Imagine this. You're NBA draft eligible as a graduating senior or you've declared for early entry. In years past, through the long practices, backyard shooting and playground battles, you kept on dreaming big in anticipation of the big day. Now it's finally here, draft night, and you’re riding an emotional roller coaster. One by one the draftees are announced, but you’re still anxiously waiting in the ranks for your name to be called. Then comes the doubled-edged sword. You're in with the final pick, the "Last Man Standing".
Information on the early years of the NBA Draft is quite limited. We pretty much know the basics - which players were picked. But it’s unclear, specifically in years 1952-1956, what order each player was selected. Throughout the draft’s 50+ years (of known order of selection) there have only been six final picks that ever had the opportunity to actually play in a NBA game.
One of the earliest known Last Men was Roland West, drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the twentieth round (162nd overall) of the 1967 NBA draft. He had quite the reputation as University of Cincinnati's top defensive player. West had a quiet but effective career, earning All Conference in the Missouri Valley. He then went on to a short, four game stint with the NBA during his one and only season with the Bullets. West is President and CEO of Roland D. West & Associates, a management consulting firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio.In the early 1980's neither of these next men went on to actually play in the NBA, but to deny them a place on this list of Last Man Standing would dishonor their memory and courage.
Landon Turner was who most on the Indiana Hoosiers team (‘79-’81) would call Coach Knight's whipping boy. Bobby Knight constantly tested not only this thriving athlete's toughness, but also at times, his very manhood. Turner's athleticism and
incredible development as one of college’s premier basketball powerhouses all but sealed his probable first round destiny. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. After the 1981 championship game, as Turner drove down a stretch of road in Indiana, his car veered off the shoulder. Turner quickly whipped the steering wheel back, but was too late. The car flipped violently, crushing Turner’s spinal cord. As a result, he was dealt with permanent paralysis that has bound him to his wheelchair for the rest of his life. Knight, ever so the solider, aided Turner by organizing exhibition games to raise money for the Landon Turner Trust Fund. Along with various alumni, including NBA great Isaiah Thomas, $490,000 was raised to aid Turner’s dependent lifestyle. But Knight's support didn't end there. Through his efforts, he arranged for Boston Celtic's Red Auerbach to take Landon Turner with the last draft pick. Although Turner remains paralyzed his spirit does not.
Dan Trant may not have been as polished a ballplayer, but none has truly paid the price as an American. On September 11, 2001, Trant's company, Cantor Fitzgerald, located on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center Tower 1, was struck by one of the two terrorist-hijacked airliners. Trant left a basketball legacy as two time All American Division III and Clark's third all time leading scorer, acclaimed by many to be one of the finest schoolboy legends in the New England area. The game never left him, as he coached youth ball during his last ten years while living in Long Island. His wife and their three children survive Trant.
For a twenty-three year stretch, no Last Man Standing had contributed anything to a NBA team other than having his name listed as a draftee. In 1990, Sean Higgins changed that in a big way. While in high school, Higgins was all everything - McDonald's All American, Parade Magazine Nominee, and Streets & Smith's Top 20, but despite all the positive hype, Higgins also had drama. He originally signed a Letter of Intent with UCLA, but later, in a story that some Hollywood screenwriters have yet to concoct, Higgins explained that he signed only after his stepfather brandished a baseball bat, threatening to strike the young prodigy if he didn't sign with UCLA. Later in his senior year, the Collegiate Commissioners Association ruled that the letter of intent was null and void due to the fact that Higgins had signed under duress. While at Michigan, Higgins was enigmatic and streaky - one game you’d see a future NBA All Star, the next, a struggling unconfident player. Despite not performing up to the expectations of many scouts and GM's before the start of his junior season, Higgins still decided to go for the NBA draft against
better judgment. In the end, this poor decision probably cost him the guaranteed millions that most first rounders enjoy. During his 6 seasons with the NBA, Higgins never found a home nor did he master a position. His finest season as a pro player was in 1992, when he latched on with the newly formed expansion team, the Orlando Magic. Higgins averaged 8.6 points per game.In 1994, the NBA draft began to slowly see a change in how foreign players were evaluated and perceived. The NBA was coming alive with players that, despite playing in foreign basketball leagues, showed they did indeed belong in the limelight that is the NBA. As a result every team searched for the next Vlade Divac, Dino Radja, Drazen Petrovic, and Sarunas Marciulionis.
