2001 NBA Draft

The 2001 NBA Draft produced a deep group of players despite its unusual start. Washington made Kwame Brown the first high school player ever selected No. 1 overall, while Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol and Eddy Curry followed with the next three selections.

The class ultimately produced eight NBA All-Stars: Pau Gasol, Tyson Chandler, Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Tony Parker, Gilbert Arenas and Mehmet Okur. Gasol and Parker developed into Hall of Fame players and championship cornerstones, while several other members of the class enjoyed long and productive NBA careers.

Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original draft selection. Several picks were traded on draft night. Minnesota forfeited a first-round selection, leaving 28 players in the first round and causing the second round to begin with pick No. 30.

Kwame Brown: Washington selected Brown first overall directly out of Glynn Academy in Georgia. He became the first player drafted directly from high school to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in NBA history. Brown went on to play 12 NBA seasons.

Pau Gasol: Atlanta selected Gasol third overall and traded his draft rights to Memphis. Gasol won the 2001-02 Rookie of the Year Award, became a six-time NBA All-Star and later won championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Tony Parker: San Antonio found one of the greatest late first-round selections in NBA history with Parker at No. 28. He became a six-time All-Star, won four NBA championships with the Spurs and was named MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals. Parker joined Gasol in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Tyson Chandler: The Clippers selected Chandler second overall directly from Dominguez High School before trading his rights to Chicago. Chandler developed into an NBA champion, All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year during a 19-season career.

Eight All-Stars: The 2001 draft produced eight eventual NBA All-Stars: Pau Gasol, Tyson Chandler, Joe Johnson, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Tony Parker, Gilbert Arenas and Mehmet Okur.

Gilbert Arenas: Golden State selected Arenas with the 31st overall pick, making him one of the most successful second-round selections of his era. Arenas became a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection.

Second-round value: In addition to Arenas, Detroit selected future All-Star Mehmet Okur at No. 38. Earl Watson, Bobby Simmons, Brian Scalabrine and Jarron Collins also developed into longtime NBA players after being selected in the second round.

Memphis arrives: The Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver to Memphis in 2001. The franchise's selections in this draft therefore appear as the Memphis Grizzlies, including Shane Battier at No. 6 and Jamaal Tinsley at No. 27.

Minnesota's forfeited pick: Minnesota did not have a first-round selection because of penalties resulting from the Joe Smith contract case. The first round therefore ended with Tony Parker at pick No. 28, there was no player selected at No. 29, and the second round began at No. 30.

International class: The draft was especially important internationally. Pau Gasol of Spain and Tony Parker of France became Hall of Famers, while Turkey's Mehmet Okur became an All-Star. The class also included Vladimir Radmanović, Raül López, Antonis Fotsis, Rubén Boumtje-Boumtje and Robertas Javtokas.