List of first overall NBA draft picks explained
The first overall pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is the player who is selected first among all eligible draftees by a team during the league's annual draft. The first pick is awarded to the team that wins the NBA draft lottery; in most cases, that team had a losing record in the previous season. The NBA team that garners the top overall draft pick selection generates significant media attention,[1] as does the respective player who eventually gets selected with that first pick.
Eleven first picks have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award: Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (record six-time winner), Bill Walton, Magic Johnson (three-time winner), Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan (two-time winner), LeBron James (four-time winner), and Derrick Rose (youngest winner).
China's Yao Ming (2002), Italy's Andrea Bargnani (2006), France's Victor Wembanyama (2023) and Zaccharie Risacher (2024) are the only players without competitive experience in the United States to be drafted first overall. Eleven other international players with U.S. college experience have been drafted first overall—Mychal Thompson (Bahamas) in 1978, Olajuwon (Nigeria) in 1984, Patrick Ewing (Jamaica) in 1985, Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands) in 1997, Michael Olowokandi (Nigeria) in 1998, Andrew Bogut (Australia) in 2005, Kyrie Irving (Australia) in 2011, Anthony Bennett (Canada) in 2013, Andrew Wiggins (Canada) in 2014, Ben Simmons (Australia) in 2016, and Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) in 2018. Duncan is an American citizen, but is considered an "international" player by the NBA because he was not born in one of the fifty states or the District of Columbia.[2] Ewing[3] had dual Jamaican-American citizenship when he was drafted, and Irving[4] and Simmons[5] had dual Australian-American citizenship when they were drafted.
Note that the drafts between 1947 and 1949 were held by the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The Basketball Association of America became the National Basketball Association after absorbing teams from the National Basketball League in the fall of 1949. Official NBA publications include the BAA Drafts as part of the NBA's draft history.
Key
List of first overall picks
See also
References
- General
- Web site: Draft Index . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110514001512/http://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/ . May 14, 2011 . June 14, 2008 . basketball-reference.com.
- Specific
Notes and References
- Web site: Ronald Tillery . June 18, 2008 . Landing the top draft pick can lift NBA team to new heights, and also fill arena . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120212221616/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/May/18/playing-the-odds/ . February 12, 2012 . June 16, 2008 . The Commercial Appeal.
- Web site: June 29, 2006 . Bargnani becomes first European top NBA draft pick . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090222015506/http://english.people.com.cn/200606/29/eng20060629_278441.html . February 22, 2009 . June 16, 2008 . People's Daily.
- News: Vecsey . George . December 3, 1993 . Basketball Surviving Quite Nicely . . live . May 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171231051822/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/03/sports/sports-of-the-times-basketball-surviving-quite-nicely.html?pagewanted=all . December 31, 2017.
- Web site: June 21, 2010 . Kyrie Irving is Committed to the Red, White and Blue . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100824195739/http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/u18/10_mu18_q_a_irving.html . August 24, 2010 . USA Basketball.
- Web site: Borzello . Jeff . June 8, 2012 . Australian prospect Ben Simmons makes great first impression . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160727043330/http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/recruiting/eye-on-college-basketball-recruiting/19302626/australian-prospect-ben-simmons-makes-great-first-impression . July 27, 2016 . May 18, 2017 . CBSSports.com.
- All statistics are taken from the players' respective rookie season unless otherwise noted.
- t/tonkoan01. Andy Tonkovich. June 19, 2008.
- s/shannho01. Howie Shannon. June 19, 2008.
- s/sharech01. Chuck Share. June 19, 2008.
- w/workmma01. Mark Workman. June 19, 2008.
- f/felixra01. Ray Felix. June 19, 2008.
- s/selvyfr01. Frank Selvy. June 19, 2008.
- r/rickedi01. Dick Ricketts. June 19, 2008.
- g/greensi01. Sihugo Green. June 19, 2008.
- h/hundlho01. Rod Hundley. June 19, 2008.
- b/bayloel01. Elgin Baylor. June 19, 2008.
- b/boozebo01. Bob Boozer. June 19, 2008.
- r/roberos01. Oscar Robertson. June 19, 2008.
