If you lined up every single No. 1 pick in NBA history — 2003 LeBron James, 1992 Shaquille O'Neal, 1985 Patrick Ewing, etc. — and you had the first selection in an all-time NBA Draft, how many go before Victor Wembanyama?
Like the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, the San Antonio Spurs in 2023 have an easy decision.
Ever since the ping pong balls went there way back on May 16, the Spurs began planning their future around Wembanyama. While both Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller could become stars, Wembanyama is the rarest of rare prospects, the slam dunk, consensus top overall prospect.
But what if they weren't just picking from the crop of 2023 prospects? What if instead you had the option of taking literally any player that's ever gone number one? Suddenly, it's not so simple.
MORE: The 50 most-hyped draft prospects, ranked
In trying to decide where the 7-foot-5 French phenom ranks among the best NBA Draft prospects ever, we challenged two of our NBA writers, Gil McGregor and Micah Adams, to hold an all-time draft. A few housekeeping rules:
- Limit to No. 1 picks only. If you didn't go No. 1 in your own draft class, you weren't eligible for the all-time draft. Sorry Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry fans.
- Do not consider eventual NBA production. Hindsight is 20-20 and nobody knows on draft night how anyone's career is going to shake out including injuries. If the Blazers knew Greg Oden would only play 105 career games, of course they would have taken Kevin Durant. This is all about rating prospects on draft day.
- Start your team from scratch. Fit doesn't matter. We're not worried about anything beyond simply the quality of the player being drafted.
- Play by the modern rules. When it comes to the best of the best, the era doesn't really matter. Yes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is dominating in 2023 just as he did in 1973. Alas, it needs to be said.
That's it!
Our writers drafted 20 players in all with Gil winning the first pick courtesy of an office coin flip. With the first overall pick in the 2023 all-time SN NBA Draft...
1. LeBron James
- Year: 2003
- School/Country: St. Vincent-St. Mary (Ohio)
- 2002-03 high school stats: 29.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 4.7 APG
- Size: 6-foot-8
McGregor: Make no mistake, LeBron James is essentially the most can’t-miss prospect in the history of all team sports.
When he was a 16-year-old high school junior, executives already considered him worthy of being selected with the No. 1 pick. By the time James was 18, going first overall was an absolute no-brainer as he was compared to No. 1 picks of years past and all-time greats.
MORE: Redrafting the 2003 NBA Draft
Hindsight is indeed 20-20, but that saying doesn’t even apply here — somewhere along the way to winning his four league MVPs, four titles, and earning 19 All-NBA selections, James eclipsed the expectations that were placed upon him during his teenage years. That he was expected to reach such heights truly speaks to his standing as a draft prospect.
Perhaps the biggest expectation LeBron has surpassed is the length of his tenure as the face of the league. I don't think anyone could have predicted that.
2. Lew Alcindor
- Year: 1969
- School/Country: UCLA
- 1968-69 college stats: 24.0 PPG, 63.5 FG%, 14.7 RPG
- Size: 7'2"
Adams: Honestly, I gave Wemby a look here.
But for all of the media attention right now, it's not hard to imagine the same exact hype around Alcindor back in 1969. The No. 1 pick was settled by a coin flip between the Bucks and Suns with anticipation reaching such a fever pitch that the Suns called heads based on a newspaper poll of fans. The coin came up tails, the Bucks drafted Alcindor and the Suns settled for Neal Walk.
A three-time consensus All-American, three-time national champion at UCLA and two-time AP National Player of the Year, the 7-foot-2 Alcindor waltzed into the NBA from Day 1 as one of the top 10 players in the league on both ends of the floor. Even if a record six MVPs was impossible to predict, the injury concerns weren't as pronounced and nobody had any doubts — NONE — that he would become a superstar.
3. Shaquille O'Neal
- Year: 1992
- School/Country: LSU
- 1991-92 college stats: 24.1 PPG, 61.5 FG%, 14.0 RPG, 5.2 Blks PG
- Height: 7'1"
McGregor: At 7-foot-1 and 300 pounds, O’Neal was a draft prospect literally unlike anything the league had ever seen before. And we still haven't seen anyone like him since.
