My Top 10 overall number one NBA Draft Picks of all time rick olivares Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (AP) Anthony Bennett made history as Canada’s first ever number one overall pick in the NBA. While the 2013 NBA Draft is considered to be a lean one, it obviously remains to be seen how these rookies will perform with their respective teams. Bennett, the Toronto, Canada native who played for the University of Nevada Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebels will likewise have the distinction of following LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the top pick to go to the Cleveland Cavaliers. But there is also cause for concern as Bennett is coming off a shoulder injury. And shoulder injuries are dicey. There’s no telling how it will heal. The Cavs’ brass nevertheless liked him a lot to select him in hopes that with Irving, they’ll form a nucleus that will compete for a NBA title in the near future. We won’t be able to assess Bennett until the next season is over but in the meantime, we can make a case for the Top 10 number one overall draft picks in the Association (mind you, I didn’t list even a fraction of all their accomplishments). 1. Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks (1969 out of UCLA) Came into the NBA having won three straight NCAA championships and a degree in History. He even had a rule in the NCAA passed because of his dominance. That was the ‘No Dunking Rule” from 1967 to 1976. But that didn’t stop him and the Bruins. Three years into his pro career, led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA title with Oscar Robertson. Joined the Los Angeles Lakers where he won five more NBA titles. He holds the league’s all-time scoring record. 2. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1979 out of Michigan State) Like Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Johnson left college after winning an NCAA title. Only in his rookie year, he led the Lakers (with Jabbar as his teammate to the NBA championship over the Philadelphia 76ers). How good was Johnson? In his rookie year, he played center in Game 6 of the Finals with Jabbar out with an injury. And he led LA to its first title since Wilt Chamberlain was in Hollywood. Johnson would be named league MVP three times and All-Star MVP twice (in 12 mid-summer classic appearances). With Magic bringing showtime to Los Angeles, the Lakers reached the Finals nine times where they came away winners five times. He added an Olympic Gold Medal to his impressive haul before calling it quits (although he had one last fling with the Lakers in 1996). 3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs (1997 out of Wake Forest) Everyone knew he was good but how good? How about leading the previously underachieving San Antonio Spurs to four NBA titles (in five appearances)? Unlike many players coming out early to go to the pros, Duncan played his four full years at Wake Forest where he graduated with a degree in Psychology. He would have been a perfect five for five but his Spurs ran out of gas against the Miami Heat in the just concluded NBA Finals that went to a Game Seven. Duncan has won just about every award there is in the pros as well as the Olympics where as a member of the 2004 US Team finished with a bronze medal. 4. Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic (1992 out of LSU) Shaq is one of four Los Angeles Lakers on this list. Although drafted by Orlando, he turned his pro game around when he got to LA. Along with precocious talent Kobe Bryant, they won three consecutive NBA championships. Later joined Dwyane Wade in Miami where they won the title in 2006. 5. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (2003 out of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s HS) LeBron James along with Duncan are the only active players on this list. Can he climb higher before he calls it a career? Definitely. When he went to South Beach with Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade, they predicted they would win a bunch of NBA titles. With Miami, James has gone to three straight NBA Finals winning the last two. 6. Akeem Olajuwon, Houston (1984 out of Houston) He led the University of Houston to the NCAA Finals in 1984 where they lost to Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas. But within two years as a pro, he had the Houston Rockets taking Boston to a Game Six in the 1986 Finals. Olajuwon would later lead Houston to back-to-back NBA crowns in 1994-95 including the 94 championship over Ewing’s New York Knicks. Played with Toronto in the twilight of his great career. 7. James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers (1983 out of North Carolina) Led the UNC Tar Heels to a NCAA title win over Patrick Ewing’s G-Town Hoyas in 1983 when a skinny freshman named Michael Jordan hit the game winning jumpshot. Worthy was named Finals MVP. Graduated and later played on three championship teams with the Lakers. Like Magic Johnson, Worthy finished his career with the Lakers. 8. Bill Walton, Portland Trailblazers (1974 out of UCLA) One of the great centers ever. Won a bunch of titles with UCLA. Took Portland to its only title so far and won one with Boston in 1986 while bagging the Sixth Man Award. 9. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals (1960 out of Cincinnati) The Big O. So far still the only man to average a triple double for the entire season. Found success in the last few years of his career when he teamed up with a fella by the name of Alcindor for the 1971 NBA championship over the Baltimore Bullets. 10. David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs (1987 out of Navy) Lost a few years of what ended up as a sterling NBA career as he had to finish a tour of duty with the US Navy after graduating from Annapolis. Won two titles in that Twin Tower combo with Duncan at San Antonio. One of the original Dream Team along with Magic Johnson. Trivia: Four players on this list played for only one team their entire pro career. Four of these players are Los Angeles Lakers while two are San Antonio Spurs. Four of these players won a NCAA title. Two are UCLA alums – Alcindor/Jabbar and Walton. Three of these players led two teams to the NBA Finals – Alcindor/Jabbar, Los Angeles; LeBron James with Cleveland and Miami; Bill Walton with Portland and Boston; One player went to the Finals with three different squads: Shaq with Orlando, Los Angeles, and Miami. Seven players finished their college stints and got a degree. Of the 10 players I listed only Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Oscar Robertson were unable to lead the team that drafted them to a title. Shaq took the Magic to the 1995 NBA Finals where they were swept by Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets. James towed the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2007 where they too were swept by Tim Duncan’s Spurs. Robertson would later win with Jabbar at the slot while in Milwaukee. Although all 10 have American citizenship, eight of them were born outside continental USA – Olajuwon who was born in Nigeria and Duncan who was born in the US Virgin Islands.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 06:19:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015