1996 NBA Draft: The Greatest Class In League History
A full breakdown of every notable pick from the 1996 NBA Draft — the class that gave the league Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Ray Allen in a single night.
The 1996 NBA Draft took place on June 26, 1996, at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On paper, it was just another night of handshakes and hats. In hindsight, it's the single deepest draft class in NBA history — a group that went on to produce multiple MVPs, dozens of All-Star selections, and a combined haul of championship rings that few draft classes will ever match.
A championship-caliber class — the 1996 draft produced more Hall of Famers than any other single night in NBA history.
What makes the 1996 NBA Draft so legendary isn't just the star power at the top of the board — it's how deep the talent ran. Future Hall of Famers were still on the board well into the teens, and one of the greatest trades in league history happened on the clock, right in the middle of the first round.
Two future MVPs, Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, were both taken outside the top 10 — proof that draft position rarely tells the whole story.
1996 NBA Draft First Round: Every Pick
| PICK | TEAM | PLAYER | COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson | Georgetown |
| 2 | Toronto Raptors | Marcus Camby | UMass |
| 3 | Vancouver Grizzlies | Shareef Abdur-Rahim | California |
| 4 | Milwaukee Bucks* | Stephon Marbury | Georgia Tech |
| 5 | Minnesota Timberwolves* | Ray Allen | Connecticut |
| 6 | Boston Celtics | Antoine Walker | Kentucky |
| 7 | Los Angeles Clippers | Lorenzen Wright | Memphis |
| 8 | New Jersey Nets | Kerry Kittles | Villanova |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | Samaki Walker | Louisville |
| 10 | Indiana Pacers | Erick Dampier | Mississippi State |
| 13 | Charlotte Hornets* | Kobe Bryant | Lower Merion HS |
| 14 | Sacramento Kings | Peja Stojakovic | KK Zeljezara Sisak (Cro) |
| 15 | Phoenix Suns | Steve Nash | Santa Clara |
| 17 | Portland Trail Blazers | Jermaine O'Neal | Eau Claire HS |
| 20 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Zydrunas Ilgauskas | Zalgiris Kaunas (Lit) |
*Denotes a draft-night trade — see below.
The Marbury-for-Allen Draft Night Swap
One of the defining moments of the night happened before either player had even put on a jersey. The Milwaukee Bucks used the 4th pick on Stephon Marbury, while the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Ray Allen with the very next pick. Minutes later, the two teams swapped draft rights — sending Marbury to Minnesota to reunite with his Georgia Tech running mate Kevin Garnett, and sending Allen to Milwaukee. Both players went on to have Hall of Fame-caliber careers, making it one of the rare draft-night trades where both sides won.
The Kobe Bryant Trade That Changed the League
No story from the 1996 NBA Draft looms larger than what happened with the 13th pick. The Charlotte Hornets selected an 17-year-old high schooler out of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania named Kobe Bryant. Charlotte never intended to keep him — the pick was part of a pre-arranged deal sending Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for veteran center Vlade Divac. Bryant would go on to spend his entire 20-year career in Los Angeles, winning five NBA championships and becoming one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
Why The 1996 Draft Class Is Considered The Best Ever
Ranking draft classes is always debatable, but the 1996 group has a resume most other classes simply can't match:
- Allen Iverson — NBA MVP (2001), 4x scoring champion, 11x All-Star
- Kobe Bryant — NBA MVP (2008), 5x champion, 18x All-Star, top-5 all-time scorer
- Steve Nash — 2x NBA MVP (2005, 2006), 8x All-Star
- Ray Allen — 2x champion, 10x All-Star, one of the greatest shooters ever
- Peja Stojakovic — NBA champion, 3x All-Star, 2x three-point contest winner
- Jermaine O'Neal — 6x All-Star
- Zydrunas Ilgauskas — 2x All-Star, longtime Cavaliers franchise center
Two MVPs from Steve Nash, an MVP from Iverson, an MVP from Kobe, multiple championships, and a combined dozens of All-Star nods — very few draft classes in NBA history can claim that level of star power up and down the board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was picked first in the 1996 NBA Draft?
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Allen Iverson out of Georgetown with the first overall pick.
Why is the 1996 NBA Draft considered the best in NBA history?
It produced more all-time great players and Hall of Famers than any other single draft class, including Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, and Peja Stojakovic.
Where was Kobe Bryant drafted in 1996?
13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, who immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac.
Who traded picks on draft night in 1996?
Milwaukee (Marbury, pick 4) and Minnesota (Allen, pick 5) swapped draft rights, and Charlotte traded Kobe Bryant (pick 13) to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.
