Michael Jordan might be the greatest to ever play the game of basketball.
LeBron James is the only other player regularly considered against Jordan in the GOAT debate.
But back in 1984, two names were called ahead of Jordan’s in the NBA draft – and one of them in particular got nowhere near matching his illustrious career.
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Akeem Olajuwon was picked first by the Houston Rockets, and he led them to back to back titles in 1994 and 1995 as part of his own historic career. He was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
But the Portland Trail Blazers had the chance to select Jordan with the second pick – and passed on him for center Sam Bowie.
The 7ft1ins Bowie had a strong start to his rookie year, but retired in 1995 and has been labelled as one of the biggest ever NBA draft busts.
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He had suffered from injuries in college, and the Blazers might have made a different decision if they had understood how they still lingered.
But Bowie told ESPN back in 2013 that he lied about the level of pain he was in during a medical exam with the Portland doctors.
Bowie said: “I can still remember them taking a little mallet, and when they would hit me on my left tibia, and ‘I don’t feel anything’ I would tell ‘em. But deep down inside, it was hurting.
“If what I did was lying and what I did was wrong, at the end of the day, when you have loved ones that have some needs, I did what any of us would have done.”
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Bowie has now found success in horse racing, and he continues to enjoy the fact that his stellar college career led to him being drafted before Jordan.
He added: “A lot of memories run through your mind. Kid from Lebanon, Pennsylvania, makes it all the way to a program like the University of Kentucky… I’m 51 years old now and my legs are broke down. I’m very proud, don’t feel like I owe an apology to anyone. The bottom line is: Sam Bowie was drafted before Michael Jordan and you’re gonna have to accept that.”
Topics: NBA, Michael Jordan
Alex Chivers