Zeljko Rebraca had rarities uncommon for a Last Man Standing. There was potential, time to develop, and more importantly, a spot on one of Europe’s most dominant teams, Partizan. At the age of 22, Rebraca exhibited some awesome selling points. During his seven seasons overseas he was generally considered by many to be one of Europe’s best players. Then in 2001, Rebraca finally decided to take his place on basketball’s biggest stage. Although drafted by Seattle, his rights were generally treated as trade filler. He moved between several teams before being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers in April 2007 after being plagued by a back injury. After his exit from the NBA, he signed with Pamesa Valencia in the Spanish basketball league.
But how is it that a Last Man Standing stays in the NBA longer than ten first round picks? The answer is simple. It's comes by doing the dirty work that no one wants to do and smiling about it. Don Reid is the best Last Man Standing in draft history, playing for three teams during his 8 plus seasons in the NBA. He outlasted eighteen second round players drafted before him. Coming out of Georgetown University, Reid’s prospects for the NBA were marginal at best. Even though he was the team’s captain in his senior year, Reid didn’t get starter minutes on the team roster that included NBA prospects Othella Harrington, Allen Iverson, Jahidi White and Jerome Williams. Say what you will about Reid’s physical skills, but he serves as a reminder that talent is nothing without heart and desire.Our final Last Man Standing, Maceo Baston, finishes like the first pioneer of this group, Roland West. Baston played more games (16 in all) but unfortunately ended up with the same lackluster results. He was released at the end of his first season. During his formative years at Michigan University, Baston never developed as his prep highlights proclaimed. Armed with only athleticism and long arms, Baston’s team found out quickly how unprepared he was for the NBA. Since his release, Baston has become a steady force in Europe.
So we acknowledge our Last Men. They fought through the training camps against higher profiled teammates, they were low on management’s totem pole, but through hard work, perseverance and never settling, they have found that you can indeed accomplish your dreams. For some, the dream lasts 8 seasons like Don Reid, for others its only 16 games. But all in all, Last Men, you have beat the odds and defied the experts.
| Year | Team | Round | Overall | Player | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Philadelphia | 12th | 118 | Ed Montgomery | Tennessee |
| 1951 | Baltimore | 12th | 86 | John Burke | Springfield (MA) |
| 1952 | N/A | -- | -- | Selection Unkown | N/A |
| 1953 | Rochester | 19th | 118 | Nick Maguire | Villanova |
| 1954 | Philadelphia | 13th | 97 | John Holup | George Washington |
| 1955 | Rochester | 15th | 96 | Dick Welsh | Southern California |
| 1956 | Syracuse | 14th | 91 | Chuck Rolles | Cornell |
| 1957 | St. Louis | 14th | 83 | Lavelle Langston | Northwestern State |
| 1958 | Cincinnati | 17th | 87 | John Powell | Miami (OH) |
| 1959 | New York | 14th | 83 | Jack Israel | SW Missouri |
| 1960 | Cincinnati | 21st | 101 | Jim McDonald | West Virginia Wesleyan |
| 1961 | New York | 15th | 107 | Vince Kempton | Saint Joseph's |
| 1962 | St. Louis | 16th | 100 | Rally Rounsaville | California Tech |
