Everyone knows that Yao Ming was the No. 1 pick in the NBA in 2002. Who was the No. 3 pick and No. 2 pick that year? How was their career?

As the pride of Chinese fans, Yao Ming successfully entered the NBA as the No. 1 pick in 2002. Since then, he has become the first foreign NBA No. 1 pick in history and the first Asian NBA No. 1 pick. Although Yao Ming failed to win a championship during his eight-year NBA career, which was not too long, his performance was generally very good. He never missed the All-Star lineup in any season and has been a top three-level center in the league for a long time. He set a very correct example for Chinese and Asian players and created many memorable moments.

Going back to the draft night in 2002, in fact, in addition to Yao Ming, there were many young talents who participated in the NBA draft this summer, including the familiar "little bully" Amar'e Stoudemire, Brazilian center Nene Hilario, Caron Butler and others. So after this year's draft, after Yao Ming, which two players became the second and third pick respectively? And how did these two players perform later? Let’s find out below!

Jay Williams

Career statistics: 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals

Draft pick: Second overall pick

Draft team: Chicago Bulls

Selected after Yao Ming, was regarded as the best guard of that generation, Jay Williams from Duke University. In college, his performance was quite impressive. During his three years at Duke, he ranked sixth in school history in total points, third in assists, fifth in steals, and second in three-pointers. In the 108 games he played, he helped the school achieve an impressive record of 95 wins and 13 losses.

In his junior season, he averaged 21.3 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and performed well on both offense and defense. And what's even more amazing is that when he was at Duke University, he helped the school win the NCAA championship trophy. It is precisely because of this that before participating in the NBA draft, he directly swept the Naismith Award, Wooden Award, College Student of the Year Award and other honors. In addition, he was also recruited by the Dream Team 5, and once represented the Dream Team in the World Championships held in his hometown. It can be said that if it were not for Yao Ming's existence, perhaps the number one pick this year would be Williams.

In the end, he was selected by the Bulls with the second overall pick and became the second overall pick that year. Although Williams did not fully adapt to the rhythm and intensity of the NBA in the first season of his career, his talent and basic skills were still fully displayed during the game. He played 75 games and posted 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists. His efficiency was not that impressive, but considering he is only 21 years old, it is still acceptable.

But what was unexpected was that after the season, he was driving a motorcycle on the road at high speed one night during the offseason. He eventually had an accident and hit a telephone pole on the side of the road. As a result, he tore the cruciate ligament of his left knee and severely damaged three nerves in his left leg. He was once at risk of nerve necrosis and the need for amputation. Although he later saved his left leg, he no longer had the ability to continue playing in the NBA. After trial training with many teams, he was unable to get a contract. In the end, at the age of 21, he ended his NBA career in a hurry and could only look for opportunities in some lower-level leagues, which was disappointing.

Mike Dunleavy

Career statistics: 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists

Draft pick: third overall

Draft team: Golden State Warriors

Yes, this Dunleavy is the current general manager of the Warriors, and coincidentally, when he participated in the NBA draft that year, the team that selected him was the Warriors. Like Jay Williams, Dunleavy is also from Duke University. This year's draft is definitely a good year for Duke University. After all, there has never been a situation where the No. 3 pick and No. 2 pick came from the same university. He entered Duke University in the same year as Williams, and as soon as he entered the school, he was regarded as an absolute core player.

During March Madness in his sophomore season, he was already able to contribute 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. Especially in the finals, he scored 18 points in the second half, including three consecutive three-pointers within 45 seconds, successfully helping the school win the championship, and was eventually selected to the NCAA Final Four All-NBA Team. In his junior season, his data also increased to 17.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals. This successfully helped his draft stock rise and impressed the Warriors to select him as the third overall pick.

However, like many white shooters of that era, Dunleavy's performance in the NBA could not be compared to that in college due to his average physical fitness and lack of outstanding confrontation ability. He only had three starts in his rookie season. However, Dunleavy did not feel frustrated. He continued to strengthen his confrontation, which successfully helped him average double figures in points per game for 11 consecutive seasons starting from the second season of his career. In the 2007-08 season, he once contributed 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Whether he was with the Warriors, Pacers, or later the Bucks, he was a very reliable scorer. At the end of his career, his total career points reached 11,048 points and he earned a salary of US$84.51 million. Although he failed to fully realize his status as the No. 3 pick, overall, his career has been relatively successful. Now he is in charge of the team's life and death with the Warriors, and he is still working hard for the basketball career.