NBA Draft: Every NBA team’s worst draft pick

15. Los Angeles Clippers – Michael Olowokandi (1998)

Michael Olowokandi came over from Nigeria to enroll in a school in the United States. Pacific would soon offer him a basketball scholarship, and he would go on to dominate there. He averaged a double-double in his senior year and had his number retired. Sure, he may have been a bit of a raw talent, but any team that got him would be pleased to have him.

That is, unless that team selected him first overall! The only reason the Clippers selected Michael Olowokandi with the first pick was because they were in love with size. It had to be. There’s no other explanation. In a draft class that had Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce all in the top 10, the Clippers selected a Nigerian with a 7-foot build.

Decisions like this are what set the Clippers organization back years and made them the butt end of so many jokes. Surely it’s no coincidence that the Clippers missed the playoffs throughout Olowokandi’s entire playing career.

During his time with the Clippers, he hovered around 10 points per game and nine rebounds. Those aren’t bad stats for a center, but they do fall short of expectations for a first overall pick. And just when Olowokandi was starting to show some flashes of potential in his final season, he was hampered by injuries and was limited to 36 games. While he was hoping to get a big free agent contract, that wasn’t going to happen anymore.

He played three more seasons with the Timberwolves then Celtics, but it was much the same story there. Nagging injuries and inconsistent play saw Olowokandi’s production dip severely, and he finished his career as one of the biggest draft busts of all time.

Next: 14: Denver Nuggets