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List of first overall NBA draft picks

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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, 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. Ewing had dual Jamaican—American citizenship when he was drafted, and Irving and Simmons had dual Australian—American citizenship when they were drafted.

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

Player
(in bold text)Denotes a player who is currently active in the NBA

List of first overall picks

DraftSelected byPlayerNationalityPositionCollege/
high school/
former clubNBA rookie statisticsRef.PPGRPGAPG**^^^*^^*^*^^^^**^^*^^^*^*^*^^^**^**^**^^*^^**^**^*^*^^*^*^**^^^*******^^*^**^**^^******^****^******^******^******^************^****^****^****^******^********
1947Pittsburgh IronmenUnited StatesTexas Wesleyan———
1948Providence SteamrollersUnited StatesMarshall—
1949Providence SteamrollersUnited StatesCenterKansas State—
1950Boston CelticsUnited StatesCenterBowling Green
1951Baltimore BulletsUnited StatesGuardBradley———
1952Milwaukee HawksUnited StatesCenterWest Virginia
1953Baltimore BulletsUnited StatesManchester British-Americans (ABL)
1954Baltimore BulletsUnited StatesFurman
1955Milwaukee HawksUnited StatesDuquesne
1956Rochester RoyalsUnited StatesDuquesne
1957Cincinnati RoyalsUnited StatesGuardWest Virginia
1958Minneapolis LakersUnited StatesForwardSeattle
1959Cincinnati RoyalsUnited StatesForwardKansas State
1960Cincinnati RoyalsUnited StatesCincinnati
1961Chicago PackersUnited StatesCenterIndiana
1962Chicago ZephyrsUnited StatesUtah
1963New York KnicksUnited StatesForward/guardDuke
1964New York KnicksUnited StatesCenter/forwardTexas Western
1965San Francisco WarriorsUnited StatesDavidson
1966New York KnicksUnited StatesForward/guardMichigan
1967Detroit PistonsUnited StatesGuardProvidence
1968San Diego RocketsUnited StatesCenter/forwardHouston
1969Milwaukee BucksUnited StatesCenterUCLA
1970Detroit PistonsUnited StatesCenterSt. Bonaventure
1971Cleveland CavaliersUnited StatesGuardNotre Dame
1972Portland Trail BlazersUnited StatesCenterLoyola (Illinois)
1973Philadelphia 76ersUnited StatesIllinois State
1974Portland Trail BlazersUnited StatesCenterUCLA
1975Atlanta HawksUnited StatesForward/guardNC State
1976Houston RocketsUnited StatesGuardMaryland
1977Milwaukee BucksUnited StatesCenterIndiana
1978Portland Trail BlazersBahamasMinnesota
1979Los Angeles LakersUnited StatesMichigan State
1980Golden State WarriorsUnited StatesCenterPurdue
1981Dallas MavericksUnited StatesForwardDePaul
1982Los Angeles LakersUnited StatesForwardNorth Carolina
1983Houston RocketsUnited StatesCenterVirginia
1984Houston RocketsNigeriaCenterHouston
1985New York KnicksUnited StatesCenterGeorgetown
1986Cleveland CavaliersUnited StatesCenterNorth Carolina
1987San Antonio SpursUnited StatesCenterNavy
1988Los Angeles ClippersUnited StatesForwardKansas
1989Sacramento KingsUnited StatesCenterLouisville
1990New Jersey NetsUnited StatesSyracuse
1991Charlotte HornetsUnited StatesForwardUNLV
1992Orlando MagicUnited StatesCenterLSU
1993Orlando MagicUnited StatesForwardMichigan
1994Milwaukee BucksUnited StatesForwardPurdue
1995Golden State WarriorsUnited StatesForwardMaryland
1996Philadelphia 76ersUnited StatesGuardGeorgetown
1997San Antonio SpursUnited StatesWake Forest
1998Los Angeles ClippersNigeriaCenterPacific
1999Chicago BullsUnited StatesForwardDuke
2000New Jersey NetsUnited StatesForwardCincinnati
2001Washington WizardsUnited StatesCenterGlynn Academy HS (Brunswick, Georgia)
2002Houston RocketsChinaCenterShanghai Sharks (China)
2003Cleveland CavaliersUnited StatesForwardSt. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio)
2004Orlando MagicUnited StatesCenterSACA (Atlanta)
2005Milwaukee BucksAustraliaCenterUtah
2006Toronto RaptorsItalyBenetton Treviso (Italy)
2007Portland Trail BlazersUnited StatesCenterOhio State
2008Chicago BullsUnited StatesGuardMemphis
2009Los Angeles ClippersUnited StatesForwardOklahoma
2010Washington WizardsUnited StatesGuardKentucky
2011Cleveland CavaliersUnited StatesGuardDuke
2012New Orleans HornetsUnited StatesKentucky
2013Cleveland CavaliersCanadaForwardUNLV
2014Cleveland CavaliersCanadaForward/guardKansas
2015Minnesota TimberwolvesUnited StatesKentucky
2016Philadelphia 76ersAustraliaGuardLSU
2017Philadelphia 76ersUnited StatesWashington
2018Phoenix SunsBahamasCenterArizona
2019New Orleans PelicansUnited StatesForwardDuke
2020Minnesota TimberwolvesUnited StatesGuardGeorgia
2021Detroit PistonsUnited StatesGuardOklahoma State
2022Orlando MagicUnited StatesForwardDuke
2023San Antonio SpursFranceCenterMetropolitans 92 (France)
2024Atlanta HawksFranceForwardJL Bourg (France)
2025Dallas MavericksUnited StatesForwardDuke

