#1 Picks in the NBA Draft

A complete year-by-year list of the first overall selections in the NBA Draft, including the team making the selection, the player selected and the school, high school or international location listed for that player.

2020s 2010s 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s 1950s 1940s Related

About the List

The first overall pick is the first player selected in each NBA Draft. This list tracks every #1 selection shown in NBAHoopsOnline's draft history, beginning in 1947 and continuing through 2026.

The team column reflects the franchise name listed at the time of the draft, while the final column shows the school, high school or international background listed for the player.

2020s

Year	Team	Player	School
2026	Washington	AJ Dybantsa	BYU
2025	Dallas	Cooper Flagg	Duke
2024	Atlanta	Zaccharie Risacher	France
2023	San Antonio	Victor Wembanyama	France
2022	Orlando	Paolo Banchero	Duke
2021	Detroit	Cade Cunningham	Oklahoma State
2020	Minnesota	Anthony Edwards	Georgia

2010s

Year	Team	Player	School
2019	New Orleans	Zion Williamson	Duke
2018	Phoenix	DeAndre Ayton	Arizona
2017	Philadelphia	Markelle Fultz	Washington
2016	Philadelphia	Ben Simmons	LSU
2015	Minnesota	Karl Anthony Towns	Kentucky
2014	Cleveland	Andrew Wiggins	Kansas
2013	Cleveland	Anthony Bennett	UNLV
2012	New Orleans	Anthony Davis	Kentucky
2011	Cleveland	Kyrie Irving	Duke
2010	Washington	John Wall	Kentucky

2000s

Year	Team	Player	School
2009	Clippers	Blake Griffin	Oklahoma
2008	Chicago	Derrick Rose	Memphis
2007	Portland	Greg Oden	Ohio State
2006	Toronto	Andrea Bargnani	Italy
2005	Milwaukee	Andrew Bogut	Utah
2004	Orlando	Dwight Howard	SW Atlanta Christian Academy
2003	Cleveland	LeBron James	St Vincent-St Marys
2002	Houston	Yao Ming	China
2001	Washington	Kwame Brown	Glynn Academy
2000	New Jersey	Kenyon Martin	Cincinnati

1990s

Year	Team	Player	School
1999	Chicago	Elton Brand	Duke
1998	Clippers	Micheal Olowokandi	Pacific
1997	San Antonio	Tim Duncan	Wake Forest
1996	Philadelphia	Allen Iverson	Georgetown
1995	Golden State	Joe Smith	Maryland
1994	Milwaukee	Glenn Robinson	Purdue
1993	Orlando	Chris Webber	Michigan
1992	Orlando	Shaquille Oneal	LSU
1991	Charlotte	Larry Johnson	UNLV
1990	New Jersey	Derrick Coleman	Syracuse

1980s

Year	Team	Player	School
1989	Sacramento	Pervis Ellison	Louisville
1988	Clippers	Danny Manning	Kansas
1987	San Antonio	David Robinson	Navy
1986	Cleveland	Brad Daugherty	North Carolina
1985	New York	Patrick Ewing	Georgetown
1984	Houston	Akeem Olajuwon	Houston
1983	Houston	Ralph Sampson	Virginia
1982	Los Angeles	James Worthy	North Carolina
1981	Dallas	Mark Aguirre	DePaul
1980	Golden State	Joe Barry Carrol	Purdue

1970s

Year	Team	Player	School
1979	Los Angeles	Erving "Magic" Johnson	Michigan State
1978	Portland	Mycheal Thompson	Minnesota
1977	Milwaukee	Kent Benson	Indiana
1976	Houston	John Lucas	Maryland
1975	Atlanta	David Thompson	NC State
1974	Portland	Bill Walton	UCLA
1973	Philadelphia	Doug Collins	Illinois State
1972	Portland	LaRue Martin	Loyola-Chicago
1971	Clevland	Austin Carr	Norte Dame
1970	Detroit	Bob Lanier	St Bonaventure

1960s

Year	Team	Player	School
1969	Milwaukee	Lew Alcindor	UCLA
1968	San Diego	Elvin Hayes	Houston
1967	Detroit	Jimmy Walker	Providence
1966	New York	Cazzie Russell	Michigan
1965	San Francisco	Fred Hetzel	Davidson
1964	New York	Jim Barnes	Texas Western
1963	New York	Art Heyman	Duke
1962	Chicago	Bill McGill	Utah
1961	Chicago	Walt Bellamy	Indiana
1960	Cincinnati	Oscar Robertson	Cincinnati

1950s

Year	Team	Player	School
1959	Cincinnati	Bob Boozer	Kansas State
1958	Minneoplis	Elgin Baylor	Seattle
1957	Cincinnati	Rod Hunley	West Virginia
1956	Rochester	Shiugo Green	Duquesne
1955	Milwaukee	Dick Ricketts	Duquesne
1954	Baltimore	Frank Selvey	Furman
1953	Philadelphia	Ernie Beck
1952	Milwaukee	Mark Workman
1951	Baltimore	Gene Melchoiree	Bradley
1950	Boston	Charlie Share

1940s

Year	Team	Player
1949	Providence	Howie Shannon
1948	Providence	Andy Tonkovich
1947	Pittsburg	Clifton Neeley