Man, I’ve been diving deep into NBA history lately, and I just had to share this project I’ve been working on – reliving the legendary 1996 NBA Draft!
First, I spent hours just watching old highlight reels on YouTube. I mean, we’re talking about a draft class with Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ray Allen… the list goes on! It was insane to see these guys as rookies, full of potential and raw talent.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Then, I decided I needed to do more than just watch. I wanted to really understand the order, the surprises, the busts… everything! I started by building a simple spreadsheet. Just a basic list, at first:
- Pick Number
- Team
- Player
I manually went through different websites, some old fan pages, some official NBA archives, slowly filling in my spreadsheet. It was tedious, let me tell you, because some info was inconsistent across sites. So, I had to double, even triple-check everything. I cross referenced lots of web pages to make sure I had the correct draft order and that the player actually played for that team.
Next, I added columns for things like college, position, and even a quick note about their career highlights. This is where it started getting really interesting. I started to see patterns – like how many point guards went early, or how many players came straight from high school.
The “A-Ha!” Moments
The biggest “A-ha!” moment was when I started adding a “bust” column. It sounds harsh, but let’s be real, not every high draft pick lives up to the hype. I used a simple “Yes/No/Maybe” system, based on my own (somewhat biased!) opinion after reading tons of articles and forum discussions about each player.
I also added a “What if” section to the note for a few player. I have a few players I wish the Sixers would have drafted, and I make a quick note of this.
This whole process has been a blast. It’s one thing to know the names, but it’s a whole other level to really dig into the details of how this incredible draft class unfolded. It really gives you a new appreciation for these players and the unpredictable nature of the NBA Draft.
