NBA Draft 2012: A Survival Guide

It's June 28th.  This might not mean much to you at first, but it should.  Today is the NBA draft, and we are in Kentucky.  I know, it's funny because Kentucky doesn't have a professional basketball team.  What Kentucky does have, however, is a whole lot of really talented 18-20 year-olds who won a National Championship this year.  These little birds are flying away from their nest to join the big boys in the NBA, and much of the state will be watching.

image from here

So, maybe you don't know much about the NBA draft.  I understand.  It's actually quite the complicated affair.  I'm here to save the day, friends.  Below, you will learn everything you need to know to survive in any NBA Draft water cooler convo today.  You're welcome, in advance.

First of all, the Draft starts at 7pm on ESPN.  That's a good start.

The NBA Draft process started a long time ago with college basketball players deciding whether or not they want to stay in the college atmosphere or make millions of dollars putting a small, orange ball in a hoop.  It's a tough choice, really.  Once a college basketball player announces his intent of joining the NBA and picks up an agent, he can't venture back into the college game.

This year, for UK, the following players put their hats in the ring:  Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, Darius Miller, Marquis Teague, and Doron Lamb.  That's basically our entire 6-man rotation for the National Championship team.

image from here

So, there's this thing called lottery picks.  Again, a really long process, but it basically means that the worst 14 teams in the NBA gain the top 14 picks in the Draft.  The NBA then invites 10-15 potential new players to sit in the "green room"--this is where you sit when you've really made it and have a chance to go in the lottery round.  For our boys in blue, two of them received the invite--Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  There's a whole lot of speculation, but chances are really good that Anthony Davis could go #1 and MKG #2.  If this happens, it would be the first time in NBA history that two people from the same University are drafted at the top two picks.  That's really impressive, people.  It might be impressive enough to illicit a C-A-T-S chant.  Go ahead, knock yourself out.

I've said many things and I've only covered about 1/10 of the information you need to know.  Chances are good that you've stopped reading at this point, but I'm about to tell you why you REALLY need to watch.  See, when the commish (David Stern) comes out to announce the top picks, there's this really special moment.  The cameras flash to the kid--the sometimes 18-year-old kid who has dreamed of playing in the NBA since he was likely old enough to know what a basketball is.  And then, that kid gets to hug his momma.  I know it sounds super corny, but it's really an amazing moment.  Sometimes I like to imagine all of the elementary school basketball games, the AAU leagues, the practices, and the horrible coaches that momma has had to endure.  And then, the day comes when her son gets the break of his life.  Just watch it.

they might not look happy, but they are.  from here

Tune in and give it a chance.  At least watch to see Anthony Davis represent UK as the #1 draft pick--the second time in the past three years that we have had that honor.  And check out his momma's face when the commish calls his name.  It will be worth your time--I promise.