Friends of the Program

Tuesday night became Miami’s worst nightmare (other than that whole 15 win regular season thing of course) as the Chicago Bulls won the first pick in this year’s NBA Draft and thus giving John Paxson the opportunity to carry on the proud Paxson family player personnel tradition by completely botching an unbotchable situation. 

Another attraction of the draft besides all the ping pongy drama…the team represenatives.  There was Mitch Richmond repping the Kings or Golden State or the Lakers or NBA Jam, we really can’t remember.

Investor, minority owner, and marryer of hippy musical acts Jay Z (seen here in a fierce free-style rap battle with David Stern) was there representing his Nets.

Sorry J, the Nets will have the 10th pick in the draft. Jigga What? 10th, your team gets to pick 10th right after the Bobcats. Jigga Please.

 Next, the pride of Indiana and the Celtics, Larry Bird for the Indiana Pacers.

Larry looks a bit pudgy – like a cabbage patch kid. But we’d have a sourpuss too if Donny Walsh left us to wallow in white people and mediocrity in Indianapolis.  He also wasn’t very lucky…the Pacers will be picking 11th. Next up, Gavin Maloof, Owner, and Margie Parilo, season ticket holder, of the Sacramento Kings.

If we were Margie, we would have rather been treated to a night at the Palms in Vegas. Or just a $6,000 combo meal. Finally, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, Fred Hoiberg, Assistant General Manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves (seen here bearing gifts for Rus Grannick) and Steve Schanwald, Executive Vice President of Baketball Operations of the Chicago Bulls wait to hear the results.

The teddy bear was a non-factor, as was Dwayne Wade for the Miami Heat (which, aside from the occassional Fave-5 commercial, is becoming familiar territory for him). The T-Wolves will pick 3rd, and despite a 25% chance at the first pick, the Heat will pick 2nd. Apparently the “Jared from Subway” look was a winner as, with only a 1.7% chance, Steve Schanwald came up huge with the first pick for Chicago. Congrats, we’d recommend taking Michael Beasley. We hear he’s good.