NBA Commissioner David Stern couldn't help but comment on what a "rowdy" crowd had attended the 2006 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden in New York City, but the big excitement for Spartans fans came when MSU guard Shannon Brown was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round and 25th overall.
"It's a good opportunity," Brown said. "I've got to thank God; I've got to thank the Cavs for picking me; I've got to thank a lot of people. I just have to go in there and work hard."
Brown will now have the opportunity to play alongside superstar LeBron James.
Joining Brown in the first round was MSU guard Maurice Ager, selected by the Dallas Mavericks as the 28th pick.
In round two, MSU center Paul Davis went fourth, or 34th overall, to the Los Angeles Clippers.
As swarms of sports fans erupted in a combination of cheers and jeers, Stern stepped up to the podium to announce the first player selected in the draft by the Toronto Raptors: Andrea Bargnani from Italy.
Bargnani, a 6-foot-11 power forward, was the first European-born player to be selected in the No. 1 position.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," Bargnani said to ESPN's Stuart Scott after being drafted. The selection of Bargnani wasn't a surprise, as he was predicted to go No. 1 by NBADraft.net and SI.com.
For the second pick, the Chicago Bulls selected 6-foot-10 forward LaMarcus Aldridge from the University of Texas but immediately traded him to the Portland Trailblazers for their fourth pick — Tyrus Thomas, a 6-foot-9 forward from Louisiana State University. Second-year player Viktor Khryapa from the Trailblazers was also part of the trade, moving from the Blazers to the Bulls.
Drafted in between Aldridge and Thomas, at No. 3, was Gonzaga University forward Adam Morrison.
In his interview with Scott, after getting drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats, the ESPN sportscaster noted that Morrison was giving his suit to The Topps Company, Inc. — where it will be chopped up and used for trading cards.
In the fifth position, Duke University forward/center Sheldon Williams went to the Atlanta Hawks. Williams' Duke teammate, J.J. Redick, was also selected.
Redick was drafted in the No. 11 spot by the Orlando Magic, even with the personal issues surrounding the 6-foot-4 sharp shooter. He was arrested for drunk driving and did not participate in pre-draft workouts because of a back injury. He said he was looking forward to playing with Orlando and wants to make up for the drunk driving mistake.
"Well, first of all, the incident was an isolated incident, and I have to be clean from here on out — I understand that. I'm going to do some community service, whether the court tells me to or not," Redick said to ESPN after getting drafted.
In a surprising decision by the New York Knicks, University of South Carolina small forward Renaldo Balkman was selected in the first round as the 20th choice.
