Top 5 NBA players who succeeded without being a Top 10 Draft pick
The greatest players in NBA history were normally high NBA Draft picks. However, that does not mean that players picked outside of the top spots have not been successful in the league as even undrafted players have become legends of the league.
High draft picks usually command the most attention on draft night and during their rookie year, whether it is for good performances or struggles. Some of the greatest players in NBA history, like Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and Magic Johnson, were Top five picks of their respective NBA Draft classes.
Top five players in NBA history that were selected out of the Top 10 in their NBA Draft classes
In the 2020-21 NBA season, we saw Nikola Jokic, a former second-round pick, win the NBA MVP award and become the lowest pick to win the award (41st). Moreover, the reigning Finals MVP winner, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was not a Top 10 pick in his draft.
While the top picks dominate throughout NBA history in terms of MVPs, being a low pick is not indicative of a bad future in the league.
In this article, however, we will focus on NBA legends who were not selected in the Top 10 of their respective draft nights.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard was the 15th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, and the team that selected him (Indiana Pacers) sent him to the San Antonio Spurs. With the Spurs, Leonard kept evolving his basketball skills and became a superstar with the team.
He won one NBA championship with the Spurs and took home the Finals MVP trophy.
Leonard also won two Defensive Player of the Year awards with San Antonio before delivering an NBA championship to the Toronto Raptors in 2019, again winning Finals MVP.
He's been an All-Star five times and has been a member of five All-NBA teams and seven All-Defensive teams in his career.
#4 Karl Malone
Karl Malone had an illustrious career, even though he was unable to win an NBA championship. 'The Mailman' was the 13th selection in the 1985 NBA Draft and went on to become a Utah Jazz and NBA legend.
Malone won two NBA MVPs in his 19-year career. He also earned 14 All-Star spots, 14 All-NBA selections, four All-Defensive selections and a couple of All-Star MVPs.
He is second on the all-time scoring list, having scored 36,928 points in his regular-season career.