Fansided

NBA Draft: Every team’s least popular pick ever

By Cody Williams

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 30: Anthony Bennett
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 30: Anthony Bennett /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
13 of 31
Next
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 8: General view of the Indiana Pacers logo at half court as action takes place during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 8, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Lakers 89-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 8: General view of the Indiana Pacers logo at half court as action takes place during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 8, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Lakers 89-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Indiana Pacers – Rick Robey (1978)

Even the most ardent haters of the Boston Celtics will admit one thing about the team from Beantown—that Larry Bird is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. A relentless competitor, a supremely gifted player, and low-key one of the best trash talkers to ever come through the league, the superstar from Indiana is a legend in the league whose greatness is quite frankly undeniable at this point.

And when you look at those kind of unquestionable superlatives about Larry Bird, it feels impossible that his home-state team in the Indiana Pacers had the opportunity to draft him in the 1978 NBA Draft but instead went with taking big man Rick Robey out of Kentucky. Considering there’s at least a 50-50 chance that you’ve never heard of Robey, I’ll let you guess how that worked out for the Pacers.

In all fairness, Bird fell to No. 6 in the draft because he was still a junior at Indiana State and had made it clear he was going to school for one more year. Even still, it was also clear what a supreme talent he was and having him play for the Pacers would have been the storybook version of his career. He had plenty of success the other way, but the Pacers missing out on him for Robey makes Robey quite the unpopular figure.

Next: Los Angeles Clippers

Home/Atlanta Hawks