The NBA Draft is an annual event through which the thirty NBA teams select the best 60 young players coming from college or other leagues, according to a well-defined selection order (called “pick”).
The first draft took place in 1947 when Clifton McNeeley was selected by the Pittsburgh Ironmen. Since then, hundreds of players have made it to the NBA through the draft.
Here are some interesting facts about NBA draft picks:
- Memphis, Oklahoma City, Miami, Indiana, Denver, and Utah are the only franchises to have never selected a player with the first overall pick.
- The Cavs are the team that has obtained the first overall pick the most times, selecting players like Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.
- Kentucky is the college team with the most players drafted into the NBA.
- Duke is the college team with the most first overall picks in NBA draft history.
- LeBron, Kobe, and a few others are among the only players to have gone directly from high school to the NBA without attending college.
- Only 11 non-US players (including Andrea Bargnani and Paolo Banchero) have been selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.
If you want to learn more about how the NBA Draft works, here is a detailed guide on the topic. Below is the ranking of the NBA teams that currently have the most first overall picks in NBA Draft history.
Teams with Most First Picks NBA Draft
| # | Team | First Pick |
| 1 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 6 |
| 2 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4 |
| | New York Knicks | 4 |
| | Houston Rockets | 4 |
| | Orlando Magic | 4 |
| 6 | Detroit Pistons | 3 |
| | Los Angeles Clippers | 3 |
| | Philadelphia 76ers | 3 |
| | Portland Trail Blazers | 3 |
| | Los Angeles Lakers | 3 |
| 11 | New Orleans Pelicans | 2 |
| | Washington Wizards | 2 |
| | Golden State Warriors | 2 |
| | Chicago Bulls | 2 |
| | San Antonio Spurs | 2 |
| | Brooklyn Nets | 2 |
| | Minnesota Timberwolves | 2 |
| 18 | Phoenix Suns | 1 |
| | Charlotte Hornets | 1 |
| | Sacramento Kings | 1 |
| | Dallas Mavericks | 1 |
| | Atlanta Hawks | 1 |
| | Boston Celtics | 1 |
| | Toronto Raptors | 1 |
| 25 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 0 |
| | Memphis Grizzlies | 0 |
| | Utah Jazz | 0 |
| | Miami Heat | 0 |
| | Denver Nuggets | 0 |
| | Indiana Pacers | 0 |
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Author: Zeno Schievenin
May 11, 2023 | 2:39 am
