Top of the Draft: Fun Facts About the NBA Draft #1 Overall Picks
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
The Atlanta Hawks are on the clock with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft for just the second time since the inception of the common draft era in 1966. Their first number one pick was David Thompson back in 1975.
• Despite being drafted by Atlanta, Thompson never suited up for the Hawks. Instead, he kicked off his professional career in the ABA before transitioning to the NBA, where he played for the Denver Nuggets for six years and the Seattle SuperSonics for two.
• This past season, the Hawks placed 10th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 36-46 and exited early from the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament after just one game. They entered the NBA Draft Lottery with only a 3% chance and pulled off a surprising win to claim the No. 1 pick, marking the fifth-lowest odds to ever secure the top draft spot since the lottery’s 1985 inception.
• Should the Hawks use their number one pick, it would be their most significant selection since they picked Marvin Williams second overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. Atlanta has chosen third overall five times, selecting notable players like Pete Maravich (1970), Marvin Webster (1975), Pau Gasol (2001), Al Horford (2007), and Luka Dončić (2018).
• Historically, the Cleveland Cavaliers hold the record for the most No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft during the lottery era, with selections including Brad Daugherty (1986), LeBron James (2003), Kyrie Irving (2011), Anthony Bennett (2013), and Andrew Wiggins (2014), totaling five first picks.
• The new first overall pick will be joining a Hawks squad that features talents like three-time NBA All-Star Trae Young, All-Star Dejounte Murray, and young forward Jalen Johnson, who averaged 16.0 points last season.
• From 2010-22, the NBA Draft saw college freshmen dominate the first overall pick for 13 straight years. This streak was interrupted last year when the San Antonio Spurs chose Victor Wembanyama from France, the eventual 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, who did not play college basketball in the U.S.
• For the first time, there might be consecutive NBA Drafts without a U.S. college player picked first overall.
• Duke leads all schools in the common draft era with four first overall picks, followed by Kentucky with three. Duke’s top draftees include Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019), and Paolo Banchero (2022). Kentucky’s include John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012), and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015).
• Throughout the lottery era, only four of the 39 players chosen first overall through the 2022-23 season have won NBA championships with the team that originally drafted them: David Robinson (1987) and Tim Duncan (1997) with the San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James (2003) and Kyrie Irving (2011) with the Cleveland Cavaliers, noting that James’ championship was achieved during his return stint with the team.
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