Was the 1986 NBA Draft Cursed?

When we think about the NBA draft, it's an exciting time where the future and the possibilities are endless and everyone's hoping for that next superstar to change their team. But the nineteen sixty eight draft is known as being a cursed draft because two players career would be ended by death and three others due to drug use. As this was the time when the NBA was really struggling with cocaine, they had added tougher policies which meant players couldn't just get away with it, and it ended more careers than we could count. Today, we're going to dive into the nineteen eighty six NBA draft and why was it cursed? Let's go Welcome to daily sports history. I'm Ethan Reese, your guy because I don't date during the playoffs. So the nineteen eighty six happened on June seventeenth, and it was a unique draft from the onset. See the number one pick actually won by the Philadelphia seventy six ers, who were actually a pretty good team at the time. They had Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo, Maurice Cheeks, and Doctor J on their team. Even though everyone but Barkley was getting older, still a really good team, they really weren't looking to reboot, and even though they won the lottery and were able to get the number one pick, they didn't want to keep it, and actually they traded it to the La Clippers, who then traded it to the Cleveland Cavaliers. So right away, this number one pick had been moved around and Cleveland needed a fresh star and they drafted Brad Doherty, a player that would really change their franchise that he would be a five time All Star. They also got lucky with the first pick in the second round, drafting Mark Price, and these two players would make them a playoff team for multiple years, be All Stars, and they made a great one two combo, but injuries derailed Brad Doherty's career and they just were never the same and they eventually fell off until they drafted this young kid out of Akron in two thousand and three that you know, I guess changed their team forever. The story really begins why this draft is cursed. With the second pick, Boston and Celtics had gotten this pick. They got it from the Seattle SuperSonics through some trades, and it was crazy. They had the number two pick. They were the NBA champions, won sixty seven games, had a three headed monster in Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish, and great and great role players in Danny Ainge and Bill Walton. There was no reason they should be getting a number one pick, but they were, and it was a chance for them to really get ready for the end of the Bird era and transition to a new team. And in comes Lynn Bias out of Maryland, who was six' eight and looked to be a great replacement For Larry bird when he was ready to hang it. Up he was An All, american THE Acc player of The, year and he was explosive and, athletic and a lot of people compared him To Michael. Jordan but we never really got to see. That he got to see the excitement of being the number two. Pick gotta get his, jersey go visit the, team sign a shoe deal With, reebok and then head home and celebrate with his. Friends and that's where the story. Ends he met up with some friends and a lot of them were partying and doing, cocaine And, lynn who had never done it, before tried it and within hours nine on one was called Because lynn was no longer breathing and unconscious despite all attempts to revive him and restart his, heart not and he passed away just two days after being the number two. Pick the ultimate high and just one drug use killed. Him it's a sad story and it really set The celtics, back so excited to have this new young player who could boost their team and lead them to a new. Era Larry bird even says he would have retired five years earlier If lynn never. Died but you can't stop, that and, sadly cocaine becomes a theme in this. Draft as a number three pick in the nineteen sixty eight, draft The Golden State warriors selected Sinner Chris washburn out Of Golden. State Now chris wasn't squeaky. Clean he had actually been suspended From North Carolina state for stealing stereos and was sentenced to jail for forty six hours and had a five year suspended since and five years of. Probation so he was not squeaky. Clean but he was a big sinner that could, move And Golden state thought they had gotten someone. Special but within his first, Year chris got hooked on cocaine so much showed that he would be doing it every single, day even during, practice during, games and to his, career and within one year he would be checked into rehab and then traded to The klanahawks and would fizzle out after just three years in the league and be in and out of rehab for multiple. Years he only ended up playing seventy two games in over two, seasons averaging three points and two. Rebounds but he wasn't the only one to have this. Tail Roy tarpley was the number seven pick by The Dallas. Mavericks he was a center From michigan who was very raw but was able to become The big ten player of the year and become a double double. Machine but just Like, chris got involved in drugs and he would get arrested for A dwi in resisting arrest and be suspended by the league for substance, abuse and he would be suspended two more, times and at that time there was a three strikes In you're out policy and he was out banned from THE nba. Forever he would go on to play In europe for multiple years and actually become An All star over, there but was really forgotten and never had the chance to reach his total potential because he had some great, skills as he won THE nba Sixth man of The year averaging thirteen points in ellen rebound in nineteen eighty eight and would help the team go to The Western Conference, finals but he just wasn't focused on. Basketball drugs overtook, him and, unfortunately in twenty, fifteen he would die at the age of fifty due deliver, failure and with the number six pick in THE nba, Draft Phoenix sun Selected William, bedford a sinner out Of. Memphis William bedford was actually already hooked on drugs by the time he made it to THE, nba and because of that he was able to navigate the drug policy and get around it a lot of, times so he was never really suspended by THE, nba but they knew what was, happening and they gave him kind of an. Ultimatum you neither entered a drug rehab or take this drug test which he would, fail and face it to your. Suspension he chose the, latter and for then eight eighty nine, season he would be in rehab and missed the entire season to avoid an official, suspension and this would allow him to continue, playing