Larry Brown probably still is kicking himself for this one.
The longtime NBA coach was in charge of the Philadelphia 76ers in the late 1990s and early 2000s and enjoyed his fair share of success with the franchise, leading the Sixers to five consecutive playoff berths and an appearance in the 2001 NBA Finals.
Point guard Allen Iverson was the undisputed star of those Philly teams, but he might have had some competition in that department had it not been for a promise Brown made ahead of the 1998 NBA draft.
The Sixers had the opportunity to select Paul Pierce with the eighth overall pick in that draft, but they passed, instead opting for Saint Louis swingman Larry Hughes. Why? Because Brown had promised he would.
“We took Larry Hughes (with the eighth pick) because we thought we had a need,” the coach said Wednesday in an interview with Philadelphia’s 97.5 The Fanatic, via MassLive.com. “But the reason we took Larry is I promised him when we interviewed him — we knew we were getting the eighth pick — I promised him if he was there at (No.) 8 we would take him.”
Hughes went on to have a respectable, 13-year NBA career, but it included stints with eight different teams and just two seasons with the one that drafted him.
Pierce, meanwhile, was snatched up by the Boston Celtics at No. 10 and proceeded to earn 10 All-Star selections and one NBA championship ring. His No. 34 is a lock to hang in the rafters at TD Garden when his career is all said and done, and he more than likely will earn enshrinement in Springfield as well — when he’s done abusing playoff opponents as a 37-year-old, that is.
So, yeah. That might have been a good promise for Brown to break.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
