2002 NBA draft

Basketball player selection June 2026 August 2023 2002 NBA draft 2002 NBA draft logo.webp Basketball June 26, 2002 The Theater at Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) TNT NBA 57 2 Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) 2 C Yao Ming PF Amar'e Stoudemire 2001 2003 The 2002 NBA draft was held on June 17 2002, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting 57 amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from non-North American leagues.NBA.com: 2023 Draft Handbook This was the last draft that was broadcast on TNT, as ESPN obtained the rights for the 2003 draft via its incoming deal (which it retains to this day). The NBA announced that about 42 college and high school players, and five international players, had filed as early-entry candidates for the draft.NBA.com. Twenty-Four Early Entry Candidates Withdraw from Draft 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2025. The Chicago Bulls and the Golden State Warriors each had a 22.5% chance of acquiring the first pick, but the Houston Rockets, with just an 8.9% probability, won the NBA draft lottery on May 19.NBA.com. Ties Broken for NBA Draft Order of Selection. April 24, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2025.http://www.nba.com/news/lottery_030522.html Cavaliers Win NBA Draft Lottery 2024 2024-04-20 NBA.com https://web.archive.org/web/20241226031904/http://www.nba.com/news/lottery_030522.html December 26, 2024 dead The Bulls and Warriors were second and third, respectively. As punishment for salary-cap violations during the 2001-02 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves forfeited their first-round draft pick. The 2002 draft set a record of 17 international selections, with six of them coming in the first round.Lago, Joe. Draft record set with 17 foreign-born picks. June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023. Two months after the conclusion of his rookie season, number-two pick Jay Williams nearly lost his life in a motorcycle crash that shattered his pelvis, severed a main nerve in his leg and tore three ligaments in his left knee, including his ACL. Despite intense rehabilitation, Williams never played a game in the NBA again. When it became clear Williams could not return to the Bulls because of his injuries, the team waived him. The Bulls could have voided Williams' contract because it prohibited riding a motorcycle. However, the franchise bought out his contract for $3 million in 2004 instead of having him walk away with nothing.Nance, Roscoe. Bulls, Jay Williams agree to contract buyout. February 2, 2004. Retrieved January 21, 2015. The draft class was relatively weak outside of the top prospects. Several players selected early had promising careers that ended prematurely due to injury, including Yao Ming, Williams and Dajuan Wagner. Nevertheless, Yao was named a Hall of Famer—a selection predicated as much on his role in popularizing basketball in China as it was for his on-court play. Three players selected in this draft - including Yao, second-round pick Carlos Boozer and Rookie of the Year Amar'e Stoudemire - would be named to the All-NBA Team during their careers. Caron Butler was the only other player to become an All-Star. First-round pick Tayshaun Prince was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Team four times. As of the end of the 2022–23 NBA season, Udonis Haslem was the last remaining active draft-eligible player from the 2002 class, though he went undrafted (he made his NBA debut the following season). He stopped playing after the 2022–23 season. Nine of the players selected in this draft never played in an NBA game throughout their professional basketball careers. Three of those