Christian Wood was ditched by his girlfriend after not being picked in the draft

One of the NBA’s fastest rising stars has revealed the fateful decision his ex-girlfriend made early in his career.

Christian Wood is the helping hand James Harden needed in Houston. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

It was one of the most brutal photos taken on NBA draft night, but an image of Christian Wood slumped in his chair after failing to hear his name called only told half the story.

Wood was devastated after inviting dozens of family and friends to a rented space at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas to watch the draft in 2015.

Most projections had him going late in the first round or early in the second but he was overlooked – leading to this infamous picture.

This is about the saddest picture from an NBA Draft you'll ever see -- Christian Wood realizing he's going undrafted. pic.twitter.com/be7ttxLBuT

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) June 26, 2015

But it got worse.

Wood, now 25, revealed to The Ringer this week he was also dumped by his then girlfriend after failing to initially realise his dream of going pro.

She’d flown to Las Vegas to help him celebrate but after dropping her off at the airport afterwards he never saw her again.

That’s proving to be an incredibly shortsighted decision.

Christian Wood is averaging 27 points a game this season. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Christian Wood during his days with the UNLV Rebels. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

After bouncing around the league for several years, Wood enjoyed a breakout season in Detroit and signed a three-year deal with the Houston Rockets worth $53 million (AUD) this year.

After Wood had 23-point and 31-point games to start the season it’s looking like a good investment for the Rockets – and you have to wonder whether his ex is questioning her decision.