It has been 12 years since Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted into the NBA.
The class of 2013 didn’t feature a lot of big name prospects ahead of the NBA Draft. In fact, only three players from that class have managed to earn NBA All-Star honors in their career.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of those players as he was picked using the 15th overall pick by the organization.
Today, the Greek Freak is viewed as arguably the best player in the NBA. With that said, let’s take a trip down the memory lane.
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images14 players who were picked before Giannis Antetokounmpo
The first 14 picks in any NBA Draft are considered lottery picks, Antetokounmpo fell just outside of that.
Evidently, the expectations weren’t that high from an unheard prospect out of Greece, who was selected at the No. 15 spot.
Fast forward to 2025, Giannis is a 2x NBA MVP, 1x NBA DPOY, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 1x NBA champion, and more. But which players were picked ahead of him? Well, here’s the full breakdown:
Anthony Bennett – Cleveland Cavaliers (1)Victor Oladipo – Orlando Magic (2)Otto Porter Jr. – Washington Wizards (3)Cody Zeller – Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (4)Alex Len – Phoenix Suns (5)Nerlens Noel – New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (6)Ben McLemore – Sacramento Kings (7)Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Detroit Pistons (8)Trey Burke – Minnesota Timberwolves (9)CJ McCollum – Portland Trail Blazers (10)Michael Carter-Williams – Philadelphia 76ers (11)Steven Adams – Oklahoma City Thunder (12)Kelly Olynyk – Dallas Mavericks (13)Shabazz Muhammad – Utah Jazz (14)
If the class of 2013 gets redrafted, there’s no doubt that Antetokounmpo will be selected with the No. 1 overall pick. That should speak volumes about the Greek Freak’s achievements.
Where are the 14 players now
As we mentioned earlier, Giannis has enjoyed a terrific spell in the league, albeit facing crossroads ahead of the offseason.
But what about the rest of the players? Well, here’s a quick breakdown of the same:
Player NameWhere are they nowAnthony BennettOut of leagueVictor OladipoOut of leagueOtto Porter Jr.Out of leagueCody ZellerOut of leagueAlex LenBackup center for the LA LakersNerlens NoelOut of leagueBen McLemoreOut of leagueKentavious Caldwell-PopeStarting shooting guard on Orlando MagicTrey BurkeOut of leagueCJ McCollumStarting point guard for the New Orleans PelicansMichael Carter-WilliamsOut of leagueSteven AdamsBackup center for the Houston RocketsKelly OlynykStarting center for the New Orleans PelicansShabazz MuhammadOut of league
Only five out of the 14 players selected ahead of Antetokounmpo are still in the NBA. Moreover, they are not anywhere close in accomplishments as they have regressed while Giannis remains in the prime of his career.