With March Madness in full swing, NBA fans get the opportunity to hopefully get a full viewing of the NBA’s future.
Stars such as Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutger’s Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are all names that could be at the top of the NBA Draft come June 25, 2025.
The NBA Draft is one of the most exciting moments in the sports calendar with shocking picks (Anthony Bennett) and wild trades (think Chris Webber for Anfernee Hardaway).
But its possible that a different date on the calendar is the most important date of all: May 12, 2025. On May 12, we’ll get the NBA Draft lottery which will determine the draft order of the 2025 NBA Draft. History tells us that getting the top pick in the draft is, well, a really big deal.
How big of a deal? We went back at looked at the last 35 years of NBA Drafts. Specifically, we looked at the no. 1 picks from the last 35 years and the results that would eventually come. If you scan the list of 35 years of NBA Draft picks, you’ll likely marvel at the household names that make the list. Everyone from Allen Iverson to Tim Duncan, from Shaquille O’Neal to Dwight Howard, from Yao Ming to Lebron James, from Derrick Rose to Blake Griffin.
And then there’s the household names of today’s NBA. Guys such as Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Paolo Banchero and Cade Cunningham. And of course Victor Wemanyama, the no. 1 pick from the 2023 NBA Draft.
Future All-Stars?
How many no. 1 draft picks end up becoming All-Stars? In the last 35 years, 25 of the no. 1 picks became All-Stars. And this includes last year’s pick, Zaccharie Risacher who obviously is still brand new to the league. Interestingly, the previous five no.1 picks have already made the All-Star team! This includes Wembanyama, Banchero, Cunningham, Edwards and Williamson. What an incredible run of top picks.
Who didn’t make the All-Star team in their career after getting drafted no. 1? The list includes some so-called “busts” but also some players who were quite productive NBA players, but that just didn’t make the All-Star team. The list includes: Joe Smith, Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Andrew Bogut, Andrea Bargnani, Greg Oden, Anthony Bennett, Markelle Fultz and Deandre Ayton.
NBA Finals Impact
Let’s go deeper. Which no. 1 draft picks helped lead their team that drafted them to the NBA Finals? This list includes 8 names: Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Kenyon Martin, Lebron James, Dwight Howard, Kyrie Irving and Deandre Ayton. Other no. 1 picks were on Finals teams later in their career, but for this purpose we’re only including names that went to the Finals with the team that drafted them first overall.
So enjoy March Madness, basketball fans. And then watch with nervous anticipation on May 12 to see if your team can grab the coveted top slot in the upcoming NBA Draft. If your team gets no. 1, you’re almost guaranteed an All-star player, and you might even be looking at a future NBA Finals run.
