Denying LeBron James-Led Draft, Pacers Legend Claims His 1996 Class With Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson Was Best

The NBA has had some amazing draft classes in the league’s long history. The draft class of 1984 went on to be legacy-defining for the NBA, with Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Charles Barkley as notable picks. The 2003 draft class turned out to be just as important to the modern game, with LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade all going top 5. But, according to former Pacer Jermaine O’Neal, his own class of 1996 is pretty easily the greatest draft class in NBA history.

The six-time All-Star was a guest on the Out The Mud podcast, where he and host Zach Randolph looked back at the draft class of 2003. Looking at the sheer talent that went in the top 5, it’d be hard to argue that there were many classes better than that one. In fact, Z-Bo even argue that it could be seen as the greatest ever. “Some say that’s the best class ever,” stated Randolph.

This is where O’Neal objected. “I think my draft class is the best draft class from top to bottom,” claimed O’Neal, who came into the league in 1996 when he was only 18. He then went on to remind listeners who joined him in that marquee year for the league.

“We had (Stephon) Marbury, Antoine Walker, Kobe, Ray Allen, Stojaković, Steve Nash, AI, Camby,” revealed O’Neal. “It was deep, bro.” 

It’s hard to argue with Jermaine. Kobe, Nash, and Iverson alone match the LBJ draft class, but the smaller role players and additional NBA stars seem unmatched. Ray Allen is easily a top role 3-point shooter of all time. Big Ben Wallace was also in 1996, whom O’Neal remembers very well from the Malice at the Palace incident.

This also doesn’t include the full list. Also in that year was Shareef Abdur-Rahim, a one-time All-Star who is the current president of the NBA G-League.

While LeBron’s class certainly attained more accolades and Hall of Fame recognition, it’s hard to deny the level of ballers 1996 had. That said, 1984 still feels like the best year in the league’s history, simply because Jordan’s fame saved the NBA from a very sticky situation financially.

The reality is that there is no right answer to this question. Every era and player will remember their own time fondly, and will make arguments for their own class, but such a subjective question cannot have one clearly defined answer.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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