The 2007 NBA Draft Class: Where Are These Basketball Stars Now?
I still remember watching the 2007 NBA Draft like it was yesterday - the excitement, the speculation, and those fresh-faced young men waiting to hear their names called. Sixteen years later, that draft class has produced some remarkable careers, though not always following the trajectories we expected. What fascinates me most about tracking these players isn't just their on-court achievements, but how their journeys reflect the unpredictable nature of professional sports careers. I've followed basketball for over two decades now, and this particular draft class holds a special place in my heart because it taught me that success in the NBA isn't just about raw talent - it's about adaptability, resilience, and sometimes, pure luck.
Kevin Durant, selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics, has arguably become the crown jewel of this class. I've watched him evolve from that lanky rookie into one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. His journey has taken him from Seattle to Oklahoma City, then to Golden State where he won two championships, followed by Brooklyn, and now Phoenix. At 34, he's still putting up incredible numbers - averaging 29.1 points per game last season while shooting over 56% from the field. What impresses me most about Durant isn't just his scoring ability, but how he's managed to remain elite despite suffering what many thought could be a career-ending Achilles injury in 2019. His dedication to his craft is something I wish more young players would emulate.
Then there's Marc Gasol, picked 48th by the Lakers but immediately traded to Memphis - a move that still makes me shake my head when I think about what the Lakers gave up. Gasol developed into one of the most skilled big men of his generation, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and playing crucial roles for both the Grizzlies' grit-and-grind era and the Toronto Raptors' 2019 championship team. His basketball IQ was always off the charts - I remember watching him dissect defenses with his passing, something you don't often see from centers. He officially retired from the NBA in 2021 and now plays for Bàsquet Girona in Spain, the club he actually owns - talk about a perfect retirement setup.
The international flavor of this draft class was particularly strong, which reminds me of something interesting I came across while researching player eligibility issues. There was this situation involving a Filipino player where officials mentioned, "The SBP already has a copy of his claimed passport since he first came in sa UP. The only problem is kailangang i-double check ito before we submit it to Fiba, otherwise, if worse comes to worst, it can be grounds for tampering." This kind of administrative diligence is crucial in international basketball today, especially with the NBA becoming increasingly global. Back in 2007, we saw several international players make significant impacts, like Italy's Marco Belinelli, who carved out a solid 14-year career and won a championship with the Spurs in 2014.
Mike Conley, selected fourth by Memphis, has been one of the most underappreciated point guards of his generation. I've always been a huge Conley fan - his game isn't flashy, but it's effective and professional. He spent his first 12 seasons with the Grizzlies before moving to Utah and now Cleveland, providing steady leadership wherever he goes. What's remarkable is that he didn't make his first All-Star game until 2021 - a travesty in my opinion given how consistently excellent he's been throughout his career. He's the NBA's all-time leader in sportsmanship awards, which tells you everything you need to know about how he carries himself both on and off the court.
Al Horford, picked third by Atlanta, has aged like fine wine. At 37, he's still a key contributor for the Boston Celtics, playing crucial minutes in their recent playoff runs. His game has evolved beautifully - from a low-post scorer to a stretch-five who can defend multiple positions. I respect how he's managed to stay relevant by adapting his game to the modern NBA's demands. His career earnings have surpassed $245 million, making him one of the highest-earning players in NBA history - quite the return on investment for someone whose game was never built on athleticism alone.
Some players from this class took more unconventional paths. Thaddeus Young, picked 12th by Philadelphia, has become the ultimate journeyman, playing for eight different teams while maintaining his value as a versatile forward. Meanwhile, Jeff Green, selected fifth by Seattle, has become the NBA's ultimate survivor - he actually underwent heart surgery in 2012 and many thought his career was over, yet he's still contributing meaningful minutes at 36. I've always admired players like Green who overcome significant obstacles to extend their careers - it shows a level of determination that goes beyond the game itself.
The draft also had its share of what-ifs. Greg Oden going first overall ahead of Durant remains one of the biggest draft debates in recent memory. Knee injuries derailed what could have been a Hall of Fame career - he played just 105 NBA games total. I met Oden once at a basketball camp, and the sadness in his eyes when discussing his career was palpable. Then there's Joakim Noah, selected ninth by Chicago, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 but saw his career decline rapidly due to injuries after that spectacular season.
What strikes me about tracking these careers is how differently they've unfolded. Some peaked early, others developed slowly, and a few found success by reinventing themselves multiple times. The 2007 class produced 4 MVP awards (all Durant's), 22 All-Star appearances spread among 6 players, and countless memorable moments. About 65% of the players selected in the first round had careers lasting eight seasons or longer - a pretty impressive retention rate compared to other drafts.
As I look back on this group, what stands out isn't just their individual accomplishments, but how they collectively represent different paths to NBA success. From Durant's superstar trajectory to Gasol's late development to Green's medical comeback story - their journeys remind us that basketball careers are rarely linear. They adapt, they overcome, and they find ways to contribute even as the game evolves around them. Watching these players grow from draft night hopefuls to established veterans has been one of the great pleasures of my time covering basketball, and their stories continue to unfold in fascinating ways.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