After averaging 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.6 blocks per game over three seasons at LSU, drafting O’Neal first overall was described by the late Craig Sager as a “foregone conclusion.” It's scary to think that coming into the league, O’Neal’s offense was viewed as his biggest weakness.
For someone viewed as needing to work on his offense, O'Neal certainly didn't show it — five days before making his All-Star debut as a rookie, O'Neal went off for a season-high 46 points along with 21 rebounds and five blocks. With an infectious smile and a personality that was somehow bigger than his stature, O'Neal was a superstar from the get-go.
4. Victor Wembanyama
- Year: 2023
- School/Country: France (Metropolitans 92)
- 2022-23 Mets 92 stats: 21.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.0 Blks PG, 82.8 FT%
- Height: 7'5"
Adams: It's time.
Personally, I'd have taken Wembanyama over Shaq. But it's hard to argue with what the Big Fella did at LSU, even if he got slighted on the Dream Team in favor of Christian Laettner.
The only names I really considered here were Wemby and Tim Duncan. In terms of skill, production, ceiling and mystique, Wembanyama rises even above the likes of Zion Williamson, Ralph Sampson, Anthony Davis and even someone like Bill Walton who — as with Alcindor — dominated college basketball like few ever have.
Wembanyama's age, size and skillset tip the scales in his favor. Duncan's prime essentially started from the jump as he earned First-Team All-NBA honors as a rookie. But again, we aren't looking at NBA production. Wembanyama is six inches taller and two years younger than the four-year Wake Forest star was entering the '97 Draft. Ask any Spurs fan in 2023 who they would take, the answer is probably Duncan. Those same fans in 1997 likely would have said David Robinson over Duncan.
WEMBANYAMA: Best and worst games | SN's Final 2023 Big Board
5. Bill Walton
- Year: 1974
- School/Country: UCLA
- 1973-74 college stats: 19.3 PPG, 66.5 FG%, 14.7 RPG, 5.5 APG
- Height: 6'11"
McGregor: Long before the days of the draft lottery, The New York Times described the coin toss for the top pick in the 1974 NBA Draft as a coin toss for the “rights to Bill Walton.”
That same report shows that he would have gone first had he entered the draft one year prior. It makes sense, too.
Arriving at UCLA two years after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's departure, Walton had a near-impossible act to follow. After a mandatory year of freshman basketball, Walton was named the National College Player of the Year as a sophomore, junior and senior.
Walton left UCLA with averages of 20.3 points and 15.7 rebounds per game and is revered by most as the second-best college basketball player ever, right behind his predecessor. Even with injury concerns coming into it, the 1974 NBA Draft was undeniably the Walton Draft.
6. Tim Duncan
- Year: 1997
- School/Country: Wake Forest
- 1996-97 college stats: 20.8 PPG, 60.8 FG%, 14.7 RPG, 3.3 Blks PG
- Height: 6'11"
Adams: The most surprising part of this draft is Wake Forest basketball alum Gil McGregor passing over a fellow Demon Deacon.
You could potentially overthink this by opting for the younger versions of Anthony Davis or Zion Williamson. But Duncan swept every national player of the year award and was voted a three-time defensive player of the year by the college coaches. Although he's sixth on this all-time list, he might be No. 1 overall in a ranking of the most NBA-ready draft picks of all-time.
7. Anthony Davis
- Year: 2012
- School/Country: Kentucky
- 2011-12 college stats: 14.2 PPG, 62.3 FG%, 10.4 RPG, 4.7 Blks PG
- Height: 6'10"
McGregor: In the era of hyped one-and-done prospects, Davis is the first most-hyped one-and-done prospect. And arguably still has a claim as being the most hyped one-and-done we've ever seen.
The No. 1 recruit in his high school class, Davis led Kentucky to the 2012 National Championship as a freshman, earning comparisons to the likes of Bill Russell and Tim Duncan, among others thanks to his defensive dominance. And he was a fresh-faced 19-year-old when the draft came around.
As you may imagine, the comparisons to all-time greats resulted in Davis being the consensus choice.
