NBA Draft 2021: Looking back at the Number 1 picks in the NBA Draft since 1947

NBA Draft 2021: With the NBA Draft Lottery just around the corner, Cade Cunningham is the player that outshines everyone in this year’s draft roster.

With the NBA releasing the key dates schedule for the NBA 2021-22 season, it seems that we are back to the normal schedule with the regular season starting in October. The NBA Draft 2021 is said to be on the 29th of July, 2021.

What is the NBA Draft?

The NBA Draft is an annual event wherein teams select players from American colleges and International Leagues to strengthen their roster. The Draft lets teams fill their roster with young talents, some of which are set to be future NBA Stars.

Schedule of the NBA Draft 2021:

Date: July 29, 2021

Where can you watch the NBA Draft?

ESPN and Turner are the Official Broadcasting Partners of the NBA.

Fans can watch the NBA Draft Live here.

Sept. 28: Training camp starts
Oct. 19: Regular season starts
April 16: Playoffs start
June 2: Finals Game 1
June 19: Finals Game 7
June 23: 2022 NBA Draft Lottery

How does the NBA Draft work?

There are two rounds in the NBA Draft. On the day of the draft, each of the 30 NBA teams gets a pick per round. A total of 60 players are selected in every NBA Draft. 

The first 14 picks are selected by the NBA Draft Lottery to provide leverage to the teams who failed to make the NBA Playoffs in the previous regular season.

The NBA Draft Lottery was introduced to prevent teams from losing intentionally to get a higher pick in the NBA Draft. 

Big Night Ahead For ACC, UNC In 2014 NBA Draft - Chapelboro.com

The remaining 16 picks are thereafter decided by the last regular season’s standings in the opposite order. To put things into perspective, the team with the best record last season will get the 30th pick, the team with the 2nd best record will get the 29th pick, and so on. 

Similarly, teams pick players in the reverse order for the second round of the NBA Draft. There is no Lottery system.

NBA Draft 2021: All-Time NBA Draft History

2020s

2020 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft

2010s

2019 | No. 1 pick — Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) | Full Draft

2018 | No. 1 pick — Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns) | Full Draft

2017 | No. 1 pick — Markelle Fultz (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft

2016 | No. 1 pick — Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft

2015 | No. 1 pick — Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Full Draft

2014 | No. 1 pick — Andrew Wiggins (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Drafts

2013 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Bennett (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft

2012 | No. 1 pick — Anthony Davis (New Orleans Hornets) | Full Draft

2011 | No. 1 pick — Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft

2010 | No. 1 pick — John Wall (Washington Wizards) | Full Draft

2000s

2009 | No. 1 pick — Blake Griffin (LA Clippers) | Full Draft

2008 | No. 1 pick — Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) | Full Draft

2007 | No. 1 pick — Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft

2006 | No. 1 pick — Andrea Bargnani (Toronto Raptors) | Full Draft

2005 | No. 1 pick — Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks) | Full Draft

2004 | No. 1 pick — Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft

2003 | No. 1 pick — LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft

2002 | No. 1 pick — Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft

2001 | No. 1 pick — Kwame Brown (Washington Wizards) | Full Draft

2000 | No. 1 pick — Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft

1990s

1999 | No. 1 pick — Elton Brand (Chicago Bulls) | Full Draft

1998 | No. 1 pick — Michael Olowokandi (LA Clippers) | Full Draft

1997 | No. 1 pick — Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) | Full Draft

1996 | No. 1 pick — Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft

1995 | No. 1 pick — Joe Smith (Golden State Warriors) | Full Draft

1994 | No. 1 pick — Glenn Robinson (Milwaukee Bucks) | Full Draft

1993 | No. 1 pick — Chris Webber (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft

1992 | No. 1 pick — Shaquille O’ Neal (Orlando Magic) | Full Draft

1991 | No. 1 pick — Larry Johnson (Charlotte Hornets) | Full Draft

1990 | No. 1 pick — Derrick Coleman (New Jersey Nets) | Full Draft

1980s

1989 | No. 1 pick — Pervis Ellison (Sacramento Kings) | Full Draft

1988 | No. 1 pick — Danny Manning (LA Clippers) | Full Draft

1987 | No. 1 pick — David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) | Full Draft

1986 | No. 1 pick — Brad Daugherty (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft

1985 | No. 1 pick — Patrick Ewing (New York Knicks) | Full Draft

1984 | No. 1 pick — Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft

1983 | No. 1 pick — Ralph Sampson (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft

1982 | No. 1 pick — James Worthy (Los Angeles Lakers) | Full Draft

1981 | No. 1 pick — Mark Aguirre (Dallas Mavericks) | Full Draft

1980 | No. 1 pick — Joe Barry Carroll (Golden State Warriors) | Full Draft

1970s

1979 | No. 1 pick — Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) | Full Draft

1978 | No. 1 pick — Mychal Thompson (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft

1977 | No. 1 pick — Kent Benson (Milwaukee Bucks) | Full Draft

1976 | No. 1 pick — John Lucas (Houston Rockets) | Full Draft

1975 | No. 1 pick — David Thompson (Atlanta Hawks) | Full Draft

1974 | No. 1 pick — Bill Walton (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft

1973 | No. 1 pick — Doug Collins (Philadelphia 76ers) | Full Draft

1972 | No. 1 pick — LaRue Martin (Portland Trail Blazers) | Full Draft

1971 | No. 1 pick — Austin Carr (Cleveland Cavaliers) | Full Draft

1970 | No. 1 pick — Bob Lanier (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft

1960s

1969 | No. 1 pick — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks) | Full Draft

1968 | No. 1 pick — Elvin Hayes (San Diego Rickets) | Full Draft

1967 | No. 1 pick — Jimmy Walker (Detroit Pistons) | Full Draft

1966 | No. 1 pick — Cazzie Russell (New York Knicks) | Full Draft

1965 | No. 1 pick — Fred Hetzel (San Francisco Warriors) | Full Draft

1964 | No. 1 pick — Jim Barnes (New York Knicks) | Full Draft

1963 | No. 1 pick — Art Heyman (New York Knicks) | Full Draft

1962 | No. 1 pick — Bill McGill (Chicago Zephyrs) | Full Draft

1961 | No. 1 pick — Walt Bellamy (Chicago Zephyrs) | Full Draft

1960 | No. 1 pick — Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati Royals) | Full Draft

1950s

1959 | No. 1 pick — Bob Boozer (Cincinnati Royals) | Full Draft

1958 | No. 1 pick — Elgin Baylor (Minneapolis Lakers) | Full Draft

1957 | No. 1 pick — Hot Rod Hundley (Cincinnati Royals) | Full Draft

1956 | No. 1 pick — Si Green (Rochester Royals) | Full Draft

1955 | No. 1 pick — Dick Ricketts (St. Louis Hawks) | Full Draft

1954 | No. 1 pick — Frank Selvy (Baltimore Bullets) | Full Draft

1953 | No. 1 pick — Ray Felix (Baltimore Bullets) | Full Draft

1952 | No. 1 pick — Mark Workman (Milwaukee Hawks) | Full Draft

1951 | No. 1 pick — Gene Melchiorre (Baltimore Hawks) | Full Draft

1950 | No. 1 pick — Chuck Share (Boston Celtics) | Full Draft

1940s

1949 | No. 1 pick — Howie Shannon (Providence Steam Rollers) | Full Draft

1948 | No. 1 pick — Andy Tonkovich (Providence Steam Rollers) | Full Draft

1947 | No. 1 pick — Clifton McNeeley (Pittsburgh Ironmen) | Full Draft