10 teams with most #1 picks in NBA history ft. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Atlanta Hawks defied the odds by landing the No. 1 pick in Sunday's NBA draft lottery despite having a 3.0% chance of doing so. Per ESPN, that makes them the fifth-unlikeliest team to secure the top pick since the draft lottery's 1985 inception.
Atlanta's unexpected lottery win marks its first in franchise history. However, the organization has had the No. 1 pick three times pre-lottery. Thus, the Hawks will make their fourth top selection during this year's draft, which takes place on June 26 and 27 in New York.
With its fourth No. 1 selection, Atlanta is the 10th franchise to achieve the milestone, with only four having more.
On that note, here are the 10 teams with the most top picks in NBA history, per NBA.com.
10 NBA teams with most #1 picks all-time
#T3 Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers (4 #1 picks)
Atlanta is one of six franchises ranking third with four No. 1 picks. However, the Hawks' previous three top picks came in 1975 or earlier.
Hawks' No. 1 pick history:
1952: Mark Workman (Milwaukee Hawks)
1955: Dick Ricketts (St. Louis Hawks)
1975: David Thompson
2024: To be determined
The other five organizations with four top picks are the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers. Among their No. 1 picks are several notable Hall of Famers, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson and Bill Walton.
Bucks' No. 1 pick history:
1969: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1977: Kent Benson
1994: Glenn Robinson
2005: Andrew Bogut
Knicks' No. 1 pick history:
1963: Art Heyman
1964: Jim Barnes
1966: Cazzie Russell
1985: Patrick Ewing
Magic's No. 1 pick history:
1992: Shaquille O’Neal
1993: Chris Webber
2004: Dwight Howard
2022: Paolo Banchero
Sixers' No. 1 pick history:
1973: Doug Collins
1996: Allen Iverson
2016: Ben Simmons
2017: Markelle Fultz
Blazers' No. 1 pick history:
1972: LaRue Martin
1974: Bill Walton
1978: Mychal Thompson
2007: Greg Oden
#T2 Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings (5 #1 picks)
The Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings are tied for second with five No. 1 picks. Both franchises have landed Hall of Fame talent at the top of the draft. Most notably, Houston took legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon No. 1 in 1984, later winning the 1994 and 1995 NBA championships.
Rockets' No. 1 pick history:
1968: Elvin Hayes (San Diego Rockets)
1976: John Lucas
1983: Ralph Sampson
1984: Hakeem Olajuwon
2002: Yao Ming
Meanwhile, back when they were still the Cincinnati Royals, the Kings took legendary point guard Oscar Robertson first in 1960.
Kings' No. 1 pick history:
1956: Si Green (Rochester Royals)
1957: Hot Rod Hundley (Cincinnati Royals)
1959: Bob Boozer (Cincinnati Royals)
1960: Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati Royals)
1989: Pervis Ellison
#T1 Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards (6 #1 picks)
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards are tied for the most No. 1 picks in NBA history with six apiece.
Cleveland has won four draft lotteries since 2003, most notably landing superstar forward LeBron James in the 2003 draft. James famously led the Cavaliers to their first NBA title in 2016.
Cavaliers' No. 1 pick history:
1971: Austin Carr
1986: Brad Daugherty
2003: LeBron James
2011: Kyrie Irving
2013: Anthony Bennett
2014: Andrew Wiggins
As for the Wizards, four of their six top selections came in the 1950s and 60s. The franchise has experienced little success in landing superstar talent in recent decades.
Wizards' No. 1 pick history:
1953: Ray Felix (Baltimore Bullets)
1954: Frank Selvy (Baltimore Bullets)
1961: Walt Bellamy (Chicago Packers)
1962: Bill McGill (Chicago Zephyrs)
2001: Kwame Brown
2010: John Wall
Also Read: Are Hawks eyeing to land Bronny James with #1 pick in 2024 NBA draft? Debunking rumors of LeBron James uniting with his son in Atlanta