The Philadelphia 76ers had a tough time during the decade of the 1990s and it was compounded when they made a very big mistake in the 1993 draft.
Holding the number 2 pick in that draft, they had an opportunity to select a superstar and turn their fortunes around. There were plenty of big names on the board such as Penny Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, and Allan Houston who all went on to have very good NBA careers.
Instead, the Sixers chose 7-foot-6 Shawn Bradley out of BYU hoping that his height would make a difference in the league. He lasted 2.5 seasons in Philadelphia averaging 9.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks before being sent to the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Coleman.
In a list done by Bleacher Report, they ranked Bradley as the second-worst bust just behind the Indiana Pacers selecting Jonathan Bender.
B/R on Bradley:
As a sophomore, Penny Hardaway averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists as a 6’7″ point guard at Memphis. But rather than take him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1993 draft, the Philadelphia 76ers instead chose to roll the dice on the 7’6″ Shawn Bradley.
Bradley was polarizing out of BYU since he had unique height, no physical definition and averaged 5.2 blocks per game. While he continued to block shots in the NBA, he never blossomed into the scorer or impact player that comes with the expectations of a No. 2 overall pick.
Hardaway, of course, went third overall to the Orlando Magic and he went on to make four All-Star games with Orlando and he led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 1995. Hardaway would have been a nice addition to the Sixers and he would have helped them come out out of the doldrums they were in. Instead, Bradley flamed out in Philadelphia. [lawrence-related id=37507,37503,37490]