Wouldn’t it be nice if your NBA franchise could just grab a 12-time NBA All-Star in the draft? Charlotte Hornets’ GM Rich Cho may have had a bit of wishful thinking there, introducing his second-round pick (40th overall) Dwayne Bacon (L above) as “Dwyane Wade” Friday, alongside first-round pick Malik Monk (R). And Bacon had a great reaction:
That initial look is just fantastic. “Oh no, here we go again,” as the bowl of petunias might say. Fortunately, Cho quickly recognized his mistake and corrected it, and they were all able to laugh about it, or else this could have gotten even more awkward. But still, you might not want to mess up the name of the guy you drafted, especially if you’re going to confuse it with someone as prominent as Wade.
Bacon’s a 21-year-old guard from Florida State who averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game last season. He also posted 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Seminoles in 2015-16. It will be interesting to see how he fits in with the Hornets; he’s got some potential, but cracking a roster from the 40th draft position can be awfully difficult. And the general manager not remembering your name might not be the best sign.
