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Anthony Bonner and the draft


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Saw the 30 for 30 about OJ and Sports, showing the Knicks playing in the NBA Championship, so I tried to remember if Bonner was on that team.

So looked at his NBA career

So for the trivia part.....Who Drafted Anthony and in what round? No Googling, but who would know anyway right?

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Very close, Sacramento is correct, and the draft number is close.

I forgot about Sacramento , just seemed to remember him in a Knick and Magic uniform.

Wasn`t Mo Jeffers drafted in the 2nd round by the Kings?

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Jeffers was the 54th pick in the 01 draft. Pretty much a shock. He impressed the Kings in workouts and they took a flyer on him. I don't think he had any idea he'd be drafted and none of the draft experts had him in their top 100 prospects.

That 01 draft had the famous busts at the top, Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler (who has somewhat redeemed himself) Eddie Griffin, Kedrick Brown, Dasagna Diop, Rodney White, but turned out to one of the deeper drafts in memory with longtime all stars Zack Randolph & Tony Parker picked at the end of the first round along with Gilbert Arenas in the 2nd round with several more 2nd round picks becoming solid NBA starters and near all stars.

Bonner played in the NBA finals, just 2 games and very briefly, 11 minutes. He actually started a couple games in the Bulls series. The Knicks went to the limit against the Bulls, Pacers, and Rockets, yet Riley continued to cut down their rotation. By the Finals they were playing with a 6 man rotation and the Knick big men were gassed. Cost them the championship. By next season the Knicks window had closed and Bonner had lost his spot in the rotation. He caught on for a few games at the end of next season with Orlando but that was it. The money in Europe was too much to be fighting for a roster spot in the NBA.

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Bonner was a late first round (24th*?) pick by the Sacramento Kings. There were 27 teams in the NBA, and I'm pretty sure it was in the 20s.

I believe he was the last of the Kings 4 first round picks in the 1990 draft. I had his basketball card back in the early 90s and this information was on the back.

Bonner has multiple split second cameos in the June 17th 1994 30 for 30.

Pre-game huddle, center of the frame initially screened by Pat Riley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4A1ayt3Jwc&t=1874

Chest bumping Anthony Mason heading into a timeout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4A1ayt3Jwc&t=2514

*didn't look

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The 1990 draft is recognized as one of the worst draft classes ever. Sacremento was in the midst of a five year stretch of the worst drafting by any team in league history as well. The previous year they had the #1 overall using it to take Never Nervous Pervis. In 90 they had 4 first round picks, acquiring the final one which they used to draft Bonner, a couple of days before the draft. Their haul out of those 4 picks, Lionel Simmons, Travis Mays, Duane Causwell, and Bonner. Their lone 2nd round pick, 40th overall, was Bimbo Coles. A journeyman point guard who was a much better NBA player than any of their 4 first round picks.

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