Pacers' Myles Turner rips former 1st rounder in 2015 Draft Story

The Indiana Pacers' star center had a lot to say about when he came into the league, and the player who put him in a tizzy.

Myles Turner has quietly carved out a niche for himself as one of the best centers in the NBA. Turner averaged 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds last season for the Indiana Pacers as the team battled it out in the NBA Central Division.

Turner hasn't made the list of the ten greatest players in Pacers franchise history yet, but he has certainly made a name for himself in the Hoosier State. The Pacers, including star guard Tyrese Haliburton, have circled one game on the calendar for 2024 that has fans talking.

Recently Turner spoke about his experiences at the 2015 NBA Draft. Turner came out of Austin, Texas where he played center for the Longhorns. He recalls the draft process and wondering about a player taken ahead of him who has since been forgotten: former Orlando Magic guard Mario Hezonja.

Hezonja, an athletic guard from Croatia, was taken number five overall in that year's draft. According to Turner, the experience was difficult to say the least.

Since the draft, the athletic Pacers center has put it all in perspective. He understands why everything worked out the way it did, while hilariously recalling his reaction to the Orlando Magic's selection of Hezonja at pick number five.

"I thought I was going number 5 to Orlando… I'm at the table in the greenroom, 'With the number 5th pick, the Orlando Magic [select] Mario Hezonja.' I'm like, 'who the f*ck is this?' … I had seen the highlights [of Mario], alright he can fly a little bit, he can dunk, he can… pic.twitter.com/o8b2cgqOyJ

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 14, 2023

As the Pacers prepare for the 2023-2024 season, all eyes are on a team that seems stuck in limbo at times. The team's core of Haliburton, Turner, Buddy Hield and Benedict Mathurin comprise an elite unit of high fliers, scorers and three-point shooters.

If the Pacers can come together as a team and maximize each player on the roster's talent, Turner could find himself on the short list of top players in the Eastern Conference next season — not just among NBA diehards, but also among fans of the world's preeminent basketball league, the National Basketball Association, in general.