1996 NBA Draft

The 1996 NBA Draft produced an unusually deep collection of talent. Allen Iverson went first overall, while the class also included Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Peja Stojaković, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas.

Ten players from the draft eventually became NBA All-Stars. Bryant, Allen, Nash and Iverson were later inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, while the class produced multiple NBA MVPs, champions, scoring champions and some of the most accomplished guards of their generation.

Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original draft selection. This preserves important draft-night history such as Charlotte selecting Kobe Bryant, Milwaukee selecting Stephon Marbury and Minnesota selecting Ray Allen.

Allen Iverson: Philadelphia selected Iverson first overall after two seasons at Georgetown. He won the 1996-97 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and later became an 11-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion and the 2000-01 NBA Most Valuable Player.

Ten All-Stars: The 1996 draft produced 10 eventual NBA All-Stars: Allen Iverson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Antoine Walker, Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojaković, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal and Žydrūnas Ilgauskas.

Kobe Bryant: Charlotte selected Bryant 13th overall directly from Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. His draft rights were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for veteran center Vlade Divac. Bryant spent his entire 20-season NBA career with the Lakers and won five NBA championships.

Bryant's career: Bryant became an 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, two-time Finals MVP, two-time scoring champion and the 2007-08 NBA MVP. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Ray Allen and Stephon Marbury: Milwaukee selected Marbury fourth overall and Minnesota selected Allen fifth. The teams then exchanged the two guards, with Minnesota receiving Marbury and Milwaukee receiving Allen along with a future first-round pick.

Steve Nash: Phoenix selected Nash 15th overall out of Santa Clara. Nash eventually became an eight-time All-Star and won consecutive NBA MVP awards in 2004-05 and 2005-06. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Ray Allen: Allen developed into a 10-time All-Star and one of the NBA's premier three-point shooters. He won championships with Boston in 2008 and Miami in 2013 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jermaine O'Neal: Portland selected O'Neal 17th overall directly from Eau Claire High School in South Carolina. After limited playing time early in his career, he developed into a six-time All-Star with the Indiana Pacers.

Peja Stojaković: Sacramento selected Stojaković 14th overall while he was playing professionally with PAOK in Greece. He later became a three-time All-Star, twice won the NBA Three-Point Contest and was a member of Dallas' 2011 championship team.

Marcus Camby: Toronto selected Camby second overall out of Massachusetts. He played 17 NBA seasons and won the 2006-07 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Second-round contributors: Although the stars of the class were concentrated in the first round, the second round produced several longtime NBA players, including Othella Harrington, Jeff McInnis, Malik Rose, Jamie Feick, Mark Pope and Shandon Anderson.

International talent: The first round included Peja Stojaković, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Efthimios Rentzias and Martin Müürsepp. Their selections were part of the NBA's growing investment in international scouting during the 1990s.

Championship impact: Bryant won five championships with the Lakers, Derek Fisher also won five with Los Angeles, Malik Rose won two with San Antonio, Ray Allen won titles with Boston and Miami, Antoine Walker won with Miami, and Stojaković won with Dallas.