We traced those 60 No. 1 picks, and the 240 players taken second through fifth, through NBA.com's lists of No. 1 picks, MVPs, Rookies of the Year and All-NBA teams. Only NBA honors count, not ABA ones.
How NBA No. 1 picks have done
The first pick beats the next four on every measure: 73 percent of No. 1 picks became All-Stars, against 39 percent of picks 2 to 5, and 53 percent made an All-NBA team, against 26 percent. The gap is smallest for titles, 33 percent against 25.
MVP shows it best. No. 1 picks have won 21 of the 60 awards since 1966-67, against 14 for the 240 players taken second through fifth, five of them by Michael Jordan, the No. 3 pick in 1984. No No. 1 pick has won it in the 13 seasons since LeBron James in 2012-13; our history of every NBA MVP shows how often an MVP season ended with a title.
Twenty of the 60 have won a championship, 46 titles between them, and a No. 1 pick was on the roster of 30 of the 60 champions since 1966-67. Only Magic Johnson won it as a rookie, with the 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers. The latest is Karl-Anthony Towns, with this year's champion New York Knicks.
NBA number one pick and Rookie of the Year
Twenty-one of the 60 No. 1 picks were named Rookie of the Year, 35 percent, against 31 of the 240 players taken second through fifth, 13 percent. Since 2003 the top pick has won it 10 times in 23 drafts, most recently Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks in 2025-26.
Three won it two or three seasons after their draft: David Robinson (drafted 1987, award in 1989-90), Blake Griffin (2009, award in 2010-11) and Ben Simmons (2016, award in 2017-18).
Every NBA No. 1 pick: honors and team record
| Draft | No. 1 pick | Drafted by | Team record before, after | Career NBA honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Cazzie Russell | New York Knicks | 30-50, 36-45 | 1 All-Star, 1 title |
| 1967 | Jimmy Walker | Detroit Pistons | 30-51, 40-42 | 2 All-Star |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes | San Diego Rockets | 15-67, 37-45 | 12 All-Star, 6 All-NBA, 1 title |
| 1969 | Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) | Milwaukee Bucks | 27-55, 56-26 | ROY, 19 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, 6 MVP, 6 titles |
| 1970 | Bob Lanier | Detroit Pistons | 31-51, 45-37 | 8 All-Star |
| 1971 | Austin Carr | Cleveland Cavaliers | 15-67, 23-59 | 1 All-Star |
| 1972 | LaRue Martin | Portland Trail Blazers | 18-64, 21-61 | None |
| 1973 | Doug Collins | Philadelphia 76ers | 9-73, 25-57 | 4 All-Star |
| 1974 | Bill Walton | Portland Trail Blazers | 27-55, 38-44 | 2 All-Star, 2 All-NBA, 1 MVP, 2 titles |
| 1975 | David Thompson | Atlanta Hawks (played for ABA Denver) | 31-51, 29-53 | 4 All-Star, 2 All-NBA |
| 1976 | John Lucas | Houston Rockets | 40-42, 49-33 | None |
| 1977 | Kent Benson | Milwaukee Bucks | 30-52, 44-38 | None |
| 1978 | Mychal Thompson | Portland Trail Blazers | 58-24, 45-37 | 2 titles |
| 1979 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 47-35, 60-22 | 12 All-Star, 10 All-NBA, 3 MVP, 5 titles |
| 1980 | Joe Barry Carroll | Golden State Warriors | 24-58, 39-43 | 1 All-Star |
| 1981 | Mark Aguirre | Dallas Mavericks | 15-67, 28-54 | 3 All-Star, 2 titles |
| 1982 | James Worthy | Los Angeles Lakers | 57-25, 58-24 | 7 All-Star, 2 All-NBA, 3 titles |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | 14-68, 29-53 | ROY, 4 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 1984 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 29-53, 48-34 | 12 All-Star, 12 All-NBA, 1 MVP, 2 titles |
| 1985 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | 24-58, 23-59 | ROY, 11 All-Star, 7 All-NBA |
| 1986 | Brad Daugherty | Cleveland Cavaliers | 29-53, 31-51 | 5 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 1987 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 28-54, 31-51 | ROY, 10 All-Star, 10 All-NBA, 1 MVP, 2 titles |