players were the sole selection of the draft from their respective teams: Peter Fehse (Seattle's only pick), Marcus Taylor (Minnesota's only pick) and Mladen Šekularac (Dallas' only pick). Draft selections thumb|upright|Yao Ming was selected 1st overall by the Houston Rockets. thumb|upright|Nenê was selected 7th overall by the New York Knicks (traded to the Denver Nuggets.) right|thumb|upright|Amar'e Stoudemire was selected 9th overall by the Phoenix Suns. right|thumb|upright|Caron Butler was selected 10th overall by the Miami Heat. right|thumb|upright|Tayshaun Prince was selected 23rd overall by the Detroit Pistons. right|thumb|upright|Carlos Boozer was selected 35th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. right|thumb|upright|Luis Scola was selected 56th overall by the San Antonio Spurs (traded to the Houston Rockets.) PG Point guard SG Shooting guard SF Small forward PF Power forward C Center y y y y y Round Pick Player Position Nationalityn Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules. Team School or club team 1 1 Yao Ming^* C China Houston Rockets Shanghai Sharks (China) 1 2 Jay Williams Jay Williams (basketball) PG Chicago Bulls Duke (Jr.) 1 3 Mike Dunleavy Jr. SF/SG United States Golden State Warriors Duke (Jr.) 1 4 Drew Gooden basketball PF/C United States Memphis Grizzlies Kansas (Jr.) 1 5 Nikoloz Tskitishvili PF/C Georgia (country) Georgia 1990 Denver Nuggets Benetton Treviso (Italy) 1 6 Dajuan Wagner PG United States Cleveland Cavaliers Memphis (Fr.) 1 7 Nenê Hilario Nenê C/PF Brazil New York Knicks (traded to Denver)The Knicks traded #7 pick along with Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson to the Nuggets for Antonio McDyess, #25 pick and a 2003 second-round pick. Vasco da Gama (Brazil) 1 8 Chris Wilcox PF/C United States Los Angeles Clippers (from Atlanta) Maryland (So.) 1 9 Amar'e Stoudemire^~ PF/C United States Phoenix Suns Cypress Creek HS (Orlando, Florida) 1 10 Caron Butler+ SF United States Miami Heat Connecticut (So.) 1 11 Jared Jeffries PF/C United States Washington Wizards Indiana (So.) 1 12 Melvin Ely C/PF United States Los Angeles Clippers Fresno State (Sr.) 1 13 Marcus Haislip PF United States Milwaukee Bucks Tennessee (Jr.) 1 14 Fred Jones Fred Jones (basketball) SG United States Indiana Pacers Oregon (Sr.) 1 15 Boštjan Nachbar SF/PF Houston Rockets (from Toronto) Benetton Treviso (Italy) 1 16 Jiří Welsch SG/SF Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Golden State) Union Olimpija (Slovenia and Adriatic League) 1 17 Juan Dixon PG United States Washington Wizards (from New Orleans) Maryland (Sr.) 1 18 Curtis Borchardt C United States Orlando Magic (traded to Utah) Stanford (Jr.) 1 19 Ryan Humphrey PF United States Utah Jazz (traded to Orlando) Notre Dame (Sr.) 1 20 Kareem Rush SG United States Toronto Raptors (from Seattle via New York, traded to Los Angeles Lakers) Missouri (Jr.) 1 21 Qyntel Woods SF United States Portland Trail Blazers Northeast Mississippi CC (So.) 1 22 Casey Jacobsen SG United States Phoenix Suns (from Boston) Stanford (Jr.) 1 23 Tayshaun Prince SF United States Detroit Pistons Kentucky (Sr.) 1 24 Nenad Krstić C/PF New Jersey Nets Partizan Belgrade (Sinalco Superleague and Adriatic League) 1 25 Frank Williams Frank Williams (basketball) PG United States Denver Nuggets (from Dallas, traded to New York) Illinois (Jr.) 1 26 John Salmons SF/SG United States San Antonio Spurs (traded to Philadelphia) Miami (Sr.) 1 27 Chris Jefferies SF United States Los Angeles Lakers (traded to Toronto) Fresno State (Jr.) 1 28 Dan Dickau PG United States Sacramento Kings (traded to Atlanta) Gonzaga (Sr.) 1 29 Forfeited pick Minnesota Timberwolves (forfeited their first-round pick due to salary cap violations)NBA