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5 NBA Draft Picks Everyone Laughed At Until They Became A Star

by Jeremy Block - 8/22/2025

NBA Draft picks everyone laughed at Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets

The NBA Draft can be a bit of a gamble. Every year, a few players get overlooked, and somehow, they end up becoming stars while the top picks struggle to live up to expectations. Sure, we all get excited about the top prospects, but it’s the ones who slip through the cracks that often surprise us the most.

Whether you want to believe it or not, there are players who were drafted way lower than anyone anticipated, and yet, they went on to make a huge impact. Let’s take a look at five guys who were laughed at on draft night—and ended up showing the NBA exactly what they were made of.

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Nikola Jokic

How could we not start with Nikola Jokic at the top? The Nuggets snagged an unathletic Serbian seven-footer in the second round with the 41st pick, and let's just say, most people thought they were wasting their pick on a guy who didn’t fit the “traditional” center build. No insane hops, barely any post moves, just a big dude with decent skills who might, maybe, work out.

Fast forward to today, and Jokic is basically the basketball equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. Three MVPs, and a Finals MVP? Check. Arguably the most skilled big man in history? You bet. If you're not sold on the awards, then try this on for size: he’s third all-time in triple-doubles, with 164, and he's only played nine seasons. Let that one sink in.

Love him or hate him, Jokic is rewriting the rulebook for big men, dominating every statistical category season after season. After taking home his third MVP in 2023, it’s safe to say the rest of the NBA is still trying to figure out how they missed out on drafting the best player in the game.

Manu Ginobili

Back in the late 1990s, Manu Ginobili was a second-round pick, barely scraping into the 57th spot. At the time, the NBA was all about high-flying, athletic, “NBA-ready” players, and here came this 6’6” Argentinian guard with nothing flashy on the surface—just a solid all-around guard that could do a little bit of everything. Scouts were probably wondering why he was even being drafted at all. Spoiler alert: they were wrong.

But not long after the draft, Ginobili made an immediate impact, quickly becoming the backbone of the San Antonio Spurs’ five championships and a future Hall of Famer. With his signature Eurostep, clutch shots, and downhill playstyle, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds over a 16-year career.

Ginobili is the perfect example of why you should never sleep on international players, especially when they’re the ones producing the best results long after the draft’s over.

Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol was always living in the shadow of his older brother, Pau, who went third overall in 2001. Marc, on the other hand, fell to 48th in 2007—basically considered an afterthought, as far as NBA scouts were concerned. But once Marc hit the NBA, he quickly proved that his basketball IQ, passing vision, and defense were exactly what teams needed, even if they didn’t know it yet.

Looking at Gasol’s career, it’s clear he was far from what people expected when he was drafted 48th. He won an NBA Championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, earned Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, and was a three-time All-Star. 

Over his career, he averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Oh, and let’s not forget: he became the Grizzlies' all-time leader in rebounds, blocks, and made field goals with 4,341. Pretty impressive for a guy who was drafted in the second round, right?

John Stockton

While the rest of the league was on the hunt for the next big thing, there was this skinny, undersized point guard from Gonzaga who was quietly on his way to becoming one of the NBA’s greatest playmakers. 

John Stockton’s lack of athleticism and his "wow" factor in a fast-paced era raised plenty of eyebrows. Drafted 16th overall in 1984, he wasn’t exactly a name people had highlighted, especially when stacked up against the future superstars of that draft.

But turns out, Stockton was exactly what the Utah Jazz needed—a relentless, pass-first point guard who could dish out assists like no one else in the game. By the time he called it quits, Stockton owned the NBA’s all-time records for assists (15,806) and steals (3,265). 

Look, being drafted 16th overall? Sure, it’s not something to be upset about, but it’s as clear as day that Stockton was top-five pick material. When you look back, he might just be the most valuable player from that 1984 draft class.

Tony Parker

Back in 2001, when the San Antonio Spurs took a chance on Tony Parker with the 28th overall pick, many analysts were skeptical. Parker was a French point guard with a more unorthodox shooting form, and his experience running an offense at the NBA level was, well, pretty nonexistent. In short, he wasn’t exactly the “sure thing” everyone was looking for.

But Parker’s speed with the ball, and crafty finishing at the rim turned out to be exactly what the Spurs needed at the time. He quickly made his mark and became a key piece in helping the Spurs snag four NBA championships. 

By the time he retired, Parker had averaged 15.5 points and 5.6 assists per game, solidifying himself as one of the most successful international players in NBA history. Listen, in the end, Parker showed that you don’t need to be the most polished player to leave a lasting impact.

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