#1 Overall Picks in the NBA Draft (Part 4) Quiz

Answer:

First off, here are the players that were #1 overall draft picks in various years:

Chuck Share was the first overall pick in the 1950 NBA Draft, making him technically the first-ever NBA draft pick in history, since prior to 1950 the NBA was the BAA. As a 6'10" center he was extremely tall for the era back then, so he was selected by the Boston Celtics, although he wound up never playing for them.

The St. Louis Hawks (briefly known as the Milwaukee Hawks) made the 6'7" forward from Duquesne University Dick Ricketts, the first overall pick in the 1955 NBA Draft. He was an All-American basketballer in college and played in the NBA from 1955 to 1958, after which he retired from pro basketball to play professional baseball, becoming one of 13 athletes to play in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.

With a standout college career at Providence College, Jimmy Walker was selected first overall in the 1967 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He was a two-time All-Star in the NBA (1971, 1972). By the way, Jimmy Walker was also selected as the first overall pick in the inaugural 1967 American Basketball Association (ABA) draft by the Indiana Pacers, making him the only player in history drafted by both leagues first overall the same year. He never did play in the ABA though.

In 1970, Austin Carr of Notre Dame set the record for highest average points per game in a single NCAA basketball tournament-an incredible 52.7 points per game. In 1971, the Cleveland Cavaliers promptly drafted him first overall. His NBA career lasted ten years and he was an All-Star in 1974. The Cavaliers retired his number.

One of the NBA's all-time greatest players, Earvin "Magic" Johnson of Michigan State University, was selected first overall in the 1979, and went on to win 3 NBA MVP Awards, and 5 NBA Championships, playing his whole career with the Lakers. He won Rookie of the Year, was an NBA All-Star 12 times, and in 2002 was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

"Never Nervous Pervis" Ellison led the University of Louisville to the 1986 NCAA Championship in his freshman year, winning the Most Outstanding Player Award of the Final Four. In 1989, Pervis Ellison was selected 1st Overall by the Sacramento Kings. He suffered a foot injury in his rookie year and was traded to the Washington Bullets, but in the 1991-92 season, he averaged 20.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, earning himself the NBA's Most Improved Player award.

A stand out player for the magnificent Georgetown University Hoyas, Allen Iverson was selected first overall in the 1996 draft, by the Philadelphia 76ers. The shooting guard was only 6 feet tall but played 14 NBA seasons, winning the NBA MVP Award in 2001. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star, and was the league's Scoring Champion four times. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame-Class of 2016.

Growing up in Nigeria, and playing college basketball at the University of the Pacific, in California, Michael Olowokandi was selected with the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. The 7'0" center displayed highly impressive athletic skills at NBA annual pre-draft events, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, his career didn't live up to the promise, partly due to many knee injuries and surgeries, but also due apparently to some attitude problems-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had referred to him in an ESPN column as being "talented but uncoachable."

The Los Angeles Clippers had the first overall draft pick once again in 2009, and they chose Blake Griffin from the University of Oklahoma. He missed his first season due to injury but came back strong winning Rookie of the Year. Huh? How does one win Rookie of the Year if they don't play their first season? Because, according to NBA rules, a player's rookie season is credited to the first season in which he plays in a regular-season game. Returning to full health for the 2010-11 season, he not only won Rookie of the Year, he was an NBA All-Star as well, which is rare.

The following year, University of Kentucky point guard John Wall was selected by the Washington Wizards with the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He became a star for the Wizards, leading them with his speed to the playoffs in four of his seasons there. In 2019, he tore his Achilles tendon and was traded to the Houston Rockets, and then for his final season he signed with the Clippers. Wall was a 5-time NBA All-Star.

Just months after drafting Andrew Wiggins from the University of Kansas as the first overall pick in 2014, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves for proven star Kevin Love in their attempt to assemble a "win-now" team around LeBron James. With Minnesota, Wiggins won Rookie of the Year, scoring over 20 points a game for several seasons. In 2020 they traded him to the Golden State Warriors, whereupon in 2022, he was an NBA All-Star selection for the first time as a starter, and also was pivotal in the Warrior's winning the NBA Championship.

The 7'4" Victor Wembanyama was playing professional basketball for France on the Metropolitan 92 team, when the San Antonio Spurs drafted him first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was voted unanimously as Rookie of the Year, and was the first rookie ever named to the All-Defensive First Team. He is one of those NBA phenoms of recent years who are tremendously tall, but almost seem to play like a point guard. It's not something that was seen in the NBA or anywhere prior to this century it seems.

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Here are NBA superstar legends that were not drafted first overall, perhaps surprisingly in hindsight:

Coming out of Auburn University, Charles Barkley was selected 5th overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a great draft year with Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan amongst the players picked ahead of Barkley.

Vince Carter was drafted 5th overall in 1998, by the Golden State Warriors, but they had a pre-arranged trade agreement with the Toronto Raptors who had the 4th overall pick. So, on draft-night, the Raptors chose Antawn Jamison and when the Warriors picked Carter the two teams immediately traded since those were the two players both teams wanted anyway.

Julius Erving was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 1972 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but he never played for them. Taking advantage of the ABA's "hardship" rule he left the University of Massachusetts after his junior year, and signed with the ABA's Virginia Squires in 1971.

Sam Jones was selected 8th overall in the first round of the 1957 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. He was a 5-time NBA All-Star and won 10 NBA championships, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984.

Moses Malone was the first modern player to go straight from high school to the pros, signing with the ABA's Utah Stars in 1974. He was the ABA's 28th pick overall, going in the 3rd round. In 1976, when the ABA and NBA merged, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Malone fifth overall in the dispersal draft amongst players from ABA teams not joining the NBA.

UCLA's Reggie Miller was selected 11th overall in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. Miller would go on to have a fantastic 18-year career, all of it with the Pacers.

He came close to being the first pick, but the Georgetown University Hoyas' superstar Alonzo Mourning was selected 2nd overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Some guy named Shaquille O'Neal, was selected first, by the Orlando Magic. Mourning was a 7-time NBA All-Star, 2-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Robert Parish was selected 8th overall in the first round of the 1976 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. In 1980, in a pre-draft trade, the Celtics dealt the top overall pick and an additional first-round pick to the Warriors for Parish. With Boston, Parish became a 4-time NBA Champion and a 9-time NBA All-Star, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

Scottie Pippen was selected by the Seattle Supersonics with the 5th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, but was immediately traded to the Chicago Bulls in a pre-arranged deal the two teams made in which Chicago, drafting 8th, chose center Olden Polynice and sent him to Seattle to complete the agreement.

Willis Reed was selected in the 2nd round by the New York Knicks, the 8th overall pick in the 1964 NBA Draft. Reed was the first second-round draft pick to ever win the NBA MVP award (1970). Nikola Jokiæ was the second player to do so, in 2021. Reed, a New York sports legend, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.