20 Best NBA Draft Picks from Michigan State
By Zac Snyder
A former Big Ten scoring champion, Shawn Respert never became a prolific scorer in the NBA. He played in 172 games over the course of four NBA seasons with four different teams, averaging 4.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
Call him a bust if you want, but the box scores don’t tell the whole story. Few people knew it at the time, but Respert was diagnosed with cancer late during his rookie season.
"It killed me every time my name was associated with being a bust. I really wanted to say, ‘Look. This is what I’ve had to deal with.’ But people don’t want to hear excuses in pro sports, even if the excuse is cancer."
Next: Number 18