Former NBA star Jeff Teague recently revealed that his draft was ruined by the unexpected death of a legendary celebrity. Teague was a part of the 2009 NBA Draft and was selected with the 19th pick by the Atlanta Hawks.
Although Teague had a decent NBA career over 12 years, his draft night did not go as expected. With the 2025 NBA Draft underway, Teague revealed what went wrong during his draft and the powerful reactions it elicited from his own family.
Why Did Michael Jackson’s Death Affect Jeff Teague and His Family During the 2009 NBA Draft?
Michael Jackson is viewed by many as one of the greatest musical and cultural figures of his generation. He was nicknamed the King of Pop and produced several iconic songs that remain remembered and cherished to this day.
Jackson reportedly died due to an overdose of propofol and other prescription painkillers. Given that he was only 50 years old at the time, his untimely passing stunned the entire world. Moreover, Jackson was from Indiana, just like Teague.
As a result, his family was overwhelmed by negative emotions upon hearing about his death. Teague revealed that Jackson’s death played a huge role in “ruining” his draft night during a recent episode of the Rich Eisen show.
“I stayed at home. My family…Michael Jackson died. I think that’s today. He died on the day I was drafted. We’re out from Indiana, so Michael Jackson is like everything to the people here in Indiana. So everybody was at my house crying…They should have been crying for me. I was about to change my family’s life. But they cried about Mike.”
💻 Jeff Teague
The Club 520 Podcast host recalled his draft night in 2009 that just happened to go down on the same night we lost Michael Jackson:#NBADraft pic.twitter.com/BzNWeWMkvT
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 26, 2025
The former NBA star continued, “All these songs were being played and I’m sitting here waiting for my name to be called and I got picked 19th so it’s a long while. I got my family crying and dancing at the same time…”
One can only imagine how Teague felt upon witnessing his family lament Jackson’s death over his selection into the NBA. Perhaps they should have been more considerate of his journey as a basketball player and not prioritized the death of a local legend.
In any case, Teague was unable to attend his draft and experience it firsthand. He was one of the few players to be drafted but absent from going up on stage and feeling the emotions that players who are currently being chosen get to experience. Thankfully, Jackson’s passing did not impact Teague’s career beyond his draft night.