and he would actually win a championship with The Detroit pistons in nineteen ninety and was able to play seven seasons before he would be out of the, league more so due to people not wanting to have him, around and he would go on after this because of his drug issues that everyone knew. About it was everyone in the league, knew they just don't talk about. It and he was arrested for drug possession twice in nineteen ninety six and nineteen ninety, seven and in two thousand and one would be accused of transporting twenty five pounds of marijuana In michigan and would get arrested two more times and be given a ten year prison. Sentence but it seemed that was a wake up call and now he is out of prison and coaching basketball In, memphis back in his. Hometown so may have ruined HIS nba, career but at least he was able to get back on the right. Track, now there was one other cautionary tale before we end on some highlights from the. Street, now this was the one that was not marred by drug use or. Anything but unfortunately his career ended with death when he could have been A hall Of famer for, sure and that Was Drawsen, petrovitch who was selected in the third, round the sixtieth pick by The Portland. Trailblazers we'll talk about them. Again they had an eye for international. Talent drawsen was a great player For croatia and dominated The European Basketball. League but the problem was he didn't come over here for three. Years. Now we've seen this happen a, lot but normally when this, happens we forget about the. Players they're not very good when they come. Over they're just trying to get a paycheck by that. Point usually they're more at the tail end of their. Career but he was. Not he was a, shooter say could have been the best shooter of all time if really given the. Chance but he Joined Portland trailblazers in nineteen eighty, nine but they were a stacked team at. Guard they Had Clyde drexler And Terry porter And Danny young was a great reserve for, them so he was relegated to the, bench averaging just seven points in twelve minutes his first, year and the following year they added even more guard, depth bringing In Danny, ainge so his minutes dropped, again So petrovitch asked for a. Trade he was. Frustrated he's, LIKE i can't show you If i'm good if you don't let me have the. Chance he came from The European league where he was, dominating playing all the, time winning, championships taking his teams beyond what they, thought and it comes here and they just won't play. Him he was a different, style more common to what we have. Today he would dominate in today's, game but they didn't do that back. Then it was about, defense it was about running set plays and the three was not. Important so they traded him and he would go to The New Jersey nets On january twenty, third nineteen ninety, one where he would take. Off he and Rookie Derrek, coleman who was the number one pick that, year made an immediate impact on the team and the team became an instant playoff. Contender he was a scoring. Machine his first full year with The, nets he would average twenty, points three, rebounds and three, assists and he would up that to twenty two points the following. Year but after that season The nets would be. Eliminated brian Brad doherty And Mark price of The Cleveland, cavaliers and he would travel back To croatia to play with his national team and qualify for The Euro Basketball. Tournament but, fortunately he would be involved in a car wreck On june, seventh nineteen ninety, three ending his career forever and leaving us for the great question of what if he just stayed, here or they didn't lose that basketball, game or he was given more chance to play because he just had two dominant seasons and was. Forgotten, now this draft was not just without its. Positives, Yes Brad doherty was pretty good for a number one, pick even though he did have injuries that derailed his. Career but there were some quality role players in the first. Round Chuck, Persons Ron, Harper John sally Del, Curry STEP's dad And Scott styles would be taken with the twenty second, pick and he would end up with the record for the most assists in a single. Game but the last, Pick. No number twenty four pick by The Portland trailblazers was a player that was another what if. Tail it was Ar Vetas. Sabonis you might recognize that. Name his son currently plays in the, League Demotis, sabonis but Ar vedas was. Huge he was seven to, three weighing over three hundred pounds and was a dominant. Force the best comparison to him is The Joker joko of it because he was a passing. Machine he saw the game better than, anybody and he could play against. Anybody the problem was he played in The Soviet. Union he dominated in The Soviet, union winning gold in the eighty Eight, olympics would win multiple medals throughout his, career but The soviet did not play nights With, america so it wasn't until and he was drafted the year, before but they didn't want to go through with, it and so he was up to be drafted again and they were able to hold on to their rights nineteen ninety five when he'd finally sign a contract and head over To, portland where he was a. Force he was, huge able to compete with The, sinners even at his old age at the, time average fourteen points in eight rebounds his first year and was a presence download for the team for multiple. Years but was a what if story because what if he was here during his? Prime stories about what he was like playing with The Soviet union are legendary and it's a what if tale of what could have been if he was over here. Before just a few picks after him was a young kid who was playing in a tiny school out of southern Eastern oklahoma, state and that Was Dennis, rodman who was drafted by The Detroit. Pistons would help The Bad Boy pistons win a championship before moving on to play With Michael jordan and win multiple championships with him And Scottie pippen was a rebounding. Machine and there was other all stars in this. Draft Kevin duckworth And Jeff hornsteck would be drafted in the second. Round there was a lot of what if stories from this, draft and, unfortunately as exciting as the draft can be for the, future the, future it's not always. Bright sometimes there's some sadness in the, future and that eighty six draft shows it as it's the ultimate and the question what if for all these. PLAYERS i want to thank you for listening To Today's Daily Sports. History if you like, this please make sure you'd like to subscribe wherever you're. Listening that way you don't miss a single episode and come back when we'll see you on the next. One