The 1997 NBA draft took place on June 25, 1997, at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Vancouver Grizzlies had the highest probability to win the NBA draft lottery, but since they were an expansion team along with the Toronto Raptors they were not allowed to select first in this draft. Although the Boston Celtics had the second-worst record in the 1996–97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs lost David Robinson and Sean Elliott to injury early in the season, finished with the third-worst record, and subsequently won the lottery. Leading up to the draft, there was no doubt that Tim Duncan would be selected at No. 1 by the Spurs as he was considered to be far and away the best prospect. After Duncan, the rest of the draft was regarded with some skepticism. The Celtics had the third and sixth picks, selecting Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer, both of whom were traded in the next two years.
Voshon Kelan Lenard is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was listed as 6' 4" and 215 lbs, and was born in Detroit, Michigan.
Antonio Robert Daniels is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the television color analyst for the New Orleans Pelicans on Bally Sports New Orleans and co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Harvey Grant is an American former professional National Basketball Association basketball player. He is the identical twin brother of Horace Grant, also a former NBA player.
Willie Lloyd Anderson Jr. is an American former professional basketball player. During his professional career, Anderson played nine seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and three seasons in the EuroLeague. He was named to the 1988–89 NBA season's All-Rookie First Team. While he was a member of the Greek Basket League club AEK Athens, he played in the 1998 EuroLeague Final. Anderson won an Olympic bronze medal as a member of the United States national team in 1988.
David Lee Rivers is an American former professional basketball player and coach. A 5’11”(1.80 m ) tall point guard, he reached star status in the EuroLeague, mainly while playing with Olympiacos, under head coach Dušan Ivković. Rivers played 3 seasons in the NBA, one with the Los Angeles Lakers (1988–89) and two more with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame.
Haywoode Wilvon Workman is an American former basketball player who is a referee in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Kenneth Ray Williams is an American former professional basketball player, most notably with the National Basketball Association's Indiana Pacers. He was known for his stellar leaping ability and off-court problems.
Jimmy Allen Oliver is an American former professional basketball player who played several seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 1991 NBA draft.
Priest Lauderdale is an American-Bulgarian former professional basketball player.
Osie Leon Wood III, is an American former professional basketball player. A college All-American, he was a first round NBA draft pick, and both an Olympic and Pan-Am Games gold-medalist. He subsequently has had a career as an NBA referee.
Evers Allen Burns is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA draft. A 6'8" forward from the University of Maryland, Burns played in only 22 games as a member of the Kings during the 1993–94 NBA season, averaging 2.4 points per game.
Brooks James Thompson was an American basketball coach and player, who played for the Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Shawnelle Scott is an American retired professional basketball player. A 6'10" center out of St. John's University, he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 43rd overall pick of the 1994 NBA draft. His first two years of professional basketball were in the Continental Basketball Association for the Oklahoma City Cavalry and the Connecticut Pride. He then played in four NBA seasons for three teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs (2000-01), and Denver Nuggets (2001-02). He currently works as a high school basketball coach and physics teacher at Millennium Brooklyn High School in New York City.
Ryan Dale Minor was an American professional baseball third baseman, minor league baseball manager and professional basketball player. He played all or parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1998 to 2001, with the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos.
Corey Williams is an American retired professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Auburn Tigers of the SEC Conference. He is the former men's basketball head coach of Stetson University.
Derrick Jonathon Dial is an American-born former professional basketball player. During his pro club career, he played four seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dial also played professionally in the Greek Basket League, the Italian A League, and the Spanish ACB League.
Tony Costner is an American former professional basketball player, who was selected by the Washington Bullets, in the second round of the 1984 NBA draft. He played professionally in Europe and in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Costner was a 6'10" tall center, that played in college at Saint Joseph's University. He is the father of former professional basketball player Brandon Costner.
Chet Thomas Holmgren is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted second overall in the 2022 NBA draft, he played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. A consensus five-star recruit and the number-one player in the 2021 class, he stands 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and plays the center and power forward positions.
Jaylin Michael Williams, nicknamed Light Skinned Duke Dennis, is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He was selected by the Thunder in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft.
