NBA Number 1 Draft Picks

NBA #1 Draft Picks 

The Number 1 Draft Pick is awarded to the team that wins the NBA Draft Lottery, and has provided some memorable selections since its inception, both good and bad.

11 Number 1 Draft picks have been NBA MVP Award Winners, these include:

Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6 time winner), Bill Walton, Magic Johnson (3 time winner), David robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’neal, Tim Duncan (2 time winner), Lebron James (4 time winner) and Derrick Rose (the youngest winner ever).

There have also been some notable Number 1 “busts” including, the most noteable, Sam Bowie…

Sam Bowie, 1984 – Portland – Picked ahead of Michael Jordan in 1984. Destroyed by injury, the talented Bowie played just 139 games, but could have been anything. Unfortunately he ended up being the guy with the most brittle legs in NBA history, who just happened to be picked in front of the greatest player in history.

and just for a laugh, our personal favourite, Kwame Brown…

Kwame Brown, 2001, Washington – The fact that Kwame managed to squeeze in 12 years of below par NBA basketball is a miracle. The 2001 draft class was terrible, so it’s probably apt that one of the biggest busts rolled out of it.

Scouted by Michael Jordan, Kwame came straight out of high school as a seven-footer. During three seasons at Washington, he was broken down and brought to tears by Jordan on and off the court for his lack of skill and intensity, perhaps attributing to his lack of confidence.

After three years at the Wizards, he traveled to LA, to be further beaten down by Kobe, then finished his time in the NBA floating through Memphis and Charlotte.

Traded for Pau Gasol in 2008, we still wonder how it happened, but Stephen A. Smith sums up the thoughts quite well…


NBA Number 1 Draft Picks Year By Year

Below is a list of Number 1 NBA Draft Picks including where they were drafted from and Rookie statistics.

