The Greatest Number One Picks in NBA History

• 1969: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks) — 6 MVPs, 6 championships, held the all-time scoring record for nearly 40 years
• 1979: Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) — 5 championships, 3 MVPs, revolutionized the point guard position
• 1984: Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) — 2 championships, DPOY, all-time top 5 in blocks
• 1992: Shaquille O’Neal (Orlando Magic) — 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs, arguably the most dominant center in modern NBA history
• 2003: LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) — 4 championships, all-time scoring leader, possibly the greatest player ever
• 2023: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) — historically unprecedented physical profile, challenging every defensive record
• 2025: Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks) — considered one of the most complete prospects since LeBron

The Most Notable Busts: When Number One Went Wrong

• 1972: LaRue Martin (Portland Trail Blazers) — averaged just 5.3 PPG over 4 seasons; Bob McAdoo, drafted later, became a scoring champion
• 1986: Brad Daugherty (Cleveland Cavaliers) — decent but not franchise-defining for a top pick
• 2000: Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets) — solid NBA player but not #1 pick talent
• 2007: Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers) — historically unlucky; catastrophic knee injuries limited him to 82 career games while Kevin Durant, drafted 2nd, became one of the greatest scorers ever
• 2013: Anthony Bennett (Cleveland Cavaliers) — the consensus worst first overall pick in modern history; averaged just 4.4 PPG before leaving the league

The Oden vs. Durant Counterfactual

The 2007 draft presents the most debated single-pick decision in NBA history. Portland selected Greg Oden over Kevin Durant — a choice that appeared defensible at the time given Oden’s physical profile and projected impact. Durant then proceeded to accumulate over 27,000 career points, two championships, two Finals MVPs, and one of the strongest claims to being the most purely talented scorer the NBA has ever seen.

Oden played 82 career games. The contrast is the starkest in draft history.

Modern Era: First Picks 2019 to 2025

• 2019: Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) — generationally powerful when healthy, persistent injury concerns have limited his development
• 2020: Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) — emerging as one of the NBA’s elite two-way players, arguably the best pick of the decade
• 2021: Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) — building steadily on a rebuilding team
• 2022: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic) — strong development trajectory, Orlando trending upward
• 2023: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) — potentially the greatest first overall pick in NBA history based on early-career evidence
• 2024: Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks) — strong European prospect adjusting to NBA pace
• 2025: Cooper Flagg (Dallas Mavericks) — see our full rookie analysis: [INTERNAL LINK: Cooper Flagg Rookie Season]

Anthony Bennett: The Definitive Modern Bust

The 2013 selection of Anthony Bennett by the Cleveland Cavaliers stands as the most universally agreed-upon bust in recent draft history. Bennett averaged just 4.4 PPG over his NBA career and was out of the league within four seasons. The players available around his selection — Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter Jr., Michael Carter-Williams — made the miss even more painful.

Read More: Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Strategy: The Rules That Actually Work

Frequently Asked Questions: NBA Draft Number One Picks

Who was the best first overall pick in NBA history?

LeBron James (2003) and Magic Johnson (1979) are the most cited answers. Wembanyama’s early trajectory suggests he may eventually challenge for this distinction.

Who was the worst first overall pick in NBA history?

Anthony Bennett (2013) is the modern consensus. LaRue Martin (1972) holds the historical benchmark for the most value left on the board at the top pick.

Who was the 2025 NBA Draft first overall pick?

Cooper Flagg was selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft.