Can You Name The Last 25 NBA First Overall Picks?

900 Shares

Although it might pale in comparison to the annual National Football League (NFL) Draft due to the ridiculous amount of coverage the NFL receives, the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft is easily the most fun draft of all major professional sports. For starters, it's only a two-round draft as opposed to the NFL and National Hockey League, which are both seven rounds each - Major League Baseball, meanwhile, has a 40-round draft that feels as boring and long as the 162-game season itself. Because it's only two rounds, there's a certain excitement factor that comes with players being drafted and, despite not being paid to play college basketball, high-profile draft picks still find ways to wear odd and intricate expensive suits. The variation of suits, in fact, might be one of the most interesting elements of the draft.

While fans might not be all that familiar with players selected in the second round, everybody that follows the draft knows well in advance who might be the first overall selection. For the most part, that player is identified as early as a year in advance and, unless he stumbles at the college level, he officially becomes the top pick at the June draft. How well have you been following the draft in the past 25 years?

Question 1

Who was the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft?

Prospective number one overall picks usually make an impact in March Madness, the NCAA's year-end tournament that features 64 teams vying to be the country's best. However, for the past two years, the No. 1 overall pick played on a team that didn't even earn entry into the tournament. The 2017 first overall pick is a Maryland native who played for the University of Washington, where he proved himself a dynamic point guard, recording 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Question 2

Who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft?

If you're having a hard time remembering the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, it could have something to do with the fact that he has yet to play a single game in the league. A native of Australia, this 6-foot-10 forward was compared to LeBron James following his one-and-done season at Louisiana State University, where he averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He missed the entire 2016 season with a foot injury, but is expected to be healthy and ready for 2017.

Question 3

Who was the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft?

Whereas the most recent first overall picks have yet to assert themselves as stars in the league, the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is already one of the game's premier players and is well on his way to becoming a potential Hall of Fame caliber player. He has established himself as a scoring and rebounding threat at the NBA and has surprised many given his pedestrian numbers in his one season with the University of Kentucky. Through 39 college games in 2014-15, he averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, although he only played an average of 21.1 minutes.

Question 4

Who was the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft?

A teammate of the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, this player was one of the more highly-touted college players in recent history and, while he hasn't quite lived up to that billing in the NBA, he has become an All-Star caliber player capable of scoring from anywhere on the floor. The Canadian shooting guard averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 35 games with the University of Kansas during the 2013-14 season and was a unanimous choice for first overall among NBA scouts and analysts.

Question 5

Who was the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft?

Arguably one of the biggest first overall flops of all-time, this player was the first ever Canadian to be selected with the top pick in the draft. Although he was somewhat of a surprise selection, he had impressive numbers in one season at UNLV, where he averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. However, he could have been better suited by playing another year at the college level as he was clearly unready for the physical nature of the NBA. He lasted only four seasons in the league and averaged a miserable 4.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Question 6

Who was the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft?

Known as "The Brow" due to his unibrow, this former first overall pick is a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-Defensive team member. He was also named MVP of the 2017 All-Star Game. In college, the 6-foot-10 power forward played for the University of Kentucky and helped lead the school to a national championship by averaging 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and a ridiculous 4.7 blocks per game. He was named the Associated Press Player of the Year and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Question 7

Who was the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft?

The first overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds with Duke University in the 2010-11 season. He has since thrived in the NBA as one of the league's best one-on-one playmakers with the ability to create his own shot and score from anywhere on the floor. He was named Rookie of the Year in his first season in the league and has since been named to four All-Star Games. He was recently dealt to the Boston Celtics.

Question 8

Who was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft?

Only three point guards were taken in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft, which is a surprising figure given there are only five positions and 30 first-round picks. That year's draft also set a record with five players from the same team - the University of Kentucky - being selected in the first round. One of those players was the first overall pick, who earned SEC Player of the Year honors with an average of 16.6 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Question 9

Who was the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft?

Like Ben Simmons in 2016, the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft missed his entire rookie season due to an injury. However, that didn't affect his impact on the league as he quickly became a star the following year and earned 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year following a season in which he averaged 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. To date, he has an average of 21.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game and is a five-time All-Star.

Question 10

Who was the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft?

This oft-injured former first overall pick has had an up and down career in the NBA. He won Rookie of the Year in 2009 following an impressive season with the Chicago Bulls and earned the Most Valuable Player award two seasons later. However, he played only 49 games over the course of the next three seasons and recently signed a cheap free agent deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played his one season of college basketball with Memphis, where he averaged 14.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Question 11

Who was the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft?

The first overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft can thank Anthony Bennett for taking the title of the biggest first overall bust of all-time, because this player was previously in the running. After being taken first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers following a highly-productive season with Ohio State, the 7-foot center played only 81 games through two seasons before suffering a series of injuries that kept him out of the league for three seasons. He attempted a comeback in 2013-14 with the Miami Heat, but lasted only 23 games.

Question 12

Who was the first overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft?

Despite producing All-Star caliber players such as Kyle Lowry, Rajon Rondo, and LaMarcus Aldridge, the 2006 NBA Draft isn't necessarily regarded as a top-heavy draft. Only one of the top five picks are still in the league and, while the first overall pick managed to hang around until 2016, he was never able to live up to expectations. He averaged a career-high 21.4 points with the Toronto Raptors in his fifth season in the league but, the following season, began a downward trend that concluded with him averaging only 6.6 points per game in 2015-16.

