#1 Overall Picks in the NBA Draft (Part 5) Quiz

Answer:

These are the players that were #1 overall draft picks in various years:

--- Gene Melchiorre ---
1951 was one of the weakest NBA drafts in history since, along with the 2000 draft, it has had no Hall of Fame players. Gene "Squeaky" Melchiorre, was a star guard for Bradley University, and was selected the first overall pick by the Baltimore Bullets on April 25, 1951. However, he never played a single game in the NBA. In July 1951, he and several of his Bradley teammates admitted to taking bribes in the point-shaving scandal during the 1950-51 season. NBA President Maurice Podoloff banned all players involved from playing in the NBA...for life.
--- Si Greene ---
Si "Sihugo" Green was selected first overall by the Rochester Royals in the 1956 NBA Draft. Bill Russell was selected 2nd. "Oops", I imagine the Royals saying sometime later. Green was a two-time consensus All-American on the Duquesne team that won the 1955 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Duquesne is the only university to have players drafted #1 overall in two consecutive NBA draft picks-Dick Ricketts went first in 1955. As a pro, Green played 9 seasons for almost as many teams: Rochester Royals, Easton Madisons, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Hawks, Chicago Packers/Zephyrs/Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, New Haven Elms, Wilmington Blue Bombers.
--- Elvin Hayes ---
Hayes was the star of the "Game of the Century" in college, leading his team to a 71-69 victory over Lew Alcindor and the UCLA Bruins. In 1968, the University of Houston's star player, Elvin Hayes, was drafted first overall by the San Diego Rockets when they won a coin toss with the Baltimore Bullets. Hayes' impact was immediate and huge. He is the last NBA rookie to lead the league in scoring with 28.4 points per game. He also corralled 17.1 rebounds per game, and made the All-Rookie Team and the All-Star team (which he made 12 times in his career). He won an NBA title with Washington Bullets in 1978.
--- Mychal Thompson ---
On June 9, 1978, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, the University of Minnesota's Mychal Thompson became the first foreign-born player to be drafted #1 overall in NBA history, when the Portland Trail Blazers chose him. Born in the Bahamas, Thompson made the 1979 NBA All-Rookie First Team. Playing for the Los Angeles (1987-1991), he won back-to-back NBA championships in 1987 and 1988.
--- Joe barry Carroll ---
Purdue University star Joe Barry Carroll was selected first overall on June 10, 1980 by the Golden State Warriors in the 1980 NBA Draft. To get him, the Warriors traded their center Robert Parish and their third overall pick to the Boston Celtics. The Celtics used that third pick to draft Kevin McHale. McHale and Parish became NBA Hall of Famers whole Joe Barry Carroll did not. Carroll was however, a 1987 NBA All-Star, and NBA All-Rookie First Team member in 1981.
--- David Robinson ---
From the United States Naval Academy, he was the #1 overall selection in the 1987 NBA Draft but had to wait the mandatory two years before he could join the San Antonio Spurs in 1989. That's how good he was-the NBA knew he wouldn't be able to play for two years but he was drafted first anyway. He made that wait worth it for the Spurs as he was unanimously named the NBA Rookie of the Year, averaging 24.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, and leading them to the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history at the time, improving their record by 35 wins, from 21-61 to 56-26. He was a 10-time All-Star, the 1995 NBA MVP, a 2-time NBA Champion (1999, 2003), and Member of the NBA's 50th & 75th Anniversary Teams.
--- Elton Brand ---
The 1999 NBA Draft held on June 30, saw the Chicago Bulls draft Duke University's 20-year-old sophomore power forward/center Elton Brand first overall. Along with the #2 overall draft pick Steve Francis, Elton Brand was named co-NBA Rookie of the Year. Brand's 20.1 points per game average and 10.0 rebounds per game made him one of the few rookies to ever average a "20 and 10" double-double.
--- Kyrie Irving ---
Also from Duke University, guard Kyrie Irving was the first overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 23, 2011, and was the NBA Rookie of the Year award winner for the 2011-12 season. He was an NBA Champion in 2016 with Cleveland, famously taking the championship-winning shot. Irving was an 8-time NBA All-Star, winning the All-Star Game MVP award in 2014. His NBA career per game averages are 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.
--- Anthony Davis ---
The following year, the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28, 2012, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey featured Anthony Davis being selected 1st overall by the New Orleans Hornets (later becoming the New Orleans Pelicans). That draft was the first time that the first two overall picks were from the same school: Davis and the #2 pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist both played for the University of Kentucky. No wonder that those Wildcats won the NCAA Championship that year. And no wonder Davis was drafted despite being a freshman since he had won all major national college player of the year awards, including the Naismith and Wooden Awards. In the NBA, Davis was NBA All-Rookie First Team, and won a 2020 NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.
--- Ben Simmons ---
On June 23, 2016, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the pick: Ben Simmons of LSU was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers who had finished a terrible 10-72 season. Simmons, was a 6'10" Australian point-forward, with great per game averages, but oddly no NCAA Tournament performance to display his talent. He was the first modern era NBA draft pick whose college team wasn't in the NCAA tournament. Missing his first year due to injury he came back in 2018 to win Rookie of the Year.
--- Zion Williamson ---
In the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans chose Zion Williamson of Duke University with the first overall pick. The 6ft 6in (198 cm) power forward/small forward was a consensus All-American who averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, shooting over 68% from the field - he won the Naismith College Player of the Year (2019), and AP Player of the Year.

These NBA superstar legends were not drafted first overall, perhaps surprisingly in hindsight:

George Mikan became a pro in 1946 for the Chicago American Gears and began his storied career with the Minneapolis Lakers in 1947, a full year before the NBA's first official draft was held in 1948.

Boston Celtic's coach Red Auerbach dismissed Bob Cousy as a "fancy Dan" ballhandler, so he didn't draft him with the first overall pick. Cousy was drafted 3rd overall, from Holy Cross, by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, but a contract dispute led to Cousy's rights eventually getting tossed into a hat for a special dispersal draft. Celtics owner Walter Brown picked Cousy's name and was disappointed. I'm sure the Celtics got over their disappointment real fast.

Bob Pettit of Louisiana State University, was selected 2nd overall in the 1954 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Hawks.

Jerry West was the #2 overall selection in the 1960 NBA Draft, the first draft pick of the Lakers after they moved to Los Angeles. The Cincinnati Royals bypassed picking West with their first pick, but you couldn't say they messed up-they got Oscar Roberston. Was there a better #1 and #2 offering in history? I'd have to look into that...okay I'm back. 1968's #1 Wes Unseld and #2 Elvin Hayes might be a candidate. 1990's Derrick Coleman and Gary Payton is close but no cigar. 1992's Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning would the best Big Man #1 and #2 picks.

Connie Hawkins was never drafted by an NBA team due to an alleged point-shaving scandal that bore no evidence against Hawkins. After a lawsuit was filed Hawkins entered the NBA in 1969 as a 27-year-old rookie.

Artis Gilmore was selected 117th overall in the 1971 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, and 7th overall in the 1971 ABA Draft by the Kentucky Colonels, signing a historic 10-year, $2.5 million deal. When the ABA folded in 1976, the Chicago Bulls selected him in the ABA Dispersal Draft.

As mentioned, Gary Payton was a #2 draft pick in 1990.

Ben Wallace, was never drafted at all, becoming the first undrafted player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Bullets in 1996, going on to become a 4-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Ray Allen was drafted 5th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft, selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but just minutes after the pick was announced, his draft rights were traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a deal made for Stephon Marbury.

Kevin Durant was selected second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics; Greg Oden was selected before him, by the Portland Trail Blazers.

James Harden was the 3rd overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, picked up the Oklahoma City Thunder. Blake Griffin was the first overall pick that year.