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7 Times the Golden State Warriors missed on a superstar in the NBA Draft

By Tony Pesta

LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1984: Head coach K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics looks on with Larry Bird #33 against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1984 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Jones coached the Celtics from 1983-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1984: Head coach K.C. Jones of the Boston Celtics looks on with Larry Bird #33 against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1984 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Jones coached the Celtics from 1983-88. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo by HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. Clyde Drexler

The 1983 NBA Draft was basically the Ralph Sampson Sweepstakes. Every team in the league wanted a chance at selecting the towering big man who would go on to have a Hall of Fame NBA career.

Finishing 30-52 the year before, the Golden State Warriors had a decent chance of landing the top pick. Instead, they fell to sixth in the order, where they still could have secured a future superstar. Talented players such as Doc Rivers, John Paxson, Dale Ellis still remained on the board but no one would go on to have a better career than Clyde Drexler.

Who did the Warriors end up with? A guy by the name of Russell Cross. Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of him, he only played one season in the NBA and averaged a lackluster 3.5 points per game.

As for Drexler, he went on to rival Michael Jordan in the early years of his career and became a 10-time All-Star and eventual NBA champion with the Houston Rockets. This is one pick the Warriors definitely wish they could have back.

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