Restores Timberwolves' 2005 Draft Pick http://www.nba.com/news/twolves_draft_pick_011228.html NBA.com January 28, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120901224939/http://www.nba.com/news/twolves_draft_pick_011228.html September 1, 2012 dead 2 30Steve Logan basketball# PG United States Golden State Warriors Cincinnati (Sr.) 2 31 Roger Mason Jr. SG United States Chicago Bulls Virginia (Jr.) 2 32 Robert Archibald PF Memphis Grizzlies Illinois (Sr.) 2 33 Vincent Yarbrough SF United States Denver Nuggets Tennessee (Sr.) 2 34 Dan Gadzuric CNetherlands Milwaukee Bucks (from Houston) UCLA (Sr.) 2 35 Carlos Boozer* PF United States Cleveland Cavaliers Duke (Jr.) 2 36 Miloš Vujanić# PG FR Yugoslavia FR Yugoslavia New York Knicks Partizan Belgrade (Sinalco Superleague and Adriatic League) 2 37 David Andersen C Australia Atlanta Hawks Virtus Bologna (Italy) 2 38 Tito Maddox PG United States Houston Rockets (from Miami) Fresno State (So.) 2 39Rod Grizzard# SG United States Washington Wizards (from Phoenix via Denver) Alabama (Jr.) 2 40 Juan Carlos Navarro Juan Carlos Navarro (basketball) PG Spain Washington Wizards FC Barcelona (Spain) 2 41 Mario Kasun C Los Angeles Clippers Opel Skyliners (Germany) 2 42 Ronald Murray SG United States Milwaukee Bucks Shaw (Sr.) 2 43 Jason Jennings Jason Jennings (basketball player)# C United States Portland Trail Blazers (from Toronto via Chicago) Arkansas State (Sr.) 2 44 Lonny Baxter PF United States Chicago Bulls (from Indiana) Maryland (Sr.) 2 45Sam Clancy Sam Clancy Jr.# PF United States Philadelphia 76ers USC (Sr.) 2 46 Matt Barnes SF United States Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando) UCLA (Sr.) 2 47 Jamal Sampson C United States Utah Jazz (traded to Orlando) California (Fr.) 2 48 Chris Owens Chris Owens (basketball player) PF United States Milwaukee Bucks (from New Orleans, traded to Memphis) Texas (Sr.) 2 49Peter Fehse# PF Germany Seattle SuperSonics Halle (Germany) 2 50 Darius Songaila PF LTU 1988 Boston Celtics Wake Forest (Sr.) 2 51 Federico Kammerichs# SF Portland Trail Blazers Ourense (Spain) 2 52 Marcus Taylor# PG United States Minnesota Timberwolves Michigan State (So.) 2 53 Rasual Butler SF United States Miami Heat (from Detroit via Toronto and Houston) La Salle (Sr.) 2 54 Tamar Slay SG United States New Jersey Nets Marshall (Sr.) 2 55 Mladen Šekularac# SG FR Yugoslavia FR Yugoslavia Dallas Mavericks FMP Železnik (Sinalco Superleague and Adriatic League) 2 56 Luis Scola PF San Antonio Spurs (from L.A. Lakers) TAU Cerámica (Spain) 2 57 Randy Holcomb PF United StatesLibya 1977 San Antonio Spurs (traded to Philadelphia) San Diego State (Sr.) 2 58 Corsley Edwards PF United States Sacramento Kings Central Connecticut (Sr.) n Notable undrafted players List of undrafted NBA players These eligible players were not selected in this draft but played at least one game in the NBA. Player Position Nationality School or club teamMaurice BakerPGOklahoma State (Sr.)J. R. BremerPGUnited StatesSt. Bonaventure (Sr.)Devin BrownSGUnited StatesUTSA (Sr.)Josh Davis Josh Davis (basketball, born 1980)PF/SFUnited StatesWyoming (Sr.)Reggie EvansPFUnited StatesIowa (Sr.)Alex Garcia basketballSG/SFCOC Ribeirão Preto (Brazil)Lynn GreerPG/SGUnited StatesTemple (Sr.)Anthony GrundyPG/SGUnited StatesNC State (Sr.)Adam Harrington Adam Harrington (basketball)PG/SGUnited StatesAuburn (Sr.)Lorinza HarringtonPG/SGUnited StatesWingate (Sr.)Udonis HaslemPFUnited StatesFlorida (Sr.)Linton JohnsonSFUnited StatesTulane (Sr.)Arvydas MacijauskasSGLTU 1988Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)D.J. MbengaCCOD DR Congo 1997Leuven Bears (Belgium)Keith McLeodPGUnited StatesBowling Green (Sr.)Jannero PargoPGUnited StatesArkansas (Sr.)Smush