New York, USA, June 27 (AP/agencies) - After getting the final clearance from the China Basketball
Association and Yao Ming's former team, the Shanghai
Sharks, Houston chose Yao as the first pick of
Wednesday's NBA draft. The first pick set the tone for
the draft as six international players were taken in the
first round, one more than the number of four-year
American collegians. Meanwhile, the Nuggets and the
Knicks were involved in the biggest trade of the
night, which dealt Antonio McDyess to New York - as
Denver GM Kiki Vandeweghe totally revamped his team.
Three Yugoslavs were picked in 2002 NBA draft. New Jersey used the 24th pick of the NBA draft on 18-year-old center Nenad Krstic of Partizan Belgrade. His teammate Milos Vujanic went to New York Nicks, while Dallas Mavericks picked FMP Zeleznik's Mladen Sekularac.
1. Houston, Yao Ming, c, Shanghai Sharks (China)
2. Chicago, Jay Williams, g, Duke
3. Golden State, Mike Dunleavy, f, Duke
4. Memphis, Drew Gooden, f, Kansas
5. Denver, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, f, Benetton Treviso (Italy)
6. Cleveland, Dajuan Wagner, g, Memphis
7. a-New York, Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, f-c, Vasco da Gama (Brazil)
8. L.A. Clippers (from Atlanta), Chris Wilcox, f, Maryland
9. Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire, f-c, Cypress Creek HS, Orlando, Fla.
10. Miami, Caron Butler, f, Connecticut
11. Washington, Jared Jeffries, f, Indiana
12. L.A. Clippers, Melvin Ely, f-c, Fresno State
13. Milwaukee, Marcus Haislip, f, Tennessee
14. Indiana, Fred Jones, g, Oregon.
15. Houston (from Toronto), Bostjan Nachbar, f, Benetton Treviso (Italy)
16. b-Philadelphia, Jiri Welsch, g, Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia)
17. Washington (from New Orleans), Juan Dixon, g, Maryland
18. c-Orlando, Curtis Borchardt, c, Stanford
19. c-Utah, Ryan Humphrey, f, Notre Dame
20. d-Toronto (from Seattle through New York), Kareem Rush, g, Missouri
21. Portland, Qyntel Woods, f-g, Northeast Mississippi CC
22. Phoenix (from Boston), Casey Jacobsen, g-f, Stanford
23. Detroit, Tayshaun Prince, f, Kentucky
24. New Jersey, Nenad Krstic, c, BC Partizan (Yugoslavia)
25. a-Denver (from Dallas), Frank Williams, g, Illinois
26. h-San Antonio, John Salmons, g-f, Miami
27. d-L.A. Lakers, Chris Jefferies, f, Fresno State
28. e-Sacramento, Dan Dickau, g, Gonzaga
Minnesota lost first-round pick due to illegal Joe Smith contract
Second Round:
...
36. New York, Milos Vujanic, g, KK Partizan (Yugoslavia)