| 1963 | New York | 15th | 83 | Ron Pickett | Eastern Kentucky |
| 1964 | St. Louis | 15th | 99 | Al Cech | Detroit |
| 1965 | Baltimore | 17th | 109 | Roger Taylor | No School |
| 1966 | Baltimore | 19th | 113 | Gene Visscher | Weber St. |
| 1967 | Baltimore | 20th | 162 | Roland West | Cincinnati |
| 1968 | Chicago | 21st | 214 | Willie Horton | Delaware State |
| 1969 | Baltimore | 20th | 218 | Stan McKain | Southern |
| 1970 | Portland | 19th | 239 | Mark Gabriel | Hanover |
| 1971 | Detroit | 19th | 237 | Ed Jenkins | Shaw (NC) |
| 1972 | Chicago | 17th | 198 | Ron Manning | Manhattan |
| 1973 | Buffalo | 20th | 203 | Phil Trollestrop | (Canada) |
| 1974 | Milwaukee | 10th | 178 | Bruce Featherston | SW Texas St. |
| 1975 | Boston | 10th | 174 | Bill Endicott | Massachusetts |
| 1976 | Golden St. | 10th | 173 | Ken Smith | San Diego St. |
| 1977 | Baltimore | 8th | 170 | Art Allen | Pepperdine |
| 1978 | Portland | 10th | 202 | Tom Warkentin | Biola (LA) |
| 1979 | Washington | 10th | 202 | Steve Martin | Georgetown |
| 1980 | Boston | 10th | 214 | John Nolan | Providence |
| 1981 | Philadelphia | 10th | 223 | Pete Mullenberg | Delaware |
| 1982 | Boston | 10th | 225 | Landon Turner | Indiana |
| 1983 | Boston | 10th | 226 | Andy Kupec | Bentley |
| 1984 | Boston | 10th | 228 | Dan Trant | Clark |
| 1985 | Boston | 7th | 162 | Chris Remly | Rutgers |
| 1986 | Boston | 7th | 162 | Tom Ivey | Boston U |
| 1987 | LA Lakers | 7th | 161 | Ron Vanderschaaf | Central Washington |
| 1988 | San Antonio | 3rd | 75 | Archie Marshall | Kansas |
| 1989 | Philadelphia | 2nd | 54 | Toney Mack | Georgia |
| 1990 | San Antonio | 2nd | 54 | Sean Higgins | Michigan |
| 1991 | Portland | 2nd | 54 | Marcus Kennedy | Eastern Michigan |
| 1992 | Sacramento | 2nd | 54 | Brett Roberts | Morehead St. |
| 1993 | Phoenix | 2nd | 54 | Byron Wilson | Utah |
| 1994 | Seattle | 2nd | 54 | Zeljko Rebraca | (Yugoslavia) |
| 1995 | Detroit | 2nd | 58 | Don Reid | Georgetown |
| 1996 | Dallas | 2nd | 58 | Darnell Robinson | Arkansas |
| 1997 | Chicago | 2nd | 58 | Roberto Duenas | (Spain) |
| 1998 | Chicago | 2nd | 58 | Maceo Baston | Michigan |
| 1999 | Utah | 2nd | 58 | Eddie Lucas | Virginia Tech |
| 2000 | Dallas | 2nd | 58 | Pete Mickeal | Cincinnati |
| 2001 | San Antonio | 2nd | 58 | Bryan Bracey | Oregon |
| 2002 | Sacramento | 2nd | 58 | Corsley Edwards | Central Connecticut St. |
| 2003 | Detroit | 2nd | 58 | Andreas Glyniadakis | (Greece) |
| 2004 | Indiana | 2nd | 60 | Rashad Wright | Georgia |
| 2005 | Indiana | 2nd | 60 | Alex Acker | Pepperdine |
| 2006 | Detriot | 2nd | 60 | Will Blalock | Iowa St. |
| 2007 | Dallas | 2nd | 60 | Milovan Rakovic | (Serbia) |
| 2008 | Dallas | 2nd | 60 | Semih Erden | (Turkey) |
| 2009 | Miami | 2nd | 60 | Robert Dozier | Memphis |
| 2010 | Phoenix | 2nd | 60 | Dwayne Collins | Miami (Fl.) |
| 2011 | Sacramento | 2nd | 60 | Isaiah Thomas | Washington |
| 2012 | LA Lakers | 2nd | 60 | Robert Sacre | Gonzaga |
| 2013 | Memphis | 2nd | 60 | Janis Timma | (Latvia) |
| 2014 | Philadelphia | 2nd | 60 | Luka Mitrovic | (Serbia) |
| 2015 | San Antonio | 2nd | 60 | Corey Jefferson | Baylor |
| 2016 | Utah | 2nd | 60 | Tyrone Wallace | California |
| 2017 | Atlanta | 2nd | 60 | Alpha Kaba | (Serbia) |
| 2018 | Philadelphia | 2nd | 60 | Kostas Antetokounmpo | Dayton |
| 2019 | Rochester | 2nd | 60 | Vanja Marinkovic | (Serbia) |