick, Georgia, after being the first pick in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizard at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT NOTE TO USER: It is expressly understood that the only rights Allsport are offering to license in thisPhotograph are one-time, non-exclusive editorial rights. No advertising or commercial uses of any kind may be made of Allsport photos. User acknowledges that it is aware that Allsport is an editorial sports agency and that NO RELEASES OF ANY TYPE ARE OBTAINED from the subjects contained in the photographs.
27 Jun 2001: NBA Commissioner David Stern congratulates Kwame Brown of Glynn Acadamy in Brunswick, Georgia, after being the first pick in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizard at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT NOTE TO USER: It is expressly understood that the only rights Allsport are offering to license in thisPhotograph are one-time, non-exclusive editorial rights. No advertising or commercial uses of any kind may be made of Allsport photos. User acknowledges that it is aware that Allsport is an editorial sports agency and that NO RELEASES OF ANY TYPE ARE OBTAINED from the subjects contained in the photographs. /

Washington Wizards. 2001 NBA Draft, No. 1 overall. Kwame Brown. 5. player. 142.

The 2001 NBA Draft wasn’t as loaded of a Draft as it had been in some years, but the Washington Wizards absolutely whiffed with their No. 1 overall pick taking center Kwame Brown out of Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Ga.

Brown’s No. 1 overall selection by the Wizards best encapsulates the uncertainty of the going with a player straight out of high school. Though Tyson Chandler and Pau Gasol didn’t play a second of college basketball either, those two big man went No. 2 and No. 3 to the Chicago Bulls and the then Vancouver Grizzlies respectively. Both Chandler and Gasol were key cogs on NBA championship teams in their highly successful careers that are still going strong today.

Brown would play for seven teams during his 12-year NBA career (2001-13). He spent his first four season with Washington, but never managed to become an NBA centerpiece, starting in 281 of his 607 career games played. Brown averaged 6.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 0.6 blocks per game, shooting a lousy 57.0% from the free throw line in 22.1 minutes per contest.

With other first round players like Chandler, Gasol, Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, and Tony Parker all becoming NBA All-Stars, Brown stands out as the biggest miss of his draft class. His lack of high-end NBA impact as a straight from high school to the pros player certainly set in motion the idea for the one-and-done rule with then NBA commissioner David Stern.

Next: 4. Michael Beasley

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