8. Ralph Sampson
- Year: 1983
- School/Country: Virginia
- 1982-83 college stats: 19.0 PPG, 60.4 FG%, 11.7 RPG, 3.1 Blks PG
- Height: 7'4"
Adams: Sampson is probably the closest physical comparison to Wembanyama, a towering big with some guard-like skills, and legitimate range. A three-time college national player of the year, Sampson entered the NBA with an individual pedigree every bit as impressive as Alcindor, minus the championships (1980s Virginia is not 1960s UCLA!). Sampson is also somewhat of a cautionary tale for those worried about Wembanyama's long-term health. He checked every box and was billed a for sure superstar... "if he can stay healthy."
Sampson made the All-Star team each of his first four seasons and played 82 games each of his first two seasons before injuries took their toll. He was out of the league by 31.
9. Zion Williamson
- Year: 2019
- School/Country: Duke
- 2018-19 college stats: 22.6 PPG, 68.0 FG%, 8.9 RPG, 1.8 Blks PG
- Height: 6'7"
McGregor: After bursting onto the scene as a viral sensation in high school, it didn’t take Williamson much time at Duke to cement himself as the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Williamson hype reached insane levels as each team with a chance to select first overall planned on how they would build around him.
A prospect unlike any other, many tried to compare Williamson to former top picks like LeBron, Shaq and Larry Johnson. The reality is that Williamson was — and still is — a one-of-one.
MORE: Latest intel on Zion Williamson trade rumors
10. Magic Johnson
- Year: 1979
- School/Country: Michigan State
- 1978-79 college stats: 17.1 PPG, 8.4 APG, 7.3 RPG
- Height: 6'8"
It's perhaps not a surprise that the first guard off the board is one who stands 6-foot-8 and completely changed the paradigm around point guards. Another coin flip — this time between the Lakers (who owned the Jazz's pick) and Bulls — decided Johnson's fate. Magic's legendary status reached new heights after he topped Larry Bird in the famous 1979 national championship game. Johnson was so good that even in an age dominated by bigs, he still entered the draft a lock at No. 1 even though he initially didn't even want to play for the Lakers.
11. David Robinson
- Year: 1987
- School/Country: Navy
- 1986-87 college stats: 28.2 PPG, 59.1 FG%, 11.8 RPG, 4.5 Blks PG
- Height: 7'1"
McGregor: Imagine being so confident in a first-overall pick that you’d rather knowingly wait two years for his debut than select anyone else. That’s how the Spurs felt about Robinson, who had to fulfill a two-year commitment to the United States Navy before joining the NBA.
The National College Player of the Year in 1987, San Antonio's choice to select Robinson was the only choice. And as his 14-year career would show, the selection — and patience — paid off.
12. Patrick Ewing
- Year: 1985
- School/Country: Georgetown
- 1984-85 college stats: 14.6 PPG, 62.5 FG%, 9.6 RPG, 3.6 Blks PG
- Height: 7'0"
The Ewing hype launched frozen envelope conspiracy theories that are still buzzing today. It's not just that he played at Georgetown. It's not just that the Knicks drafted him. A national champion, three-time All-American, national player of the year, four-time Big East defensive player of the year... the accolades are endless. At the time, Ewing fit the prototype for what every single NBA team coveted most: a two-way, menacing big who could patrol the paint on one end and punish in the paint on the other end.
13. Yao Ming
- Year: 2002
- School/Country: China
- 2001-02 international stats: 32.8 PPG, 19.0 RPG, 4.8 Blks PG
- Height: 7'5"
McGregor: Yao was a phenomenon that was literally larger than life.
At 7-foot-5, Yao became the first-ever international prospect selected first overall without playing any amateur basketball in the United States — in the 21 years since, there has only been one other such prospect, with Wembanyama adding to the list in 2023. That speaks volumes about Yao’s standing ahead of the draft.
14. Allen Iverson
- Year: 1996
- School/Country: Georgetown
- 1995-96 college stats: 25.0 PPG, 48.0 FG%, 4.7 APG, 3.4 Stls PG
- Height: 6'0"
This is the hardest pick yet.