Question 13

Who was the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft?

A 7-foot center from Australia, this first overall pick attended the University of Utah from 2003 to 2005. In his second and final season with the team, he was named Associated Press Player of the Year after averaging 20.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Rookie team in 2005-06 and has since been named to one All-NBA and All-Defensive team, but has never been able to blossom into the scorer that many envisioned he would given his college averages.

Question 14

Who was the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft?

Recently traded to the Charlotte Hornets, this 6-foot-11 power forward was the last non-European player chosen first overall who didn't play at the college level. Instead, he was drafted out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. The lack of college experience didn't hurt him at the NBA level, however, as he has since become an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Throughout his 13-year career, he has averaged 17.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game.

Question 15

Who was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft?

If you can't correctly answer this one then you should probably reconsider doing the rest of this quiz. This 13-time All-Star and four-time Most Valuable Player is not only the greatest player of his generation, but arguably one of the best players of all-time. He's a proven scorer who can also pass the ball with incredible precision and accuracy. He won Rookie of the Year in 2004 following a season in which he averaged 20.9 points per game and has since averaged at least 25 points per game in 13 seasons.

Question 16

Who was the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft?

The first ever first overall pick from China, this player is a Hall of Fame inductee, eight-time All-Star, 2002-03 All-Rookie honoree and five-time All-NBA player. Listed at 7-foot-6, he is also one of the tallest players to ever play in the league, which made him one of the NBA's most effective rebounders and inside scorers. He was limited by injuries throughout his career, but managed to play 486 career games and averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.

Question 17

Who was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft?

Beginning the trend in which the first overall pick in the draft didn't attend college (the NBA later denied high school players from entering the draft), the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft was selected out of Georgia's Glynn Academy. In fact, three of the five top picks were high school players, but only two of them had relatively successful careers. The first overall pick played over a decade in the league, but was nowhere near the caliber of player scouts expected prior to his draft year. He retired in 2013 with an average of 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Question 18

Who was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft?

Whereas the first overall pick of the 2001, 2003, and 2004 NBA Drafts didn't play a single minute of college basketball, the first overall selection of the 2000 NBA Draft spent four full seasons at the University of Cincinnati and slowly developed into a premier center. After coming off the bench in his first two seasons, he improved slightly in his third year and had a breakout season as a senior with an average of 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. Consequently, he was named Associated Press Player of the Year.

Question 19

Who was the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft?

The recipient of the 1999 Associated Press Player of the Year and Naismith Award as the top player in college basketball, the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft played two seasons at Duke University, where he averaged 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. In the NBA, he was a two-time All-Star and member of the 2005-06 All-NBA team who retired following the 2015-16 season. He played for five teams throughout his career and averaged 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

Question 20

Who was the first overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft?

The first overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft belonged to the Los Angeles Clippers and the organization used it to exemplify its ineptitude during that era as it selected a player who averaged only 8.3 points per game throughout a 10-year career. Although he was not the worst first overall draft bust of all-time, the selection stings as the 1998 draft class included future Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, and Vince Carter. It's hard to fault the Clippers, however, as he averaged an impressive 22.2 points per game for Pacific University in the 1997-98 season.

Question 21

Who was the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft?

The 1997 NBA Draft isn't going to be remembered for its star power, although it did produce some great players in the top 10, including Tracy McGrady, Chauncey Billups, and this future Hall of Famer, who was selected first overall by the San Antonio Spurs. He played four seasons at Wake Forest University and, in his final season, was named Associated Press Player of the Year after averaging 20.8 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game. He retired following the 2015-16 season.

Question 22

Who was the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft?

The 1996 NBA Draft is thought of as one of the deepest drafts in league history as one-third of the first-round picks eventually became All-Stars, three of which also won Most Valuable Player awards, including this first overall pick. A high-scoring guard out of Georgetown University, he averaged 25.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 steals in his draft year and lived up to the hype as he was named NBA Rookie of the Year the following season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Question 23

Who was the first overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft?

A native of Virginia, the first overall pick of the 1995 NBA Draft played his college ball at the University of Maryland, where he averaged 20.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks through two seasons. He was named the Associated Press Player of the Year in his draft year but, following an impressive first two seasons with the Golden State Warriors, was unable to develop into the All-Star many thought he would become. Still, he managed to play over 1,000 games in the league for a whopping 12 different teams.

Question 24

Who was the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft?

Not to be confused with his son by the same name who currently plays in the league, this player was the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft following a two-year stint at Purdue University, where averaged 27.5 points and 9.7 rebounds through two seasons. He averaged an incredible 30.3 points per game in his draft year and was named Associated Press Player of the Year. Although he won't be remembered as an all-time great in the NBA, he did play in two All-Star Games and won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs.

Question 25

Who was the first overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft?

Part of the University of Michigan's "Fab Five," this player was selected first overall in the 1993 NBA Draft after making consecutive NCAA All-Tournament teams and averaging 17.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks throughout his collegiate career. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and recipient of the 1994 Rookie of the Year award. He retired from the NBA in 2008 following a 16-year career in which he averaged 20.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He's currently a broadcast analyst with TNT.

See Your Result
Questions Left
Current Score