The NBA Draft is a time for many teams to enjoy renewed hope, turning the page to the next season with some fresh faces. If your team has the No. 1 overall pick, that sense of hope burns stronger than ever.
While possessing the No. 1 pick can set a team up to course-correct on previous bad decisions, the selection itself is never a sure thing. While the list is littered with superstars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Hakeem Olajuwon, there are also plenty of regrettable choices like Anthony Bennett and Kwame Brown.
The Sporting News takes a look back at every first selection in NBA Draft history, revisiting some of the biggest success stories, worst busts and more.
MORE: The worst No. 1 draft picks in NBA history
Complete list of first overall picks in NBA history
Cleveland has landed at No. 1 on the draft board more than any other NBA team (six total picks). The Cavs selected Austin Carr (1971), Brad Daugherty (1986), LeBron James (2003), Kyrie Irving (2011), Anthony Bennett (2013) and Andrew Wiggins (2014).
MORE: Every team's biggest NBA Draft regret
| Year | Team | Player | School/Club |
| 2024 | Atlanta Hawks | Zaccharie Risacher | JL Bourg (France) |
| 2023 | San Antonio Spurs | Victor Wembanyama | Metropolitans 92 (France) |
| 2022 | Orlando Magic | Paolo Banchero | Duke |
| 2021 | Detroit Pistons | Cade Cunningham | Oklahoma State |
| 2020 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards | Georgia |
| 2019 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson | Duke |
| 2018 | Phoenix Suns | Deandre Ayton | Arizona |
| 2017 | Philadelphia 76ers | Markelle Fultz | Washington |
| 2016 | Philadelphia 76ers | Ben Simmons | LSU |
| 2015 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns | Kentucky |
| 2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Andrew Wiggins | Kansas |
| 2013 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Anthony Bennett | UNLV |
| 2012 | New Orleans Pelicans | Anthony Davis | Kentucky |
| 2011 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kyrie Irving | Duke |
| 2010 | Washington Wizards | John Wall | Kentucky |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Clippers | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma |
| 2008 | Chicago Bulls | Derrick Rose | Memphis |
| 2007 | Portland Trail Blazers | Greg Oden | Ohio State |
| 2006 | Toronto Raptors | Andrea Bargnani | Benetton Treviso |
| 2005 | Milwaukee Bucks | Andrew Bogut | Utah |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic | Dwight Howard | Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy |
| 2003 | Cleveland Cavaliers | LeBron James | St. Vincent-St. Mary |
| 2002 | Houston Rockets | Yao Ming | Shanghai Sharks |
| 2001 | Washington Wizards | Kwame Brown | Glynn Academy |
| 2000 | New Jersey Nets | Kenyon Martin | Cincinnati |
| 1999 | Chicago Bulls | Elton Brand | Duke |
| 1998 | Los Angeles Clippers | Michael Olowokandi | Pacific |
| 1997 | San Antonio Spurs | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest |
| 1996 | Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson | Georgetown |
| 1995 | Golden State Warriors | Joe Smith | Maryland |
| 1994 | Milwaukee Bucks | Glenn Robinson | Purdue |
| 1993 | Orlando Magic | Chris Webber | Michigan |
| 1992 | Orlando Magic | Shaquille O'Neal | LSU |
| 1991 | Charlotte Hornets | Larry Johnson | UNLV |
| 1990 | New Jersey Nets | Derrick Coleman | Syracuse |
| 1989 | Sacramento Kings | Pervis Ellison | Louisville |
| 1988 | Los Angeles Clippers | Danny Manning | Kansas |
| 1987 | San Antonio Spurs | David Robinson | Navy |
| 1986 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Brad Daugherty | North Carolina |
| 1985 | New York Knicks | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown |
| 1984 | Houston Rockets | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston |
| 1983 | Houston Rockets | Ralph Sampson | Virginia |
| 1982 | Los Angeles Lakers | James Worthy | North Carolina |
| 1981 | Dallas Mavericks | Mark Aguirre | DePaul |
| 1980 | Golden State Warriors | Joe Barry Carroll | Purdue |
| 1979 | Los Angeles Lakers | Magic Johnson | Michigan State |
| 1978 | Portland Trail Blazers | Mychal Thompson | Minnesota |
| 1977 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kent Benson | Indiana |
| 1976 | Houston Rockets | John Lucas | Maryland |
| 1975 | Atlanta Hawks | David Thompson | NC State |
| 1974 | Portland Trail Blazers | Bill Walton | UCLA |
| 1973 | Philadelphia 76ers | Doug Collins | Illinois State |
| 1972 | Portland Trail Blazers | LaRue Martin | Loyola Chicago |
| 1971 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Austin Carr | Notre Dame |
| 1970 | Detroit Pistons | Bob Lanier | St. Bonaventure |
| 1969 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | UCLA |
| 1968 | San Diego Rockets | Elvin Hayes | Houston |
| 1967 | Detroit Pistons | Jimmy Walker | Providence |
| 1966 | New York Knicks | Cazzie Russell | Michigan |
| 1965 | San Francisco Warriors | Fred Hetzel | Davidson |
| 1964 | New York Knicks | Jim Barnes | Texas-El Paso |
| 1963 | New York Knicks | Art Heyman | Duke |
| 1962 | Chicago Zephyrs | Bill McGill | Utah |
| 1961 | Chicago Packers | Walt Bellamy | Indiana |
| 1960 | Cincinnati Royals | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati |
| 1959 | Cincinnati Royals | Bob Boozer | Kansas State |
| 1958 | Minneapolis Lakers | Elgin Baylor | Seattle |
| 1957 | Cincinnati Royals | Hot Rod Hundley | West Virginia |
| 1956 | Rochester Royals | Si Green | Duquesne |
| 1955 | St. Louis Hawks | Dick Ricketts | Duquesne |
| 1954 | Baltimore Bullets | Frank Selvy | Furman |
| 1953 | Philadelphia Warriors | Ernie Beck | Penn |
| 1952 | Milwaukee Hawks | Mark Workman | West Virginia |
| 1951 | Baltimore Bullets | Gene Melchiorre | Bradley |
| 1950 | Boston Celtics | Chuck Share | Bowling Green |
| 1949 | Providence Steamrollers | Howie Shannon | Kansas State |
| 1948 | Providence Steamrollers | Andy Tonkovich | Marshall |
| 1947 | Pittsburgh Ironmen | Clifton McNeeley | Texas-El Paso |
MORE: Ranking the 16 biggest NBA Draft busts of all time