The 7-foot-1 Olowokandi averaged 22.2 points and 11.2 rebounds last season at Pacific    (Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport)

How sweet it is!

Clippers select Olowokandi with No. 1 pick

It was widely thought the Los Angeles Clippers, with the top pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, would not gamble on a project.

Those in the know thought there was no way Elgin Baylor could pass on Arizona's Mike Bibby -- a savvy point guard with NBA bloodlin es -- and take a chance on Michael Olowokandi -- a soccer player who has been playing competitive basketball for only three years.
FULL STORY

Winners and losers at the '98 draft

	The Celtics were delighted when Paul Pierce's draft stock slipped Because teams like to posture, misdirect and outright lie when fielding queries about their plans for the draft, the final 48 hours before the selection process begins are usually cluttered with disinformation. This year was no different. FULL STORY
	Lopez hoping for a fresh start, long career in the NBA The last shot of Felipe Lopez's college career was perfectly fitting. What could have lifted St. John's into the second round of the NCAA Tournament, instead served as one last reminder of four years of frustration and unfulfilled potential. FULL STORY
	NBA testing international waters to find legitimate centers The NBA has seen the future, and it has a gaping hole right through the middle. The void has nothing to do with the potential retirement of Michael Jordan; instead, substantial injuries to Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon and Alonzo Mourning this season provided a look into a world without high-profile, high-impact centers. Though the next wave of pro players arrives on June 24 via the NBA Draft, the answer to the biggest problem at hand does not. FULL STORY

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JUNE 18
	• 1997-98 NBA-All Rookie Team • 1998 NBA Draft Underclassmen