June 26, 1996. New Jersey. Continental Airlines Arena. Honestly, if you were there, you probably didn’t realize you were watching a shift in the tectonic plates of basketball history. We talk about the 1984 draft with Jordan and Hakeem, or the 2003 class with LeBron and D-Wade, but the 1996 NBA draft order produced a different kind of magic. It wasn't just about the stars; it was about the depth of talent that stayed relevant for two decades.
The Philadelphia 76ers held the first pick. They took Allen Iverson. "The Answer." He was a 6-foot guard from Georgetown with a crossover that eventually made Michael Jordan look human. But look past AI. The draft order that night was a chaotic mix of surefire college legends and high school gambles that changed how front offices scouted forever.
The Top of the Board: Stars and Slumps
The 76ers didn't overthink it. Taking Iverson was the right call, even if people worried about his size or his off-court reputation back then. He became an MVP. He took a mediocre Philly team to the Finals. He changed the culture of the league.
Then came Marcus Camby to the Raptors at number two. People forget how dominant Camby was at UMass. He was a defensive vacuum. While he never became a scoring machine, he carved out a massive career. Shareef Abdur-Rahim went third to Vancouver. He was a 20-and-10 guy who just happened to play on some really bad teams.
But then the 1996 NBA draft order gets weird. Stephon Marbury went fourth to the Bucks but was immediately traded to the Timberwolves for Ray Allen (who went fifth). Think about that. The Bucks could have had Ray Allen, one of the greatest shooters ever, but they swapped him for "Starbury." It worked out for a while for Minnesota, pairing Marbury with a young Kevin Garnett, but that duo eventually imploded. Ray Allen, meanwhile, won rings in Boston and Miami.
The Mid-First Round Steals
If you look at the 6th through 12th picks, it’s a graveyard of "what ifs" and solid role players. Antoine Walker went sixth to Boston. He was the king of the four-point play (in his mind, anyway) and a key piece of their rebuild.
Then you have guys like Lorenzen Wright (7th), Kerry Kittles (8th), and Samaki Walker (9th). These weren't bad players, but when you see who came after them, you start to see why GMs from that era still wake up in a cold sweat.
- Erick Dampier (Hornets)
- Todd Fuller (Warriors)
- Vitaly Potapenko (Cavaliers)
Wait. Stop. Look at number 13.
The Trade That Changed Everything: Kobe Bryant at 13
The Charlotte Hornets picked Kobe Bryant. He was 17. A kid from Lower Merion High School. Jerry West, the legendary Lakers GM, had seen Kobe workout and basically decided he was the best player in the draft. West traded Vlade Divac to Charlotte to get that 13th pick.
It’s easily the most lopsided trade in the history of the 1996 NBA draft order. Charlotte got a solid center for a few years; the Lakers got five championships and a global icon. It’s wild to think that twelve teams passed on Kobe. Twelve! The Warriors took Todd Fuller. Imagine Kobe in Golden State twenty years before Steph Curry. The league would look completely different.
Kobe wasn't the only late-lottery gem. Steve Nash went 15th to the Phoenix Suns. The fans in Phoenix actually booed the pick. They didn't know who this skinny Canadian kid from Santa Clara was. He ended up winning back-to-back MVPs. The depth here is just stupid. You have the best shooting guard of his generation at 13 and one of the best point guards ever at 15.
The Rest of the First Round: No Days Off
Usually, by the time you get to the 20s in a draft, you’re looking at bench warmers. Not in '96.
Peja Stojakovic went 14th to the Kings. He became one of the purest shooters the league had ever seen. Jermaine O'Neal went 17th to Portland. He was another high schooler who took a few years to cook, but once he got to Indiana, he was a perennial All-Star.
Even the late first round gave us:
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas (20th) - A Cavs legend.
- Derek Fisher (24th) - Five rings with Kobe.
- Jerome Williams (26th) - "The Junk Yard Dog," a fan favorite in Toronto and Detroit.
