Every summer a new cohort of professional basketball players joins the ranks of the NBA through a draft. Prospects are judged on their performance in high school, college, or international leagues, and teams must decide which player is most likely to be a valuable contributor to their rosters. Since the NBA draft was first held in 1947, many of the players selected with the top pick have more than fulfilled their potential, including such stars as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (drafted 1969), Magic Johnson (1979), Tim Duncan (1997), and LeBron James (2003). There have also been conspicuous misjudgments. For example, Gene Melchiorre (1951) never played a single NBA game because of a gambling scandal, and LaRue Martin (1972) and Anthony Bennett (2013) each ended up playing only four NBA seasons.
Forgotten Draft History
From 1947 to 1965, teams had the option to forgo using their first-round pick in the regular draft and instead select a player from the local area using a so-called “territorial pick.” This system aimed to help franchises build up fan bases in their local markets by adding players who were already well-known to fans in the community. Territorial picks were used before the start of the regular draft. Some of the best players in league history were selected through territorial picks, including Wilt Chamberlain (1959).
Likewise, there have been plenty of excellent players who were available at number one but ended up being selected later in the draft. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best player of all time, was famously selected third in the 1984 draft. Other top-caliber players who were picked relatively late include Steve Nash and Giannis Antetokounmpo, both of whom were picked 15th in their drafts, and Nikola Jokić, who holds the distinction of being the winner of the NBA’s MVP award with the lowest draft position, 41st.
Find out which players have been selected first overall in the NBA draft in the table.