- b/bellawa01. Walt Bellamy. June 19, 2008.
- m/mcgilbi01. Bill McGill. June 19, 2008.
- h/heymaar01. Art Heyman. June 19, 2008.
- b/barneji01. Jim Barnes. June 19, 2008.
- h/hetzefr01. Fred Hetzel. June 19, 2008.
- r/russeca01. Cazzie Russell. June 20, 2008.
- w/walkeji01. Jimmy Walker. June 20, 2008.
- h/hayesel01. Elvin Hayes. June 20, 2008.
- a/abdulka01. Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). June 20, 2008.
- l/laniebo01. Bob Lanier. June 20, 2008.
- c/carrau01. Austin Carr. June 20, 2008.
- m/martila01. LaRue Martin. June 20, 2008.
- c/collido01. Doug Collins. June 20, 2008.
- w/waltobi01. Bill Walton. June 20, 2008.
- t/thompda01. David Thompson. June 20, 2008.
- l/lucasjo01. John Lucas. June 20, 2008.
- b/bensoke01. Kent Benson. June 20, 2008.
- t/thompmy01. Mychal Thompson. June 20, 2008.
- j/johnsma02. Earvin Johnson (Magic Johnson). June 20, 2008.
- c/carrojo01. Joe Barry Carroll. June 20, 2008.
- a/aguirma01. Mark Aguirre. June 20, 2008.
- w/worthja01. James Worthy. June 20, 2008.
- s/sampsra01. Ralph Sampson. June 20, 2008.
- o/olajuha01. Hakeem Olajuwon. June 20, 2008.
- e/ewingpa01. Patrick Ewing. June 20, 2008.
- d/daughbr01. Brad Daugherty. June 20, 2008.
- r/robinda01. David Robinson. June 20, 2008.
- m/mannida01. Danny Manning. June 20, 2008.
- e/ellispe01. Pervis Ellison. June 20, 2008.
- c/colemde01. Derrick Coleman. June 20, 2008.
- j/johnsla02. Larry Johnson. June 20, 2008.
- o/onealsh01. Shaquille O'Neal. June 20, 2008.
- w/webbech01. Chris Webber. June 20, 2008.
- r/robingl01. Glenn Robinson. June 20, 2008.
- s/smithjo02. Joe Smith. June 20, 2008.
- i/iversal01. Allen Iverson. June 20, 2008.
- d/duncati01. Tim Duncan. June 20, 2008.
- o/olowomi01. Michael Olowokandi. June 20, 2008.
- b/brandel01. Elton Brand. June 20, 2008.
- m/martike01. Kenyon Martin. June 20, 2008.
- b/brownkw01. Kwame Brown. June 20, 2008.
- m/mingya01. Yao Ming. June 20, 2008.
- j/jamesle01. LeBron James. June 20, 2008.
- h/howardw01. Dwight Howard. June 20, 2008.
- b/bogutan01. Andrew Bogut. June 20, 2008.
- b/bargnan01. Andrea Bargnani. June 20, 2008.
- o/odengr01. Greg Oden. June 20, 2008.
- r/rosede01. Derrick Rose. December 26, 2008.
- g/griffbl01. Blake Griffin. April 17, 2011.
- w/walljo01. John Wall. April 17, 2011.
- i/irvinky01. Kyrie Irving. June 11, 2013.
- d/davisan02. Anthony Davis. June 11, 2013.
- b/bennean01. Anthony Bennett. May 28, 2014.
- w/wiggian01. Andrew Wiggins. April 19, 2015.
- t/townska01. Karl-Anthony Towns. April 16, 2016.
- s/simmobe01. Ben Simmons. June 23, 2016.
- f/fultzma01. Markelle Fultz. June 6, 2018.
- a/aytonde01. Deandre Ayton. June 21, 2018.
- w/willizi01. Zion Williamson. August 20, 2020.
- e/edwaran01. Anthony Edwards. May 24, 2021.
- c/cunnica01. Cade Cunningham. June 23, 2022.
- c/banchpa01. Paolo Banchero. April 24, 2023.
- w/wembavi01. Victor Wembanyama. November 13, 2023.