ParkerPG/SGUnited StatesFordham (So.)Predrag SavovićSGHawaii (Sr.)Awvee StoreyPF/SFUnited StatesArizona State (Sr.)Yuta TabusePGBYU–Hawaii (Fr.) Early entrants College underclassmen This year would mark a bit of a step down in terms of the number of underclassmen entering the NBA draft when compared to last year. While it would be the second time the number of underclassmen would exceed the number of draft picks available in the NBA, this year only saw a total of 72 underclassmen from college and overseas declare their initial entry into the NBA draft. However, it would exceed the amount of withdrawn players with 24 players doing exactly that, leaving a total of 48 eligible underclassmen available for the draft this year. The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.2002 Underclassmen https://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3049:2002-underclassmen&catid=136&Itemid=384 The Draft Review August 4, 2007 December 23, 2022 USA Lee Benson – F, Brown Mackie (freshman) USA Rodney Bias – F, Alabama (sophomore) USA Cordell Billups – G, Pierce (Washington) (sophomore) USA Carlos Boozer – F, Duke (junior) USA Curtis Borchardt – C, Stanford (junior) USA Caron Butler – F, Connecticut (sophomore) USA Mike Dunleavy Jr. – F, Duke (junior) USA Drew Gooden – F, Kansas (junior) USA Rod Grizzard – G, Alabama (junior) USA Marcus Haislip – F, Tennessee (junior) USA Rashid Hardwick – C, Eastern Oklahoma State (freshman) USA Adam Harrington – G, Auburn (junior) USA Casey Jacobsen – G, Stanford (junior) USA Chris Jefferies – F, Fresno State (junior) USA Jared Jeffries – F, Indiana (sophomore) NGR Muhammed Lasege – C, Louisville (sophomore) USA Tito Maddox – G, Fresno State (sophomore) USA Kei Madison – F, Okaloosa-Walton (sophomore) USA Roger Mason Jr. – G, Virginia (junior) USA Smush Parker – G, Fordham (sophomore) USA Travis Robinson – F, Jacksonville (junior) USA Kareem Rush – G, Missouri (junior) USA Jamal Sampson – F/C, California (freshman) USA Jerry Sanders – F, Northern Illinois (sophomore) USA Eddie Shelby – G, Dixie State (sophomore) USA Bobby Smith – G, Robert Morris (junior) USA Melvin Steward – G, Eastern New Mexico (junior) USA Marcus Taylor – G, Michigan State (sophomore) USA Terrell Taylor – G, Creighton (junior) USA Dajuan Wagner – G, Memphis (freshman) USA Adrian Walton – G, Fordham (freshman) USA Joseph Ward – F, Fort Hays State (junior) USA Omar Weaver – F/G, Riverside CC (freshman) USA Chris Wilcox – F, Maryland (sophomore) USA Troy Wiley – F, Rhode Island (junior) USA Frank Williams – G, Illinois (junior) USA George Williams – F, Houston (junior) USA Jay Williams – G, Duke (junior) USA Qyntel Woods – G/F, Northeast Mississippi CC (sophomore) High school players This would be the eighth straight year in a row where at least one high school player would declare their entry into the NBA draft directly out of high school after previously only allowing it one time back in 1975. It would also mark the first time a player directly out of high school would win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award with Amar'e Stoudemire earning the honor one year before LeBron James would enter the NBA. The following high school players successfully applied for early draft entrance. USA DeAngelo Collins – F, Inglewood High School (Inglewood, California) USA Lenny Cooke – G, Mott Adult High School (Flint, Michigan) LIT Giedrius Rinkevicius – C, Bridgton Academy (Bridgton, Maine) USA Amar'e Stoudemire – F, Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida) International players The following international players successfully applied for early draft entrance. GER Peter Fehse – F, Halle (Germany) BRA Nenê Hilario – F, Vasco de Gama (Brazil) FRY Nenad Krstic – Partizan (FR Yugoslavia) FRY Mladen Šekularac – F, FMP (FR Yugoslavia) GEO 1990 Nikoloz Tskitishvili – F, Benetton Treviso (Italy) Invited attendees The 2002 NBA draft is considered to be the 24th NBA draft to have utilized what is properly considered the "green room" experience for NBA prospects. The NBA's green room is a staging area where anticipated draftees often sit with their families and representatives, waiting for their names to be called on draft night. Often being positioned either in front of or to the side of the podium (in this case, being positioned somewhere within The Theater at Madison Square Garden2002 Green Room Invites - the Draft Review May 15, 2026 https://www.thedraftreview.com/historical-draft-events/green-room/2002-green-room-invites ), once a player heard his name, he would walk to the podium to shake hands and take promotional photos with the NBA commissioner. From there, the players often conducted interviews with various media outlets while backstage. From there, the players often conducted interviews with various media outlets while backstage. However, once the NBA draft started to air nationally on TV starting with the 1980 NBA draft, the green room evolved from players waiting to hear their name called and then shaking hands with these select players who were often called to the hotel to take promotional pictures with the NBA commissioner a day or two after the draft concluded to having players in real-time waiting to hear their names called up and then shaking hands with David Stern, the NBA's commissioner at the time.Maurer Matthew 2024-02-18 Draft Broadcasts - The Draft Review https://www.thedraftreview.com/sundry/sundry-articles/draft-broadcasts 2026-05-15 The Draft Review en-us The NBA compiled its list of green room invites through collective voting by the NBA's team presidents and general managers alike, which in this year's case belonged to only what they believed were the top 16 prospects at the time.Green Room - The Draft Review https://www.thedraftreview.com/historical-draft-events/green-room 2026-05-15 The Draft Review en-us Despite the higher amount of invites for this year's draft when compared to the previous two drafts, there would still be a couple of discrepancies involved with the invitations at hand, such as a missing invitation to Chinese Hall of Fame center Yao Ming from the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanghai Sharks (which would make him the first #1 pick to not be invited to the "green room" properly since David Robinson from the U.S. Navy back in 1987) and arguably a missing invitation for future NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, who was taken in the second round of this year's draft. With that in mind, the following players were invited to attend this year's draft festivities live and in person. USA Curtis Borchardt – C, Stanford USA Caron Butler – SF, Connecticut USA Mike Dunleavy Jr. – SG/SF, Duke USA Melvin Ely – PF/C, Fresno State USA Drew Gooden – PF/C, Kansas USA Marcus Haislip – PF, Tennessee BRA Maybyner "Nenê" Hilario – PF/C, Vasco de Gama (Brazil) USA Casey Jacobsen – SG/SF, Stanford USA Jared Jeffries – PF/C, Indiana USA Kareem Rush – SG, Missouri USA Amar'e Stoudemire – PF/C, Cypress Creek High School (Orlando, Florida) GEO 1990 Nikoloz Tskitishvili – PF/C, Benetton Treviso (Italy) USA Dajuan Wagner – PG/SG, Memphis USA Chris Wilcox – PF/C, Maryland USA Jay Williams – PG, Duke USA Qyntel Woods – SF, Northeast Mississippi Community College See also List of first overall NBA draft picks References Sports Draft Category:NBA draft NBA draft NBA draft Category:2000s in Manhattan Category:Basketball in New York City Category:Sporting events in New York City Category:Sports in Manhattan