WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The players from Tim Duncan's 1997 NBA draft class

August 22, 2024

At 40 years old, Duncan was the last player remaining from the 1997 draft class, and easily the best, as he'll go down as one of the best big men to play the game.

But what happened to the rest of the 1997 class?

It was a solid draft that produced several All-Stars, a few renowned role players, and, of course, a few busts.

Check out where they are today.

The Spurs took Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick, setting up a 19-year run of dominance.

Duncan retired after 19 years and five championships with the Spurs, going down as one of the best players in NBA history.

The 76ers took Keith Van Horn with the second overall pick.

After a nine-year career in which he made $88 million, Van Horn founded one of the top girls' basketball programs in the country, which he now coaches.

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The Celtics took Chauncey Billups with the third pick.

Billups was a five-time All-Star during his 17-year career. Today, Billups works as an analyst on ESPN. He also plays for the Killer 3s in the BIG3 league.

The Vancouver Grizzlies took Antonio Daniels with the fourth pick.

Daniels retired in 2011, and is now a Fox Sports Oklahoma studio analyst and a host of a Sirius XM basketball radio show

The Nuggets took Tony Battie with the fifth pick.

After 14 years in the NBA, Battie retired and, as of 2014, was an analyst for the Orlando Magic.

The Celtics also had the sixth pick and selected Ron Mercer.

Mercer played for eight teams in eight years. It's unclear what he currently does, though according to his Twitter, it seems he runs a basketball camp in Kentucky.

The Nets took Tim Thomas with the seventh pick.

Thomas retired during the 2010 season as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, and now works with AAU basketball programs and coaches a high-school basketball team in California.

The Warriors took Adonal Foyle with the eighth pick.

Foyle played 12 seasons and made over $63 million. He has written a book, "Winning the Money Game," and works with several charities.

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The Raptors took Tracy McGrady with the ninth pick.

McGrady had a decorated career as a seven-time All-Star while leading the NBA in scoring twice. Today, he is an analyst on ESPN and NBA TV. He also took a role in the Orlando Magic front office in 2017.

The Bucks took Danny Fortson with the 10th pick.

Fortson played on five teams in 10 years. He was recently inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Kings took Tariq Abdul-Wahad with the 10th pick.

Abdul-Wahad played six years in the NBA. He was hired as a varsity basketball coach in San Jose, California, in 2013.

The Pacers took Austin Croshere with the 11th pick.

Croshere played 12 seasons in the NBA and is now an analyst for the Pacers.

The Cavaliers took Derek Anderson with the 13th pick.

After 11 years in the NBA, Anderson has now written three books and claims to be a philanthropist, screenwriter, and producer.

The Clippers took Maurice Taylor with the 14th pick.

After nine years in the NBA, Taylor now seems to be involved in private equity.

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The Mavericks took Kelvin Cato with the 15th pick.

Cato retired in 2007 and as of 2013, owns an agricultural recycling center and a record label.

The Cavaliers took Brevin Knight with the 16th pick.

After 12 years in the NBA, Knight became a color commentator for Fox Sports Tennessee in 2010.

The Magic took Johnny Taylor with the 17th pick.

Taylor only played three seasons in the NBA. After several years playing overseas, he returned stateside and began running a basketball camp.

The Blazers took Chris Anstey with the 18th pick.

Anstey only played three years in the NBA, but had a successful career in Australia and was the coach of Melbourne United until the 2014-15 season.

The Pistons took Scot Pollard with the 19th pick.

Pollard played 11 seasons in the NBA, and was on the 32nd season of "Survivor" in 2016.

The Timberwolves took Paul Grant with the 20th pick.

Grant only played 16 games in his two-year NBA career. He coached at MIT from 2007 to 2012.

The Nets took Anthony Parker with the 21st pick.

Brother of WNBA superstar Candace Parker, the Naperville, Illinois native played nine years in the NBA before becoming a scout for the Orlando Magic in 2017.

The Hawks took Ed Gray with the 22nd pick.

Gray played two seasons in the NBA. He was eventually traded to the Rockets in 1999, but he never played.

The Sonics took Bobby Jackson with the 23rd pick.

Jackson played 12 years in the NBA. He was named an assistant player development coach for the Sacramento Kings heading into the 2018-19 season.

The Rockets took Rodrick Rhodes with the 24th pick.

Rhodes played three years in the NBA. He coached Cordia High School to a Kentucky state championship in 2016 before leaving to coach at Northwest Nazarene University.

The Knicks took John Thomas with the 25th pick.

Thomas played five years in the NBA, and became the National Manager of Training for Ultimate Hoops — an adult basketball league — in 2015.

The Heat took Charles Smith with the 26th pick.

Smith played five years in the NBA. He last played in Italy in 2011.

The Jazz took Jacque Vaughn with the 27th pick.

Vaughn played 12 years in the NBA. After coaching the Magic and working with the Spurs, Vaughn was hired as an assistant coach with the Nets.

The Bulls took Keith Booth with the 28th pick.

Booth played two seasons in the NBA. He became an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Loyola University Maryland in 2013.

BONUS: The Suns took Stephen Jackson with the 42nd pick.

Jackson played 14 years in the NBA, making over $65 million. He now does commentary on ESPN. He also plays for the BIG3 Killer 3's alongside Chauncey Billups.

Now see what happened to the picks who didn't work out:

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