LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and More ? Who Else Makes the Best #1 Draft Picks List?

Victor Wembanyama is one of the biggest (literally) prospects in recent times. The hype around Wembanyama is so high and continues to grow as he dominates pre-season. The 19-year-old has the potential to be one of the best #1 draft picks ever. However, he still has a long to way go to reach the levels of legendary top picks like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, and so forth. But it is almost impossible to find the best #1 pick ever.

It is not ideal to compare players from different eras. Furthermore, it is like finding the GOAT of basketball since a lot of top picks are a mainstay in that conversation. It is never-ending and sometimes unfair! So let’s find out the best #1 picks from each position.

Point Guard – Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is arguably the best point guard ever. In recent times, there have been comparisons with superstar Stephen Curry. The Golden State Warriors star laying a claim to the spot. However, Magic has made it clear that he is indeed the best PG ever. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Lakers legend is the best PG to be drafted first. Interestingly, he is the only star in this list to not win the Rookie of the Year award because of debatable reasons. However, he is also the only rookie to win the Finals MVP award.

The Lakers were very fortunate to get the top pick for the 1979 NBA draft, which was decided with a toss of a coin. While many knew the team would benefit from picking Johnson, not many realized he had the potential to change the fortune of the franchise and the league as well. His 6’9″ frame as a PG made him unstoppable as opponents struggled to guard. He ran the show and was a huge pushing force behind the high-tempo style of the Showtime Lakers which made fans turn up to the arena in numbers.

Over the course of his career, Johnson won five NBA titles, three MVP awards, and three Finals MVPs. He is the only point guard to win the MVP or Finals MVP thrice. Furthermore, Magic was not a one-trick pony. The man could score, pass, and defend in style. He was the assists leader four times and the steals leader twice. Even though his career was cut short, he still scored over 17,000 points and sits 6th in the all-time assists ladder.

Furthermore, he holds the third spot on the all-time triple-doubles list behind only Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson. This is a testament to his incredible rebounding ability, which is not spoken enough even though his size was a major help. Overall, Magic could have broken assists and triple-double records and scored more points had his time in the league did not end abruptly. And possibly more rings as well.

Shooting Guard – Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson is the only legend in this list to not win a championship during his otherwise illustrious career. Iverson is one of the most highly skilled scorers ever. While he switched between point guard and shooting guard, he mostly operated as an SG with a score-first mentality. However, it has to be noted that because of his size, many consider him a PG.

Even though many thought he would struggle in the NBA because of his small stature, AI was almost unstoppable. Iverson did not let his size slow him down on both ends of the court. Other than scoring for fun against taller and stronger opponents at the rim, AI was also a lockdown defender who could pick anyone’s pocket and deflect passes as well.

Even though The Answer did not win a ring, it was no easy feat to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001. Notably, AI took his game to new heights during the playoffs. In the postseason, Iverson’s 29.7 points per game average is second only to his idol Michael Jordan. Furthermore, the Hall of Famer finished his career in the top 25 of the all-time scoring list with 24,368 points. However, he was recently pushed down.

Over the course of his career, AI has earned the ROY award, an MVP award, and two All-Star MVPs. Furthermore, Iverson also won four scoring titles, which is the third-most below only Wilt Chamberlain with seven at 2nd and Jordan at 1st with 10.

Small Forward – LeBron James

LeBron James being ranked the best Small Forward of all time is a no-brainer for a player who is always in the mix in GOAT conversations. So far, James has won almost everything there is in the NBA. Despite being one of the oldest players in the league for the past few seasons, he is still showing no signs of slowing down. The King’s longevity while still playing at a high level is one of the most mind-boggling things about him.

Similar to most players on this list, James had huge hype around him from high school. Also, he has tasted success at every level as well. Before the draft, he was dubbed The Chosen One by the media. While many thought the huge expectation could weigh down on him, he wore it like a badge. Quite literally by getting Chosen One inked on his back!

Coming straight from high school, LeBron took the league by storm after joining his home team the Cleveland Cavaliers. He won the ROY award comfortably as expected and established himself as one of the best players in the league in no time. So far, James has won four titles in ten Finals appearances. Notably, James has the most playoff games played (266) and wins (174).

LeBron James recently became the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, breaking the long-standing record of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, he is not far off in the all-time rebound and assists list showing his unreal versatility. He is the only player in NBA history with 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists. He also has four MVP and Finals MVP awards to his name.

Power Forward – Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan gets the best Power Forward to be drafted #1 on our list. Duncan is another star who helped change the course of his franchise. As the San Antonio Spurs picked Duncan as the top pick of the 1997 draft, anticipation was through the roof. Duncan hit the ground running and clinched the ROY award without any trouble. Two years later, he helped the Spurs win their first-ever championship. The Big Fundamental won four more titles, making it five in six Finals appearances.

Duncan was a major reason behind the Spurs’ incredible dynasty. Incredibly, he never missed the playoffs in his 19-year-long career. Even though he had good help from Hall of Fame teammates like Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and David Robinson, Duncan was always the driving force silently making huge plays. He also has two MVP awards and three Finals MVPs.

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Furthermore, Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players with 26,000 points, 15,000 rebounds, and 3000 blocks. While he is tied with Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant for All-NBA selections (15), he has the most All-NBA defensive selections (15).

Center – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the best centers ever. Arguably, nobody has achieved as much success as Abdul-Jabbar’s individual and team success. He was the biggest prospect coming into the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks picked him as the first overall pick in 1969. He instantly dominated his opponents and won the ROY award. Two years later, he led the Bucks to their first-ever championship in 1971. He also won the MVP award and Finals MVP that year.

He won two more MVPs in 1972 and 1974 but was unable to help his team clinch the title. Abdul-Jabbar then joined the Lakers in 1975 in a blockbuster move. The Hall of Famer and the iconic Lakers then won five titles together. Abdul-Jabbar won three MVP awards during his time in LA.

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When he retired from the game of basketball at 42, he had almost every record to his name. He had the most points, most blocks, most MVPs (6), most All-Star appearances (19), etc when left the league. He also had eight playoff records to his name as well. Simply put, the Hall of Famer held too many records to count and list. While some of his records are broken or equaled, some still stand tall decades later.

Editorial Disclaimer:?The?views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.