Somehow, both Hakeem Olajuwon and Greg Oden (more in a minute, don't laugh!) are still on the board. And yet I can't resist the pound-for-pound toughest player I've ever seen — and only player under 6'6" on our top-20 — Mr. Allen Iverson. That lasting image of then-76ers owner emphatically fist pumping at the '96 Draft Lottery? That's because he knew he just landed Iverson, the crown jewel of a loaded class (and maybe the best ever) that also included Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash, and Antoine Walker among others.
MORE: Remembering Allen Iverson's iconic 2001 run to the NBA Finals
15. Akeem Olajuwon
- Year: 1984
- School/Country: Houston
- 1983-84 college stats: 16.8 PPG, 67.5 FG%,13.5 RPG, 5.6 Blks PG
- Height: 7'0"
McGregor: Let's get one thing clear: in the era of the big man, there was no way a guard was going before Olajuwon.
No, not even Michael Jordan.
Olajuwon was so good at the University of Houston, he was named Most Outstanding Player of a Final Four that his Cougars didn't even win. With all Olajuwon accomplished over the course of his career, taking him first hasn't aged poorly at all, and that's saying something.
16. Greg Oden
- Year: 2007
- School/Country: Ohio State
- 2006-07 college stats: 15.7 PPG, 61.6 FG%, 9.6 RPG, 3.3 Blks PG
- Height: 7'0"
Adams: 'Greg Oden over Kevin Durant' will forever go down in NBA Draft infamy. And while there was certainly a debate, NBA scouts, executives and draft-niks alike were far closer to 90-10 in favor of Oden than a true 50-50 split at the time. A classic example of playing the results, our 20-20 hindsight does Oden a grave disservice in casting him aside as a truly dominant, elite pro prospect. Raw offensively but such a dominant shot blocker and rebounder with impeccable instincts, it's easy to forget that Oden earned some 'next Bill Russell' comps coming out of high school.
17. Blake Griffin
- Year: 2009
- School/Country: Oklahoma
- 2008-09 college stats: 22.7 PPG, 65.4 FG%, 14.4 RPG
- Height: 6'9"
McGregor: Griffin was a problem during his sophomore season at Oklahoma, dominating college basketball and taking home a few Player of the Year honors in the process. After he averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds at OU, it really wasn’t a question of who would go first.
18. Dwight Howard
- Year: 2004
- School/Country: Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
- 2003-04 high school stats: 25.0 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 8.1 Blks PG
- Height: 6'11"
Adams: I will never forget Dwight Howard casually draining a 3 in the McDonald's All-American Game and just thinking to myself "I've never seen anything remotely like this before." Honestly, I'm not really sure how 'Dwight Howard or Emeka Okafor' was ever a real debate other than maybe people thinking Okafor could replicate Ben Wallace. Regardless, Howard's elite shot blocking and rebounding — in many ways similar to Oden — made him a no-brainer top pick especially in the slow, grind-it-out style of the early 2000s.
19. Glenn Robinson
- Year: 1994
- School/Country: Purdue
- 1993-94 college stats: 30.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.9 APG
- Height: 6'7"
McGregor: After being ruled academically ineligible as a freshman, Robinson quickly made up for lost time. It only took him two years of college ball to earn more pre-draft acclaim than peers Grant Hill and Jason Kidd. His averages of 30.3 points and 10.1 rebounds as a junior sealed the deal as he signed a 10-year deal worth $68 million after going No. 1.
20. Ben Simmons
- Year: 2016
- School/Country: LSU
- 2015-16 college stats: 19.2 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 2.0 Stls PG
- Height: 6'10"
Adams: Simmons was a lock to go No. 1 overall before the 2015-16 college season even began. And despite some glaring concerns even then over work ethic, motor and shooting, none of that prevented the 76ers from taking the 6'10" point guard first overall.
MORE: This incredibly accurate Ben Simmons NBA Draft Scouting Report predicted his biggest flaw
More than probably any player outside of maybe LeBron James in 2003, Simmons received the 'next Magic Johnson' comp from the get go. Yes, missing the NCAA tournament at LSU tempered some of the expectations but Simmons was across the board a unanimous 'unicorn'-type of top pick.