| 1988 | Danny Manning | Los Angeles Clippers | 17-65, 21-61 | 2 All-Star |
| 1989 | Pervis Ellison | Sacramento Kings | 27-55, 23-59 | None |
| 1990 | Derrick Coleman | New Jersey Nets | 17-65, 26-56 | ROY, 1 All-Star, 2 All-NBA |
| 1991 | Larry Johnson | Charlotte Hornets | 26-56, 31-51 | ROY, 2 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 1992 | Shaquille O'Neal | Orlando Magic | 21-61, 41-41 | ROY, 15 All-Star, 14 All-NBA, 1 MVP, 4 titles |
| 1993 | Chris Webber | Orlando Magic (played for Golden State) | 41-41, 50-32 | ROY, 5 All-Star, 5 All-NBA |
| 1994 | Glenn Robinson | Milwaukee Bucks | 20-62, 34-48 | 2 All-Star, 1 title |
| 1995 | Joe Smith | Golden State Warriors | 26-56, 36-46 | None |
| 1996 | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | 18-64, 22-60 | ROY, 11 All-Star, 7 All-NBA, 1 MVP |
| 1997 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 20-62, 56-26 | ROY, 15 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, 2 MVP, 5 titles |
| 1998 | Michael Olowokandi | Los Angeles Clippers | 17-65, 9-41 | None |
| 1999 | Elton Brand | Chicago Bulls | 13-37, 17-65 | ROY, 2 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 2000 | Kenyon Martin | New Jersey Nets | 31-51, 26-56 | 1 All-Star |
| 2001 | Kwame Brown | Washington Wizards | 19-63, 37-45 | None |
| 2002 | Yao Ming | Houston Rockets | 28-54, 43-39 | 8 All-Star, 5 All-NBA |
| 2003 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 17-65, 35-47 | ROY, 22 All-Star, 21 All-NBA, 4 MVP, 4 titles |
| 2004 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 21-61, 36-46 | 8 All-Star, 8 All-NBA, 1 title |
| 2005 | Andrew Bogut | Milwaukee Bucks | 30-52, 40-42 | 1 All-NBA, 1 title |
| 2006 | Andrea Bargnani | Toronto Raptors | 27-55, 47-35 | None |
| 2007 | Greg Oden | Portland Trail Blazers | 32-50, 41-41 | None |
| 2008 | Derrick Rose | Chicago Bulls | 33-49, 41-41 | ROY, 3 All-Star, 1 All-NBA, 1 MVP |
| 2009 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers | 19-63, 29-53 | ROY, 6 All-Star, 5 All-NBA |
| 2010 | John Wall | Washington Wizards | 26-56, 23-59 | 5 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 2011 | Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers | 19-63, 21-45 | ROY, 9 All-Star, 3 All-NBA, 1 title |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Hornets | 21-45, 27-55 | 10 All-Star, 5 All-NBA, 1 title |
| 2013 | Anthony Bennett | Cleveland Cavaliers | 24-58, 33-49 | None |
| 2014 | Andrew Wiggins | Cleveland Cavaliers (played for Minnesota) | 33-49, 53-29 | ROY, 1 All-Star, 1 title |
| 2015 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | 16-66, 29-53 | ROY, 6 All-Star, 3 All-NBA, 1 title |
| 2016 | Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers | 10-72, 28-54 | ROY, 3 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 2017 | Markelle Fultz | Philadelphia 76ers | 28-54, 52-30 | None |
| 2018 | Deandre Ayton | Phoenix Suns | 21-61, 19-63 | None |
| 2019 | Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans | 33-49, 30-42 | 2 All-Star |
| 2020 | Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves | 19-45, 23-49 | 4 All-Star, 2 All-NBA |
| 2021 | Cade Cunningham | Detroit Pistons | 20-52, 23-59 | 2 All-Star, 2 All-NBA |
| 2022 | Paolo Banchero | Orlando Magic | 22-60, 34-48 | ROY, 1 All-Star |
| 2023 | Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs | 22-60, 22-60 | ROY, 2 All-Star, 1 All-NBA |
| 2024 | Zaccharie Risacher | Atlanta Hawks | 36-46, 40-42 | None |
| 2025 | Cooper Flagg | Dallas Mavericks | 39-43, 26-56 | ROY |
| 2026 | AJ Dybantsa | Washington Wizards | 17-65, season starts Oct. 20 | None |
How the team with the No. 1 pick did the next season
The 60 teams that made the No. 1 pick won 31.7 percent of their games the season before the draft and 42.4 percent the season after. Forty-nine improved, 10 got worse and the 2023-24 San Antonio Spurs repeated a 22-60 record. Fourteen finished above .500.
