NBA Draft: Every NBA team’s worst draft pick

1. Portland Trail Blazers – Sam Bowie (1984)

Realistically, this entire list could have been made up of Portland Trail Blazers picks. Had any other team drafted Greg Oden, or Brandon Roy, or Tyrus Thomas, that would’ve been their worst pick. But this pick not only eclipses all of Portland’s other draft mistakes, it eclipses the draft mistakes of every other team in the NBA.

Really, there’s no way around it. Drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan was about the most senseless move any GM could’ve made. There was no rhyme or reason behind it, other than maybe the GM was a Kentucky fan. The draft choice was so bad, that the fans booed the pick when it was announced, but unlike the Knicks fans booing Porzingis, they were actually justified in their decision.

Bowie had shot over 50% in college and averaged 13.4 points per game while there. But the 1980-81 season was plagued by injury, and no matter how much he tried to fight through the pain, he couldn’t do it. He risked his health to help his team beat UAB in their first March Madness game that year, but they were eliminated and Bowie was forced to miss the next two seasons. Prior to that injury, Bowie was talked about as possibly joining the US Olympic Team in 1980, so had he stayed healthy during his college career, he may have turned into something more promising, but it still doesn’t justify getting picked over Jordan.

When talking about it now, they say that the Blazers didn’t need a guard since they had already drafted Clyde Drexler to pair with Jim Paxson, and that they were lacking a center since Bill Walton left. But that doesn’t matter. If Jordan is there, you take him. Just imagine what could’ve been had Drexler and Jordan been paired together! But like Bill Walton, whose career was often cut short by injury, the same thing happened with Bowie who played only 38 games in his second season with Portland. He would be limited to five games the following season, then 20 after that. And you all joke about Derrick Rose.

By 1989, the injury bug had practically ruined Sam Bowie’s pro career and there was no use in keeping him knowing that all Portland fans were just going to keep bringing up Jordan’s name. He seemed to be getting back on track with the Nets, as he had four relatively injury-free seasons there, but they caught up with him again when he joined the Lakers. Not long after that, Bowie decided to retire.

Of course, Bowie doesn’t just top this list. With everything taken into account, from the injury bug that hampered Bowie’s potential in college and the NBA, combined with the fact that he was passed over the greatest to ever play on the court, led ESPN to deem Sam Bowie as the worst draft pick in all of sports. If there was ever a player to put the Crying Jordan face on, it would definitely be Sam Bowie.

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