List of first overall NBA draft picks

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), and 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 Jamaican-American dual citizenship when he was drafted, and Irving and Simmons had Australian-American dual 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 ^Denotes players who have been selected to the All-Star Game or All-NBA Team^*Denotes Hall of FamersPPGPoints per gameAll statistics are taken from the players' respective rookie season unless otherwise noted.APGAssists per gameRPGRebounds per gamePlayer(in italic text)Rookie of the YearPlayer(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.PPGRPGAPG1947Pittsburgh IronmenTexas Wesleyan———1948Providence SteamrollersMarshall—1949Providence SteamrollersCenterKansas State—1950Boston CelticsCenterBowling Green1951Baltimore BulletsGuardBradley———1952Milwaukee HawksCenterWest Virginia1953Baltimore Bullets^Manchester British-Americans (ABL)1954Baltimore Bullets^Furman1955Milwaukee HawksDuquesne1956Rochester RoyalsDuquesne1957Cincinnati Royals^GuardWest Virginia1958Minneapolis Lakers^*ForwardSeattle1959Cincinnati Royals^ForwardKansas State1960Cincinnati Royals^*Cincinnati1961Chicago Packers^*CenterIndiana1962Chicago ZephyrsUtah1963New York KnicksForward/guardDuke1964New York KnicksCenter/forwardTexas Western1965San Francisco WarriorsDavidson1966New York Knicks^Forward/guardMichigan1967Detroit Pistons^GuardProvidence1968San Diego Rockets^*Center/forwardHouston1969Milwaukee Bucks^*CenterUCLA1970Detroit Pistons^*CenterSt. Bonaventure1971Cleveland Cavaliers^GuardNotre Dame1972Portland Trail BlazersCenterLoyola (Illinois)1973Philadelphia 76ers^Illinois State1974Portland Trail Blazers^*CenterUCLA1975Atlanta Hawks^*Forward/guardNC State1976Houston RocketsGuardMaryland1977Milwaukee BucksCenterIndiana1978Portland Trail BlazersMinnesota1979Los Angeles Lakers^*Michigan State1980Golden State Warriors^CenterPurdue1981Dallas Mavericks^ForwardDePaul1982Los Angeles Lakers^*ForwardNorth Carolina1983Houston Rockets^*CenterVirginia1984Houston Rockets^*CenterHouston1985New York Knicks^*CenterGeorgetown1986Cleveland Cavaliers^CenterNorth Carolina1987San Antonio Spurs^*CenterNavy1988Los Angeles Clippers^ForwardKansas1989Sacramento KingsCenterLouisville1990New Jersey Nets^Syracuse1991Charlotte Hornets^ForwardUNLV1992Orlando Magic^*CenterLSU1993Orlando Magic^*ForwardMichigan1994Milwaukee Bucks^ForwardPurdue1995Golden State WarriorsForwardMaryland1996Philadelphia 76ers^*GuardGeorgetown1997San Antonio Spurs^*Wake Forest1998Los Angeles ClippersCenterPacific1999Chicago Bulls^ForwardDuke2000New Jersey Nets^ForwardCincinnati2001Washington WizardsCenterGlynn Academy HS (Brunswick, Georgia)2002Houston Rockets^*CenterShanghai Sharks (China)2003Cleveland Cavaliers^ForwardSt. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio)2004Orlando Magic^*CenterSACA (Atlanta)2005Milwaukee Bucks^CenterUtah2006Toronto RaptorsBenetton Treviso (Italy)2007Portland Trail BlazersCenterOhio State2008Chicago Bulls^GuardMemphis2009Los Angeles Clippers^ForwardOklahoma2010Washington Wizards^GuardKentucky2011Cleveland Cavaliers^GuardDuke2012New Orleans Hornets ^Kentucky2013Cleveland CavaliersForwardUNLV2014Cleveland Cavaliers^Forward/guardKansas2015Minnesota Timberwolves^Kentucky2016Philadelphia 76ers^GuardLSU2017Philadelphia 76ersWashington2018Phoenix SunsCenterArizona2019New Orleans Pelicans^ForwardDuke2020Minnesota Timberwolves^GuardGeorgia2021Detroit Pistons^GuardOklahoma State2022Orlando Magic^ForwardDuke2023San Antonio Spurs^CenterMetropolitans 92 (France)2024Atlanta HawksForwardJL Bourg (France)2025Dallas MavericksForwardDuke2026Washington WizardsForward BYU———

First overall picks by NBA team The Washington Wizards have had the first overall pick a total of seven times, the most of any NBA team. This includes the Wizards time as the Chicago Packers, Chicago Zephyrs, and Baltimore Bullets. The Pittsburgh Ironmen, and Providence Steamrollers are the only defunct franchises to have held a first overall pick. The Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Utah Jazz are the only teams that have never had the first overall pick.

Team Picks Year(s) Notes Washington Wizards 7 1953, 1954, 1961, 1962, 2001, 2010, 2026 1 as the Chicago Packers1 as the Chicago Zephyrs2 as the Baltimore Bullets3 as the Washington Wizards Cleveland Cavaliers 6 1971, 1986, 2003, 2011, 2013, 2014 Houston Rockets 5 1968, 1976, 1983, 1984, 2002 1 as the San Diego Rockets4 as the Houston Rockets Sacramento Kings 5 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1989 1 as the Rochester Royals3 as the Cincinnati Royals1 as the Sacramento Kings Atlanta Hawks 4 1952, 1955, 1975, 2024 1 as the Milwaukee Hawks1 as the St. Louis Hawks2 as the Atlanta Hawks Milwaukee Bucks 4 1969, 1977, 1994, 2005 New York Knicks 4 1963, 1964, 1966, 1985 Orlando Magic 4 1992, 1993, 2004, 2022 Philadelphia 76ers 4 1973, 1996, 2016, 2017 Portland Trail Blazers 4 1972, 1974, 1978, 2007 Detroit Pistons 3 1967, 1970, 2021 Golden State Warriors 3 1965, 1980, 1995 1 as the San Francisco Warriors2 as the Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers 3 1988, 1998, 2009 Los Angeles Lakers 3 1958, 1979, 1982 1 as the Minneapolis Lakers2 as the Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs 3 1987, 1997, 2023 Brooklyn Nets 2 1990, 2000 Both as the New Jersey Nets Chicago Bulls 2 1999, 2008 Dallas Mavericks 2 1981, 2025 Minnesota Timberwolves 2 2015, 2020 New Orleans Pelicans 2 2012, 2019 Providence Steamrollers 2 1948, 1949 Boston Celtics 1 1950 Charlotte Hornets 1 1991 Pittsburgh Ironmen 1 1947 Phoenix Suns 1 2018 Toronto Raptors 1 2006

First overall picks by position

Position Number of selections Last year selected Forward Center Guard

List of first overall NBA draft picks

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