Brandan Wright has probably said and done some stupid things in his lifetime.  But Thursday night’s faux pas was one for the record books.

With the eighth selection in the NBA draft, their first of the night, the Charlotte Hornets, led by General Manager Michael Jordan, drafted Wright, a lanky forward from the University of North Carolina.  Shortly after this announcement, Wright was interviewed by Stuart Scott of ESPN who commented that Wright was the first player drafted that evening who would lose a game of 1-on-1 to his new boss.  Wright then astonishingly replied “I don’t think Mike wants none of this.”

Excuse me?

Chalk this up in the What not to say about your boss, particularly if your boss is Michael Jordan category.  Now I’ve had several bosses in my day, some likeable, some ornery and none of them named Michael Jordan.  As adults and professionals, we learn it is improper to talk inappropriately about your supervisors.  Well Brandan, my friend, you just insulted your meal ticket and inarguably the greatest basketball player of all time on national television.

Only hours later, Wright was traded to the Golden State Warriors for Jason Richardson, a player who Wright will most likely never be better than.  Had this trade been in the works before draft night or did Jordan pull the trigger once he heard his once and future employee utter those fateful words?

Perhaps Brandan “You Ain’t” Wright thought he’d be impressing Mike by showing a little gumption and confidence after being drafted so high.  Maybe he felt he could get away with such a statement since they both share the same alma mater.  Perhaps Wright intended to use the 'don't want none of this' double-negative, to mean that Michael, in fact, did want some of this.  Or maybe he just wasn’t watching basketball in the 1980s and 90s when a man named Michael Jordan absolutely dominated the league.

Either way, Wright’s ill-advised comments, marked a memorable evening and most likely, indirectly resulted in his being shipped far, far away from his North Carolina home.

There is in air of anticipation in Gainesville, Florida this week.  And it’s not because football season is only two months away.  The University of Florida’s athletic program once again looks to go where no school has gone before.

In Thursday night’s NBA Draft, Florida has the potential to see three of its brightest stars get selected within the top ten picks.  No collegiate basketball program has ever experienced such good fortune before.  Not Kentucky.  Not North Carolina.  Not Indiana, Duke, Kansas or UCLA.  If the Big Three (Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer) all get drafted in the top 10, it will be the first time EVER three players from the same school have all been drafted so early.

Some programs have come close.  The 1976 Indiana Hoosiers team, coincidentally the last college basketball team to finish the season undefeated, had three players chosen in the Top 11 picks:  Scott May went second to the Bulls, Quinn Buckner went seventh to the Bucks, and Bob Wilkerson went eleventh to the Sonics.

Similarly the 2005 national champion North Carolina Tar Heels had four players selected in the top 14 picks.  Marvin Williams was selected second by the Hawks, Raymond Felton selected fifth by Charlotte, Sean May thirteenth also by Charlotte and Rashad McCants selected 14th by Minnesota.

This is not the University of Florida’s first brush with draft greatness.  The school has had a total of six first round draft picks in their history, most notably Mike Miller who was selected fifth by the Orlando Magic.  Neal Walk remains U.F.’s highest drafted basketball prospect, selected second overall in 1969, one spot behind Lew Alcindor.  Dwayne Schintzius (1990), Jason Williams (1998), Donnell Harvey (2000) and David Lee (2005) were also selected within the first thirty picks in their respective drafts.

Power forward Al Horford is projected to go as high as third to the Atlanta Hawks with former teammates Noah and Brewer probably following not too far behind him.  Many thought Noah would have been the first player taken in last year’s draft had he left Florida as a sophomore, but he and his teammates opted to return for the junior seasons for another shot at a national title.  Although Noah’s stock may have dropped, he’ll always have that extra championship ring to polish.

The possibility of this team once again making history through the draft should once again indicate how special this group of players was as once again, the Florida Gators stand on the verge of making history.

With another NBA draft comes another useless and ill-advised prognostication.  I often wonder why the media feels the need to crown the next big player as the savior for the franchise that drafts him.  

 In recent interviews after this week’s NBA Draft selection, both Jay Bilas and Bob Ryan were quoted as saying that Greg Oden would undoubtedly bring a title to Portland (assuming they draft him) within the next three to five years.  While I’m sure Trailblazer fans are ecstatic about the thought of returning to their glory years of Bill Walton and Dr. Jack Ramsey, unfortunately for them, a number one draft pick rarely guarantees a world championship.

A review of the top picks over the last twenty years supports this claim.  Only once since 1985 has a player chosen number one been the key factor in bringing a championship to the team that drafted him:

1985: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown, Drafted by New York.  While Patrick had a Hall of Fame career, he fell short of bringing the Knicks a title, thanks mostly to Michael Jordan.  Patrick only took his team to an NBA Finals once, losing to Houston in the 1993-94 season.

1986: Brad Daugherty, North Carolina, Drafted by Cleveland.  Brad failed to win a title with the Cavaliers, again thanks to Michael Jordan’s reign in the league.  An injury plagued career, Daugherty can now be seen on ESPN as a NASCAR analyst.

1987: David Robinson, Navy, Drafted by San Antonio.  Although the Admiral won a title, it wasn’t until the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan ten years later that they were able to get over the hump.  Robinson was consistently unable to get them there on his own.

1988:  Danny Manning, Kansas, Drafted by Los Angeles Clippers.  By the time the Clippers made a decent run at the playoffs, Manning was out of the league.

1989: Pervis Ellison, Louisville, Sacramento Kings.  Never played in an NBA Finals.

1990: Derrick Coleman, Syracuse, New Jersey Nets.  Never carried his team to a title.

1991: Larry Johnson, UNLV, Drafted by Charlotte.  Never won a title.

1992: Shaquille O’Neal, LSU, Drafted by Orlando.  Shaq’s legacy on the game is undeniable.  He won three championships with the Lakers and one with Miami, but none with the team that actually drafted him, taking the Magic to the Finals and losing to Houston in 1994-95.

1993: Chris Webber, Michigan, Drafted by Orlando.  Orlando traded the rights to Webber for Anfernee Hardaway.  Webber is only now getting to the Finals with Detroit at the end of his career and is hardly their go-to-guy.

1994: Glenn Robinson, Purdue, Drafted by Milwaukee.  The Big Dog finally won a ring as a role player with the Spurs in 2005 and was hardly a factor in the series.

1995: Joe Smith, Maryland, Drafted by Golden State.  Joe Smith is more famous for illegally signing with Minnesota than any magical playoff runs.

1996: Allen Iverson, Georgetown, Drafted by Philadelphia.  The Answer was able to carry the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001, only to lose to Kobe, Shaq and the Lakers.

1997: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest, Drafted by San Antonio.  Big Fundamentals is the exception to the rule, the one shining star of the last twenty years who has delivered several championships to the Spurs.  Duncan may go down as the best power forward to ever play the game.  Duncan also played a full four years of college basketball before declaring for the draft.

1998: Michael Olowakandi, Pacific, Drafted by the Clippers.  Think Los Angeles wants this pick back?  The Kandiman has averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds over his career and was selected over Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Larry Hughes, Paul Pierce and this year’s MVP, Dirk Nowitzki.

1999: Elton Brand, Duke, Drafted by Chicago.  No longer playing for the Bulls, Brand has been a consistent threat in the post, but as of yet, has not sniffed the Finals.

2000: Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati, Drafted by New Jersey.  Marred by an injury-plagued career, K-Mart did help the Nets make it to the Finals, but it was more Jason Kidd’s team than his.

2001: Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy, Drafted by Washington.  Not one of his finer scouting moments, Michael Jordan was able to lure Kwame away from a verbal commitment at the University of Florida with the guarantee of a number one pick.  Kwame is still finding his place in the league.

2002:  Yao Ming, China, Drafted by Houston.  Although one of the most recognizable faces in the league, Yao has been unable to get out of the first round of the playoffs, and that’s with Tracy McGrady as his teammate.

2003: LeBron James, St Vincent, Drafted by Cleveland.  The Chosen One is one series away from the Finals, but it doesn’t look like it will happen this year.

2004: Dwight Howard, SW Atlanta Christian Academy, Drafted by Orlando.  Dwight had a breakout season, but the Magic are years away from any Finals appearances.

2005: Andrew Bogut, Utah, Drafted by Milwaukee.  Too early to tell, but it’s unlikely Andrew will be the driving factor in bringing a championship back to Milwaukee.

2006:  Andrea Bargnani, Italy, Drafted by Toronto.  The Raptors won their division this year and Bargnani played well, but if Nowitzki can’t win a championship, do we really expect Bargnani to?

As you can see, the number one pick in the draft does not necessarily translate into titles.  So, by that logic, isn’t it premature to guarantee that Greg Oden, who only played one year of college basketball at Ohio State, will bring Portland, who didn’t even make the playoffs this year, a championship??

Let’s quickly compare Oden’s college career numbers to Shaq’s and Duncan’s:

At Ohio State this year, Oden averaged 15.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.3 bpg and shot 61% from the floor.

For his career, Shaquille O’Neal averaged significantly better numbers:  21.6 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 4.5 bpg and also shot 61% from the floor.  In 1990-91, his sophomore year, Shaq averaged 27 and 15!!

Duncan averaged 16, 12 and 4 over his four-year stint at Wake Forest and his numbers increased every year, averaging 21 and 15 his senior season.

I’m not saying Greg Oden won’t be a talent in the league, and I wish him and the team that drafts him the best.  But to prematurely state that Oden will bring Portland a title is ill-informed and borderline ludicrous.