Most memorable NBA Draft moments ever

8. Jan Vesely’s kiss, 2011

When a player is selected, it’s normal for a family member or significant other to embrace them with a hug and/or kiss. You can play the game of, “Is that a sister? Mother? Cousin? Friend? Mechanic?” These are tremendous moments for the athletes, most of whom grew up in modest means and dreamt of an NBA-level payday and competing with the top players in the world. The hugs and kisses we see aren’t meant for us, and we selfishly watch and judge them. Jan received a warmer embrace than usual, and the internet-basketball world was entranced for a short while.

There was nothing truly spectacular about the kiss. It was still TV-appropriate. But it caught everyone off guard and it led to an awkward Fran Fraschilla comment that he has great taste in women, like it was another basketball attribute he possessed. It was one of the most famous basketball kisses outside of Barkley-Dick Bavetta.

The girlfriend was Eva Kodousdova, a fellow basketball player who did not look tiny next to the 6′ 11″ Vesely, although surprisingly she’s only 6′ 3″. Sadly, the couple is no longer together, and Vesely’s stint in the NBA was brief. The NBA draft is about hope and promise, and Vesely’s greatest NBA moment was about what he could have become and a silly little kiss that gained a lot of attention.

Next: David Stern receives Brooklyn cheers, 2012