More than two months after they announced their decisions to leave school early, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook made their way to Madison Square Garden on Thursday night for the NBA Draft.
When the draft finally began, the two Bruins didn’t have to wait long to hear their names called.
The Seattle SuperSonics chose Westbrook, a sophomore guard, with the No. 4 overall pick. The Hawthorne native climbed the draft board since his announcement, when he said he expected to go from pick No. 15 to pick No. 25.
Love went right after that at No. 5 overall. The freshman center was originally selected by the Memphis Grizzlies, but Memphis traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves later in the night.
“I’m so excited and elated,” said UCLA coach Ben Howland, who attended the event for the first time. “Both Russell and Kevin have worked so hard.”
A third Bruin, junior Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, was selected early in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was a great showing for Howland’s program. UCLA has now sent eight players to the NBA in Howland’s six years as coach. And Westbrook and Love were the first UCLA players to be chosen among the top five picks since 1999, when the Charlotte Hornets picked Baron Davis with the No. 3 overall pick.
Westbrook may have been the surprise of the entire draft. As Howland said, Westbrook “came out of nowhere.” He wasn’t a highly touted high school prospect, and he didn’t start as a freshman. But he showed vast improvement in his second season at UCLA and the type of athleticism and defensive skills that NBA teams covet most.
Now Westbrook will join the reigning NBA rookie of the year, Kevin Durant, in the Seattle backcourt.
The biggest question surrounding Westbrook is his ability to play the point guard position. He rarely played there at UCLA because of All-American Darren Collison.
But that isn’t a worry for Westbrook.
“I’ve been playing point guard all my life,” he said. “I think I’m ready.”
Love was seated right next to Westbrook at the draft, and the two hugged when Westbrook’s name was called. Love went right after that; he said it was a “surreal moment.”
Love wore a Memphis hat throughout the night, but learned later that he would play for Minnesota. He was traded for former USC star, point guard O.J. Mayo.
Mbah a Moute was the last Bruin selected, and unlike Love and Westbrook, he won’t be guaranteed a contract because he was chosen in the second round.
Still, Mbah a Moute said he was happy and that he felt his decision to leave school early was validated.
“I would have hoped to go in the first round,” Mbah a Moute said. “But going at 37 is really not bad.”
Mbah Moute also was pleased with his destination because of Milwaukee’s new coach, Scott Skiles. Mbah a Moute said that Skiles values the things that he does best: defense and rebounding.
Mbah a Moute, who was born in Cameroon, joked that his only worry about going to Milwaukee was the weather.
“I don’t have any winter clothes at this time,” he said. “I’ve never been in the cold ever.”
NOTES: As expected, Chicago chose Memphis freshman Derrick Rose with the first overall pick. Rose dominated UCLA when the two teams met in last year’s Final Four, scoring 25 points … The Pac-10 had seven players selected in the first round, more than any other conference, and four more players selected in the second round … USC freshman Davon Jefferson had signed with an agent and given up his collegiate eligibility to declare for the draft, but the forward wasn’t selected in either round of the draft. … Kansas, Memphis and UCLA ““ who all went to the Final Four last season ““ had the most players drafted.