It takes a lot of courage to come back to the NBA after 6 years away from the big league. It takes even more to return with the “bust” tag securely hung on the forehead. This is however what a player selected before James Harden and Stephen Curry will try to do in the 2009 Draft!
Being a top draft pick is not necessarily the guarantee of having a great career in the NBA… There have been many qualified promising players who came together once they reached the highest level. Anthony Bennett, Derrick Williams, or Sam Bowie, selected before Michael Jordan… None have succeeded in reaching their potential.
But a question is and will always be debated: who is the biggest bust in the history of the league? Some will obviously say Greg Oden, while the latter simply had the misfortune of injuring himself, others will prefer Kwame Brown, who has long been the laughing stock of the league because of his abysmal level …
But there is one name that should absolutely not be forgotten: that of Hasheem Thabeet. Selected in front of James Harden, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, or even Jrue Holiday in the 2009 draft, the interior turns 2 points and 2 rebounds average in career… And after 6 seasons spent out of the league, he would attempt an improbable comeback!
