Another NBA Draft means another No. 1 overall pick, and the focus will be on which player NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces first on Tuesday, June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Per the Big Board of NBC Sports’ Raphielle Johnson, AJ Dybantsa of BYU is the leading candidate to be the first selection in the 2026 NBA Draft with Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) and Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) also high on the list.
The Washington Wizards have the first pick in this year’s draft.
Here’s a look at the top selections in the NBA Draft dating back to 1947:
Complete list of first overall picks in the NBA Draft
| Year | Player | College/HS/Club | NBA team |
| 2025 | Cooper Flagg | Duke | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2024 | Zaccharie Risacher | JL Bourg (France) | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2023 | Victor Wembanyama | Metropolitans 92 (France) | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2022 | Paolo Banchero | Duke | Orlando Magic |
| 2021 | Cade Cunningham | Oklahoma State | Detroit Pistons |
| 2020 | Anthony Edwards | Georgia | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2019 | Zion Williamson | Duke | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2018 | Deandre Ayton | Arizona | Phoenix Suns |
| 2017 | Markelle Fultz | Washington | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2016 | Ben Simmons | LSU | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2015 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Kentucky | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2014 | Andrew Wiggins | Kansas | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2013 | Anthony Bennett | UNLV | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky | New Orleans Hornets |
| 2011 | Kyrie Irving | Duke | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2010 | John Wall | Kentucky | Washington Wizards |
| 2009 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2008 | Derrick Rose | Memphis | Chicago Bulls |
| 2007 | Greg Oden | OhioState | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2006 | Andrea Bargnani | Benetton Treviso (Italy) | Toronto Raptors |
| 2005 | Andrew Bogut | Utah | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2004 | Dwight Howard | SACA Atlanta | Orlando Magic |
| 2003 | LeBron James | St.Vincent-St.Mary | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2002 | Yao Ming | Shanghai Sharks | Houston Rockets |
| 2001 | Kwame Brown | Glynn Academy (Georgia) | Washington Wizards |
| 2000 | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati | New Jersey Nets |
| 1999 | Elton Brand | Duke | Chicago Bulls |
| 1998 | Michael Olowokandi | Pacific | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1997 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1996 | Allen Iverson | Georgetown | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1995 | Joe Smith | Maryland | Golden State Warriors |
| 1994 | Glenn Robinson | Purdue | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1993 | Chris Webber | Michigan | Orlando Magic |
| 1992 | Shaquille O’ Neal | LSU | Orlando Magic |
| 1991 | Larry Johnson | UNLV | Charlotte Hornets |
| 1990 | Derrick Coleman | Syracuse | New Jersey Nets |
| 1989 | Pervis Ellison | Louisville | Sacramento Kings |
| 1988 | Danny Manning | Kansas | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 1987 | David Robinson | Navy | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1986 | Brad Daugherty | North Carolina | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1985 | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown | New York Knicks |
| 1984 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston | Houston Rockets |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson | Virginia | Houston Rockets |
| 1982 | James Worthy | North Carolina | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1981 | Mark Aguirre | DePaul | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1980 | Joe Barry Carroll | Purdue | Golden State Warriors |
| 1979 | Magic Johnson | Michigan State | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1978 | Mychal Thompson | Minnesota | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1977 | Kent Benson | Indiana | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1976 | John Lucas | Maryland | Houston Rockets |
| 1975 | David Thompson | North Carolina State | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1974 | Bill Walton | UCLA | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1973 | Doug Collins | Illinois State | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1972 | LaRue Martin | Loyola | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1971 | Austin Carr | Notre Dame | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1970 | Bob Lanier | St. Bonaventure | Detroit Pistons |
| 1969 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | UCLA | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes | Houston | San Diego Rockets |
| 1967 | Jimmy Walker | Providence | Detroit Pistons |
| 1966 | Cazzie Russell | Michigan | New York Knicks |
| 1965 | Fred Hetzel | Davidson | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1964 | Jim Barnes | Texas Western | New York Knicks |
| 1963 | Art Heyman | Duke | New York Knicks |
| 1962 | Bill McGill | Utah | Chicago Zephyrs |
| 1961 | Walt Bellamy | Indiana | Chicago Zephyrs |
| 1960 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1959 | Bob Boozer | Kansas State | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1958 | Elgin Baylor | Seattle | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1957 | Hot Rod Hundley | WestVirginia | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1956 | Si Green | Duquesne | Rochester Royals |
| 1955 | Dick Ricketts | Duquesne | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1954 | Frank Selvy | Furman | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1953 | Ray Felix | Manchester (ABL) | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1952 | Mark Workman | West Virginia | Milwaukee Hawks |
| 1951 | Gene Melchiorre | Bradley | Baltimore Hawks |
| 1950 | Chuck Share | Bowling Green | Boston Celtics |
| 1949 | Howie Shannon | Kansas State | Providence Steam Rollers |
| 1948 | Andy Tonkovich | Marshall | Providence Steam Rollers |
| 1947 | Clifton McNeeley | Texas Wesleyan | Pittsburgh Ironmen |
How many first overall picks won the MVP?
There have been 11 No. 1 overall selections in the NBA Draft who eventually won the MVP (which never has been won by a rookie):
- Oscar Robertson (No. 1 overall in 1960; MVP in 1963-64)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (No. 1 overall in 1969; MVP in 1971-72, ’73-74, ’75-76, ’76-77, ’79-80,)
- Bill Walton (No. 1 overall in 1974; MVP in 1977-78)
- Magic Johnson (1979 Draft, MVP in 1986-87, ’88-89, ’89-90)
- Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1 overall in 1984; MVP in 1993-94)
- David Robinson (No. 1 overall in 1987; MVP in 1994-95)
- Shaquille O’Neal (No. 1 overall in 1992; MVP in 1999-00)
- Allen Iverson (No. 1 overall in 1996, MVP in 2000-01)
- Tim Duncan (No. 1 overall in 1997; MVP in 2001-02; ’02-03)
- LeBron James (No. 1 overall in 2003; MVP in 2008-09, ’09-10, ’11-12, ’12-13)
- Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall in 2008; MVP in 2010-11)
Who is considered the best first overall pick in NBA history?
Using the criteria of MVP awards and NBA championships, you take your pick between:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (five MVP awards, six NBA championships)
- Tim Duncan (two MVP awards, five NBA championships)
- Magic Johnson (three MVP awards, five NBA championships)
- LeBron James (four MVP awards, four NBA championships)
- Shaquille O’Neal (one MVP award, four NBA championships)
Who is considered the worst first overall pick in NBA history?
The general consenus is probably Anthony Bennett, who started only four games with four teams over four seasons after being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2013 NBA Draft.
The power forward from UNLV, who averaged 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds over 151 games, was chosen 14 picks ahead of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Other No. 1 overall flops were Greg Oden in 2007, Kwame Brown in 2001, Michael Olowokandi in 1998 and LaRue Martin in 1972.
Was Michael Jordan the first overall pick in the NBA draft?
No, Jordan was drafted third by the Chicago Bulls in 1984 behind Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers).
