Pettit’s career was defined by constant success. He won only one championship, in 1958, but was an All-Star for each of his 11 NBA seasons, all spent with the Hawks. Pettit will also forever be the answer to some big basketball trivia, as he won the first-ever NBA MVP award in 1956 (and won it for a second time in 1959).
Bill Russell had a shot at this title, but technically, he was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks and was traded to Boston on the night of the draft. Bird, though, was the Celtics’ No. 6 overall pick in the 1978 draft and was an All-Star every season of his career (except for 1989, when he sat out the majority of the season due to injury). Bird is also one of only three players to win the MVP three years in a row, following Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
Williams, a third-overall draft pick, made a quick impact and won the Rookie Of The Year trophy. He was a dominant rebounder, averaging over 12 per game in each of his first six seasons. The majority of Williams’ career was not spent with the Nets, also splitting time between the Blazers and Knicks, but his three All-Star selections came in New Jersey.
Kemba spent his first few years in the league as a promising young guard on some lackluster Bobcats/Hornets teams. He eventually emerged as a star, though, earning three straight All-Star selections for the Hornets from 2017 to 2019. He stuck around Charlotte for eight years before saying bye to the city and heading to Boston.
The most-cited MJ-related NBA Draft fact is that two players were picked before him: Hakeem Olajuwon, who of course was one of the best players of his era, and Sam Bowie, who did not reach such heights. As for Jordan’s career, there’s not much that needs to be said. He led the league in scoring 10 times over an 11-season stretch, and to many, he is the greatest ever.
If there is one player to challenge MJ’s GOAT title, it’s LeBron. He was one of the most obvious No. 1 overall picks in NBA history and he started to deliver immediately, averaging about 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game his rookie year. Through his first 22 seasons (11 of them with Cleveland), that first season was the only one in which he averaged less than 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.
Dirk was an investment that really paid off, as the ninth pick in the 1998 draft spent his entire 21-year career in Dallas. He was an all-NBA player for every season from 2001 to 2012. He won the MVP award in 2007. Nowitzki is, simply, one of the best forwards to ever touch an NBA court.
Jokić has one of the most-cited draft stories in recent memory: He was the 41st overall pick, and his selection by the Nuggets was announced on ESPN while a Taco Bell commercial was playing. He had a solid start with his rookie campaign, but over the next few years, he developed into one of the league’s most valuable assets. Before hitting his 30s, he had won three MVPs, so overall, Jokić wasn’t a bad second-round pick.
The Pistons had the No. 2 pick in the 1981 draft and made good use of it by picking up Thomas. His impact was immediate: In his rookie season, he averaged about 17 points and 8 assists per game, and was named an All-Star. Spending his entire career in Detroit, he ended up with 12 total All-Star nods and a couple of championships.
Curry’s shooting range and efficiency changed the way basketball is played. He has led the NBA in made threes eight times and is the all-time leader in the category, too. The two-time MVP has spent nearly two decades with the Warriors.
The Rockets drafted Olajuwon over Michael Jordan, and even though MJ turned out to be… MJ, Houston probably doesn’t regret grabbing Hakeem with the first pick in 1984. His resume is stacked: two championships, an MVP, won Defensive Player Of The Year twice, led the league in rebounds per game twice, and led the league in blocks per game three times.
Miller was drafted 11th overall in 1987 and went on to enjoy a longer career, 18 seasons, than every player picked ahead of (and behind) him. All of those years were spent in Indiana and Reggie has a lot to show for them. He was a five-time All-Star and the most prolific three-point shooter ever before the modern long-range explosion.
Griffin had one of the best rookie seasons of his era: He dropped 20 points and 14 rebounds in his first game and was named an All-Star, the first rookie to receive the honor since Yao Ming in 2003. Blake ended up frequently dealing with injuries in the latter half of his career, but he gave the Clippers seven memorable seasons.
No. 1 picks don’t always hit, but Magic Johnson definitely isn’t in the category. He helped the Lakers win five championships and was the Finals MVP for three of those titles. Magic was a perennial All-Star and one of the defining players of the ’80s, and of NBA history as a whole.
Gasol ultimately made his biggest NBA impact with the Lakers, but he also gave his first team, the Grizzlies, a rock-solid seven years. During that stretch, he averaged about 19 points and 9 rebounds per game and made the All-Star team for his efforts. The return on Memphis’ investment was immediate as Pau won Rookie Of The Year in 2002.
Aside from a season-and-a-half away, Wade spent his 16-year NBA career in Miami. The 2003 draft was front-loaded with all-time great talent, thanks in large part to Wade. He was a sure bet to be an All-Star in the 2000s and 2010s and even won an MVP in 2009.
Kareem is best remembered as a Laker, but he had a Hall Of Fame-worthy career even before donning the purple and gold. In Milwaukee, he won a championship, picked up three MVP trophies, and led the league in scoring twice. It’s mind-blowing that he accomplished all this in just six seasons.
While Garnett’s NBA career took him elsewhere, he stayed loyal to Minnesota for his first 14 years and even returned to end his career there. He was the MVP in 2004, the first of four consecutive years when he led the league in rebounds per game. On both offense and defense, Garnett was a menace and a great use of the fifth pick in the 1995 draft.
Paul has spent time with seven NBA franchises, but the Hornets will always be his first home. In his third and fourth seasons there, he led the league in both assists and steals per game. In 2008, he was a strong MVP candidate and will, in general, go down as one of the best point guards ever.
Frazier’s style on and off the court made him an NYC icon, but he was of course a star while rocking the Knicks uniform, too. Drafted in 1967, he led the team to two championships in the 1970s. He was an asset on both sides of the ball, being named an All-Star and making multiple all-defense teams.
Durant was the first face of the Thunder following their Sonics-shedding rebrand and move to Oklahoma City. He quickly proved himself to be one of the league’s most forceful scorers, leading the NBA in points per game for four out of five seasons from 2010 to 2014. He started strong, too, winning Rookie Of The Year and averaging 20 points a night in his first season.
Like Kareem, Shaq is remembered as a Laker despite getting off to a strong start with a different franchise. He only spent four seasons in Orlando, but they were tremendous times, averaging over 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per contest during his tenure. Shaq led the league in scoring in 1995, in just his third NBA season.
It took moving to Phoenix for Barkley to win an MVP trophy, but he wasn’t far from it during his eight seasons in Philadelphia: In 1990, it was a close three-way race between Barkley, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. Regardless,