It was on this day in 1995 that the NBA Draft took place at the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario.  This marked the first occasion that the draft was held outside the United States.

The 1995 NBA Draft was the first for the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, who held the sixth and seventh picks, respectively.  With the sixth pick the Grizzlies selected center Bryant “Big Country” Reeves out of Oklahoma State, while the Raptors chose point guard Damon Stoudamire from the Arizona Wildcats.  Reeves turned out to be a bust, playing in only six seasons in the NBA and averaging a mediocre 12.5 points per game throughout his career.

Damon Stoudamire went on to enjoy a fine NBA career.  In his first year he was awarded the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.  Stoudamire would play 13 seasons, many as a starter, and appeared in the playoffs seven times.

Here is a tribute to Damon Stoudamire.

Notable Birthdays

Al Downing, NBA – Born June 28th 1941 (age 71) in Trenton, New Jersey

John Elway, NFL – Born June 28th 1960 (age 52) in Port Angeles, Washington

Randy McMichael, NFL – Born June 28th 1979 (age 33) in Griffin, Georgia