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With the 9th overall pick, the Dallas Mavericks select Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Among all the players LeBron James played with during his first spell with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Zydrunas 'Big Z' Ilgauskas was easily the most reliable. A force on the interior, a sturdy rim protector and an elite rebounder, Ilgauskas had a 15-year career in the league and was a real force to contend with for the better part of his stint.
Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 20th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, Ilgauskas was slotted straight into their starting lineup as a 21-year-old rookie from Lithuanian league club Atletas Kaunas. Injuries deprived him of playing in his best physical shape, but he still made the All-Star team twice (2003, 2005).
Ilgauskas moved to the Miami Heat with James in the summer of 2010 as a locker room guy and announced his retirement at the end of the season. His jersey has been retired by the Cavaliers ever since, making him only the third European to be so honored after Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac.
