A 25th Overall Draft Pick in 2001, Gerald Wallace did not see much playing time in his first few seasons as a Sacramento King, but he would be chosen by the Charlotte Bobcats in the Expansion Draft where he won a starting job and proved to be one of the more intense players in the NBA.  Wallace was a ferocious defender who was unafraid to go after every ball that ventured near him and from the 2004-05 to 2008-09 season he was in the top ten in Steals per Game, which included leading the league in that stat in the 2005-06 campaign and he would also average 16.4 Points per Game in his seven years in Charlotte.   

A member of Duke’s 2001 NCAA Championship team, Carlos Boozer was a late draft pick in 2002 (35th overall) and played for the Cleveland Cavaliers for two years before a free agent controversy saw him bolt for the Utah Jazz (allegedly the Cavs released him making him a conditional free agent so that they could sign him back to a larger deal, which allowed him to sign with Utah for more money; Boozer said he never agreed to that with Cleveland) and it was in Salt Lake that his star rose.  Boozer would be a two time All Star with Utah and also a Third Team All-NBA Selection and in his six seasons as a member of the Jazz he averaged a healthy 19.3 Points and 10.5 Rebounds per Game.  It should be mentioned that during this time he helped the United States win the 2008 Olympics Gold Medal.

May 22 – 28, 1961

Ernie K-Doe

Mother-in-Law