Basically, if you had a first-round pick in 1996 and didn't end up with a starter, your scouting department was asleep at the wheel.
Why 1996 Beats 1984 and 2003
Basketball nerds love to argue about the best draft class. 1984 had Jordan, Hakeem, Barkley, and Stockton. That’s top-heavy greatness. 2003 had LeBron, Melo, Bosh, and Wade.
But 1996 had the sheer volume of "HOF talent + Cultural Impact."
Think about the styles of play. You had the isolation dominance of Iverson. The perimeter precision of Ray Allen and Peja. The high-post playmaking of Chris Webber (wait, he wasn't '96, but the era felt like him) and the transition genius of Steve Nash. The 1996 NBA draft order essentially bridged the gap between the physical 90s and the "seven seconds or less" era of the 2000s.
It was also the year that proved the "Prep-to-Pro" pipeline was viable. After Kevin Garnett went pro in '95, Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal proved it wasn't a fluke. It opened the floodgates for guys like T-Mac and LeBron later on.
The Mistakes Nobody Talks About
We love to clown the Warriors for Todd Fuller. It's a classic blunder. But what about the Nets taking Kerry Kittles over Kobe? Kittles was actually a very good pro—he averaged 16.4 points as a rookie—but John Calipari (the Nets coach at the time) famously passed on Kobe because of agent maneuvering and a "safer" pick.
👉 See also: Edmonton Oilers Schedule 2024 25: Why It Was a Wild Ride
Then there’s the Cavs taking "The Ukraine Train" Vitaly Potapenko at 12. He was a serviceable big man, but when you realize Nash, Stojakovic, and Kobe were all still on the board, it hurts.
Digging Into the Second Round
Even the second round of the 1996 NBA draft order had some meat on the bone.
Jeff McInnis (37th) had a decade-long career. Malik Rose (44th) became a crucial part of the Spurs' championship culture. Perhaps most impressively, Ben Wallace went completely undrafted in 1996. He’s a Hall of Famer and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. If you include him in the '96 talent pool, the draft becomes even more absurd.
The Numbers That Don't Lie
If you aggregate the accolades from the 1996 class, it’s staggering.
- MVPs: 4 (Iverson, Nash x2, Kobe)
- All-Star Appearances: Over 60 combined.
- Gold Medals: Too many to count.
But it’s the longevity that kills me. Kobe played until 2016. Ray Allen was hitting the biggest shot in NBA history in 2013. Steve Nash was still an elite playmaker well into his late 30s. This wasn't a "flash in the pan" class; these guys were the foundation of the league for two decades.
How to Use This Knowledge Today
If you're a fan of the game or someone looking to understand how modern rosters are built, the 1996 draft offers some serious lessons.
First, don't draft for safety. The teams that took the "safe" college seniors (like Todd Fuller) got burned. The teams that took the high-upside kids (Lakers, Suns) won the decade.
Second, scout the character, not just the stats. Steve Nash didn't have "NBA body" written on him at Santa Clara, but his vision was 1-of-1.
Third, the draft is won in the teens. Everyone knows who the top three picks are. The GMs who find the Kobes and the Nashes at 13 and 15 are the ones who build dynasties.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to really appreciate this era, go back and watch the 1996 Draft broadcast on YouTube. It's a time capsule. You'll see the oversized suits, the high-top fades, and the look on Commissioner David Stern's face as he realizes the league is about to change forever.
- Research the "What Ifs": Look into the trade rumors of that night. Did you know the Celtics almost traded for the first pick to get Iverson?
- Check the Stats: Compare the career Win Shares of the top 10 versus the 11-20 picks. You’ll be surprised how close they are.
- Watch Kobe’s Summer League: See why Jerry West was so obsessed with a teenager from Philly.
The 1996 NBA draft order wasn't just a list of names; it was the blueprint for the NBA we watch today. Without AI’s swagger, Kobe’s work ethic, or Nash’s spacing, the game wouldn't be nearly as fun.