Notes

References

;General

;Specific

References

  1. Ronald Tillery. (June 18, 2008). "Landing the top draft pick can lift NBA team to new heights, and also fill arena".
  2. (June 29, 2006). "Bargnani becomes first European top NBA draft pick".
  3. Vecsey, George. (December 3, 1993). "Basketball Surviving Quite Nicely". [[The New York Times]].
  4. (June 21, 2010). "Kyrie Irving is Committed to the Red, White and Blue". USA Basketball.
  5. Borzello, Jeff. (June 8, 2012). "Australian prospect Ben Simmons makes great first impression".
  6. Bob Cook. (September 13, 2007). "Oden's injury a cruel blow for cursed Blazers". [[NBC Sports]].
  7. (December 29, 2003). "Obituaries: Clifton McNeely 12/29/03". amarillo.com.
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  9. "1949 BAA Draft".
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  11. "1950 NBA Draft".
  12. {{cite basketball-reference. (June 19, 2008)
  13. Wright Thompson. (August 9, 2007). "For the 1951 point-shavers, a life lived in infamy". ESPN.
  14. "1951 NBA Draft".
  15. "1952 NBA Draft".
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  17. "1953 NBA Draft".
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  20. "1955 NBA Draft".
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  22. "1956 NBA Draft".
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  27. "1959 NBA Draft".
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  90. (September 14, 2007). "Oden's recovery from surgery likely in range of 6–12 months".
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  93. (January 13, 2010). "Griffin's rookie season lost to injury".
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  95. {{cite basketball-reference. (April 17, 2011)
  96. Bednall, Jai. (May 15, 2011). "Boomers miss their shot at courting US star Kyrie Irving". Herald and Weekly Times.
  97. (September 14, 2014). "Irving named MVP of 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, headlines All-Star Five". FIBA.
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  101. {{cite basketball-reference. (April 19, 2015)
  102. {{cite basketball-reference. (April 16, 2016)
  103. {{cite basketball-reference. (June 23, 2016)
  104. {{cite basketball-reference. (June 6, 2018)
  105. {{cite basketball-reference. (June 21, 2018)
  106. {{cite basketball-reference. (August 20, 2020)
  107. {{cite basketball-reference. (May 24, 2021)
  108. {{cite basketball-reference. (June 23, 2022)
  109. {{cite basketball-reference. (April 24, 2023)
  110. {{cite basketball-reference. (November 13, 2023)
  111. {{cite basketball-reference. (April 18, 2025)
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