The history of Florida players taken in the NBA draft is filled with recent first-round draft picks and some legends of eras past.
But for Gator basketball, the NBA draft has never been as fruitful as the one expected Thursday night.
Florida has never had more than two players taken in the same draft. On Thursday, three could potentially get picked among the first 10 selections.
It shouldn't shock you if the Cleveland Cavaliers' starting backcourt next season is Larry Hughes and Daniel Gibson.
The Cavs believe that Gibson demonstrated the ability to play in pressure playoff games, and that he can work nicely with LeBron James. The two have a real chemistry, much as Michael Jordan developed with shooters such as John Paxson, B.J. Armstrong and Steve Kerr during his prime years with the Chicago Bulls.
Daniel Gibson played more as the Cavs' postseason progressed.
In an alternate universe, this might have been a momentous week, even a historic week, for New York and its beleaguered N.B.A. franchise. Had the Knicks stripped their payroll a few years back and suffered through some rough seasons, they might be stitching a uniform for Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, the two franchise-changing talents who headline Thursdays draft.
In another alternate universe, in which the Knicks never traded for Eddy Curry, they might be pondering another dozen intriguing prospects who will fill out the upper half of the first round.
In this universe, however, the Knicks are coming off their sixth consecutive losing season and selecting 23rd making the draft a rather unremarkable finale to another unremarkable season.
Contrary to their lowly, laughable place in the NBA standings, the players
on the Orlando Magic's first team really were big winners.
It just took nearly two decades for folks to recognize it.
Al Thornton has faced several turning points, several decisions, and several transitions, all of which has led him to an enviable position among the fraternity of basketball players. After achieving star status in the college game, the former Perry High School Panther can now sit back in that famous green room and let someone else make the big decision.
All of those choices led Thornton from Perry to Florida State University. His next stop: Madison Square Garden in New York City for the 2007 National Basketball Association Draft on June 28. He has his invitation in hand, which isn’t surprising since he is not only a projected first-round selection, but also a potential top 10 pick.
The 6-8, 220-pound forward is already finding out a little bit about life in major professional basketball. Since finishing his four-year career with the Seminoles, Thornton has gone through the long process of working out for various NBA franchises. The journey has taken him to Sacramento (Kings), Chicago (Bulls), Boston (Celtics), Charlotte (Bobcats), Minnesota (Timberwolves) and Milwaukee (Bucks).
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