Draft Player Selected By Drafted From PTS RPG APG
2023 Victor Wembanyma San Antonio Spurs Metropolitans 92 (France)
2022 Paolo Banchero Orlando Magic Duke 20.0 6.0 3.7
2021 Cade Cunningham Detroit Pistons OKlahoma State 17.4 5.5 5.6
2020 Anthony Edwards Minnesota Timberwolves Georgia 19.3 4.7 2.9
2019 Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans Duke 22.5 6.3 2.1
2018 Deandre Ayton Phoenix Suns Arizona 16.3 10.3 1.8
2017 Markelle Fultz Philadelphia 76ers Washington 7.1 3.1 3.8
2016 Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers LSU 15.8 8.1 8.2
2015 Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota Timberwolves Kentucky 18.3 10.4 2.0
2014 Andrew Wiggins Cleveland Cavaliers Kansas 16.9 4.6 2.1
2013 Anthony Bennett Cleveland Cavaliers UNLV 4.2 3.0 0.3
2012 Anthony Davis New Orleans Hornets Kentucky 13.5 8.2 1.0
2011 Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers Duke 18.5 3.7 5.4
2010 John Wall Washington Wizards Kentucky 16.4 4.6 8.3
2009 Blake Griffin Los Angeles Clippers Oklahoma 22.5 12.1 3.8
2008 Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls Memphis 16.8 3.9 6.3
2007 Greg Oden Portland Trail Blazers Ohio State 8.9 7.0 0.5
2006 Andrea Bargnani Toronto Raptors Benetton Treviso (Italy) 11.6 3.9 0.8
2005 Andrew Bogut Milwaukee Bucks Utah 9.4 7.0 2.3
2004 Dwight Howard Orlando Magic SACA (Atlanta) 12.0 10.0 0.9
2003 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers St. Vincent-St. Mary HS 20.9 5.5 5.9
2002 Yao Ming Houston Rockets Shanghai Sharks (China) 13.5 8.2 1.7
2001 Kwame Brown Washington Wizards Glynn Academy HS 4.5 3.5 0.8
2000 Kenyon Martin New Jersey Nets Cincinnati 12.0 7.4 1.9
1999 Elton Brand Chicago Bulls Duke 20.1 10.0 1.9
1998 Michael Olowokandi Los Angeles Clippers Pacific 8.9 7.9 0.6
1997 Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs Wake Forest 21.1 11.9 2.7
1996 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers Georgetown 23.5 4.1 7.5
1995 Joe Smith Golden State Warriors Maryland 15.3 8.7 1.0
1994 Glenn Robinson Milwaukee Bucks Purdue 21.9 6.4 2.5
1993 Chris Webber Orlando Magic Michigan 17.5 9.1 3.6
1992 Shaquille O’Neal Orlando Magic LSU 23.4 13.9 1.9
1991 Larry Johnson Charlotte Hornets UNLV 19.2 11 3.6
1990 Derrick Coleman New Jersey Nets Syracuse 18.4 10.3 2.2
1989 Pervis Ellison Sacramento Kings Louisville 8.0 5.8 1.9
1988 Danny Manning Los Angeles Clippers Kansas 16.7 6.6 3.1
1987 David Robinson San Antonio Spurs Navy 24.3 12.0 2.0
1986 Brad Daugherty Cleveland Cavaliers North Carolina 15.7 8.1 3.8
1985 Patrick Ewing New York Knicks Georgetown 20.0 9.0 2.0
1984 Hakeem Olajuwon Houston Rockets Houston 20.6 11.9 1.4
1983 Ralph Sampson Houston Rockets Virginia 21.0 11.1 2.0
1982 James Worthy Los Angeles Lakers North Carolina 13.4 5.2 1.7
1981 Mark Aguirre Dallas Mavericks DePaul 18.7 4.9 3.2
1980 Joe Barry Carroll Golden State Warriors Purdue 18.9 9.3 1.4
1979 Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers Michigan State 18.0 7.7 7.3
1978 Mychal Thompson Portland Trail Blazers Minnesota 14.7 8.3 2.4
1977 Kent Benson Milwaukee Bucks Indiana 7.7 4.3 1.4
1976 John Lucas Houston Rockets Maryland 11.1 2.7 5.6
1975 David Thompson Atlanta Hawks NC State 26.0 6.3 3.7
1974 Bill Walton Portland Trail Blazers UCLA 12.8 12.6 4.8
1973 Doug Collins Philadelphia 76ers Illinois State 8.0 1.8 1.6
1972 LaRue Martin Portland Trail Blazers Loyola (Illinois) 4.4 4.6 0.5
1971 Austin Carr Cleveland Cavaliers Notre Dame 21.2 3.5 3.4
1970 Bob Lanier Detroit Pistons St. Bonaventure 15.6 8.1 1.8
1969 Lew Alcindor Milwaukee Bucks UCLA 28.8 14.5 4.1
1968 Elvin Hayes San Diego Rockets Houston 28.4 17.1 1.4
1967 Jimmy Walker Detroit Pistons Providence 8.8 1.7 2.8
1966 Cazzie Russell New York Knicks Michigan 11.3 3.3 2.4
1965 Fred Hetzel San Francisco Warriors Davidson 6.8 5.2 0.5
1964 Jim Barnes New York Knicks Texas Western 15.5 9.7 1.2
1963 Art Heyman New York Knicks Duke 15.4 4 3.4
1962 Bill McGill Chicago Zephyrs Utah 7.4 2.7 0.6
1961 Walt Bellamy Chicago Packers Indiana 31.6 19 2.7
1960 Oscar Robertson Cincinnati Royals Cincinnati 30.5 10.1 9.7
1959 Bob Boozer Cincinnati Royals Kansas State 8.4 6.2 1.4
1958 Elgin Baylor Minneapolis Lakers Seattle 24.9 15.0 4.1
1957 Rod Hundley Cincinnati Royals West Virginia 7.0 2.9 1.9
1956 Sihugo Green Rochester Royals Duquesne 11.5 5.2 3.6
1955 Dick Ricketts Milwaukee Hawks Duquesne 8.9 7.2 3.0
1954 Frank Selvy Baltimore Bullets Furman 19 5.5 3.5
1953 Ray Felix Baltimore Bullets Long Island 17.6 13.3 1.1
1952 Mark Workman Milwaukee Hawks West Virginia 5.1 3.0 0.6
1951 Gene Melchiorre Baltimore Bullets Bradley
1950 Charlie Share Boston Celtics Bowling Green 3.9 5.3 1.0
1949 Howie Shannon Providence Steamrollers Kansas State 13.4 2.3
1948 Andy Tonkovich Providence Steamrollers Marshall 2.6 0.6
1947 Clifton McNeely Pittsburgh Ironmen Texas Wesleyan

This list of number one NBA Draft Picks will update at the end of each NBA season.