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Did you know that a Fayetteville-born basketball player was picked ahead of Kobe Bryant in the 1996 NBA Draft?
Todd Fuller, the son of Doug and Sherry, was born in Cumberland County in 1974. Twenty-two years later, he would be selected No. 11 overall in the loaded 1996 NBA Draft, ahead of future greats Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic and Steve Nash.
The Golden State Warriors, in need of a productive low-post player, picked Fuller after he led the ACC in scoring (20.9 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (9.9 rpg), behind Wake Forest's Tim Duncan as a senior.
That draft was packed full of talent, with Allen Iverson going No. 1 overall to Philadelphia. Charlotte notoriously fumbled the 13th pick, choosing Bryant and then trading him to the LA Lakers for Vlade Divac in a prearranged deal.
That 1996 draft class, considered one of the all-time greatest, produced five Naismith Hall of Famers, three NBA MVPs and 11 NBA champions.
Fuller's NBA career would last five seasons. He was traded to Utah in 1999 after 132 games with the Warriors and would spend time on the rosters of Charlotte and Miami before going overseas to continue pro play until 2007.
While Fuller was born in Fayetteville, he played high school basketball at Charlotte Independence before transferring to Charlotte Christian for his senior season, where he would play for former NBA and UNC star Bobby Jones. The 76ers great would craft Fuller's skillset and put him on the path to the ACC.
With a reputation for hard work on and off the court, Fuller was an Academic All-American as well as an All-ACC center, a Rhodes Scholarship candidate who chose to focus on basketball.
Fuller was recruited to NC State by coach Les Robinson and the 6-foot-10 post would go on to earn three All-ACC honors, part of a squad that upset then-No. 1 UNC at Reynolds Coliseum as he led the team in scoring for three seasons.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 1996 nba draft todd fuller picked before kobe bryant
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Todd Fuller, the son of Doug and Sherry, was born in Cumberland County in 1974. Twenty-two years later, he would be selected No. 11 overall in the loaded 1996 NBA Draft, ahead of future greats Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic and Steve Nash.
The Golden State Warriors, in need of a productive low-post player, picked Fuller after he led the ACC in scoring (20.9 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (9.9 rpg), behind Wake Forest's Tim Duncan as a senior.
That draft was packed full of talent, with Allen Iverson going No. 1 overall to Philadelphia. Charlotte notoriously fumbled the 13th pick, choosing Bryant and then trading him to the LA Lakers for Vlade Divac in a prearranged deal.
That 1996 draft class, considered one of the all-time greatest, produced five Naismith Hall of Famers, three NBA MVPs and 11 NBA champions.
Fuller's NBA career would last five seasons. He was traded to Utah in 1999 after 132 games with the Warriors and would spend time on the rosters of Charlotte and Miami before going overseas to continue pro play until 2007.
While Fuller was born in Fayetteville, he played high school basketball at Charlotte Independence before transferring to Charlotte Christian for his senior season, where he would play for former NBA and UNC star Bobby Jones. The 76ers great would craft Fuller's skillset and put him on the path to the ACC.
With a reputation for hard work on and off the court, Fuller was an Academic All-American as well as an All-ACC center, a Rhodes Scholarship candidate who chose to focus on basketball.
Fuller was recruited to NC State by coach Les Robinson and the 6-foot-10 post would go on to earn three All-ACC honors, part of a squad that upset then-No. 1 UNC at Reynolds Coliseum as he led the team in scoring for three seasons.
1996 NBA Draft first-round picks in order
- Allen Iverson (Georgetown), Philadelphia 76ers
- Marcus Camby (UMass), Toronto Raptors
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim (Cal), Vancouver Grizzlies
- Stephon Marbury (Georgia Tech), Milwaukee Bucks (traded to Minnesota)
- Ray Allen (UConn), Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to Milwaukee)
- Antoine Walker (Kentucky), Boston Celtics
- Lorenzen Wright (Memphis), LA Clippers
- Kerry Kittles (Villanova), New Jersey Nets
- Samaki Walker (Louisville), Dallas Mavericks
- Erick Dampier (Mississippi State), Indiana Pacers
- Todd Fuller (NC State), Golden State Warriors
- Vitaly Potapenko (Wright State), Cleveland Cavaliers
- Kobe Bryant (Lower Merion HS), Charlotte Hornets (traded to LA Lakers)
- Peja Stojakovic (Greece), Sacramento Kings
- Steve Nash (Santa Clara), Phoenix Suns
- Tony Delk (Kentucky), Charlotte Hornets
- Jermaine O'Neal (Eau Claire HS), Portland Trail Blazers
- John Wallace (Syracuse), NY Knicks
- Walter McCarty (Kentucky), NY Knicks
- Zydrunas Ilguaskas (Lithuania), Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dontae Jones (Mississippi State), NY Knicks
- Roy Rogers (Alabama), Vancouver Grizzlies
- Efthimios Rentzias (Greece), Denver Nuggets
- Derek Fisher (Arkansas-Little Rock), LA Lakers
- Martin Muursepp (Estonia), Utah Jazz (traded to Miami)
- Jerome Williams (Georgetown), Detroit Pistons
- Brian Evans (Indiana), Orlando Magic
- Priest Lauderdale (Greece), Atlanta Hawks
- Travis Knight (UConn), Chicago Bulls
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 1996 nba draft todd fuller picked before kobe bryant
Continue reading...