Thirteen had the league's worst record the season before. Three had winning records, all with picks acquired in trades: the 1978 Portland Trail Blazers and the Lakers in 1979 and 1982. The 1979 Lakers, with Johnson, are the only team to win the title the season after.
The biggest jump came in San Antonio, from 20-62 to 56-26 with Tim Duncan in 1997-98, ahead of the 1969 Milwaukee Bucks, from 27-55 to 56-26 with Lew Alcindor. The latest team to get worse was Flagg's Mavericks, from 39-43 to 26-56.
Three No. 1 picks started elsewhere. David Thompson, taken by the Atlanta Hawks in 1975, played his rookie year for the Denver Nuggets, then in the ABA. Orlando traded Chris Webber to the Golden State Warriors in 1993, and Andrew Wiggins, taken by Cleveland in 2014, debuted with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who went from 40-42 to 16-66.
Best NBA No. 1 picks
- Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969): six MVPs, the most by any player, and six titles.
- LeBron James (2003): four MVPs, four titles and 21 All-NBA teams, the most in league history.
- Magic Johnson (1979): three MVPs and five titles.
- Tim Duncan (1997): two MVPs, five titles and 15 All-NBA teams.
- Shaquille O'Neal (1992): one MVP and four titles.
- Hakeem Olajuwon (1984), David Robinson (1987) and Bill Walton (1974): one MVP and two titles each.
Sixteen of the 60 were never All-Stars, among them LaRue Martin (1972), Kwame Brown (2001), Greg Oden (2007) and Anthony Bennett (2013). Mychal Thompson and Andrew Bogut still won titles, and Zaccharie Risacher and Flagg have played only two seasons and one.
No. 1 picks against picks 2 to 5
The steepest drop comes after the first pick, but the next four slots are not in order: No. 3 picks have more All-Stars, All-NBA players and MVP awards than No. 2 picks, thanks to Jordan, James Harden and Joel Embiid.
| Pick | Rookie of the Year | All-Star | All-NBA | MVPs (awards) | Won a title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | 21/60 | 44/60 | 32/60 | 10 (21) | 20/60 |
| No. 2 | 13/60 | 24/60 | 18/60 | 3 (3) | 15/60 |
| No. 3 | 7/60 | 29/60 | 21/60 | 3 (7) | 15/60 |
| No. 4 | 7/60 | 18/60 | 9/60 | 2 (2) | 15/60 |
| No. 5 | 4/60 | 22/60 | 15/60 | 2 (2) | 14/60 |
| Nos. 2-5 | 31/240 | 93/240 | 63/240 | 10 (14) | 59/240 |
2026 NBA No. 1 pick: AJ Dybantsa
The Washington Wizards, 17-65 and last in the league in 2025-26, won the draft lottery and on June 23 took Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing who averaged 25.5 points at BYU and is the first No. 1 pick from that school. He is Washington's first top pick since John Wall in 2010.
At the Las Vegas Summer League he scored 27 points in a 92-88 win over the Utah Jazz and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson, and 23 in a 104-85 win over the Sacramento Kings, then shut it down after those two games.
The season opens on Tuesday, Oct. 20, and the Wizards' first game is the next night at home against the Milwaukee Bucks; Dybantsa and Peterson first meet on Feb. 27 in Utah. The 2026-27 NBA schedule has every game and our NBA season simulator plays out the year. We measured the WNBA's No. 1 picks the same way.
NBA No. 1 draft picks: frequently asked questions
How many NBA No. 1 picks have won MVP? Ten of the 60 from 1966 to 2025, with 21 awards. The last was LeBron James in 2012-13.
How many NBA No. 1 picks have won Rookie of the Year? Twenty-one of the 60, most recently Cooper Flagg in 2025-26.
Which NBA No. 1 pick has won the most titles? Lew Alcindor, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with six: one with Milwaukee and five with the Lakers.
Who was the 2026 NBA No. 1 pick? AJ Dybantsa, a BYU wing taken by the Washington Wizards.
How this was built: the top five picks of every draft from 1966 to 2026 come from Wikipedia's draft pages, with each No. 1 pick checked against NBA.com's draft history. MVP, Rookie of the Year and All-NBA come from NBA.com's lists through 2025-26; All-Star selections and titles from each player's Wikipedia record, checked against the list of NBA All-Stars and NBA.com's champions. Team records are NBA.com's official standings, 1965-66 to 2025-26.