Top 5 NBA Draft Picks of All Time: From LeBron James to the Ball Brothers
Last night marked yet edition another edition of the long-running NBA Draft. It’s the 77th edition of the annual event, which sees teams included in the National Basketball Association choose elidable players to join the league.
How does this process work exactly?
The draft has two rounds, with both rounds offering the various teams 30 picks. Each team gets one pick per round. To promote fairness, the NBA gives the teams with the worst records (meaning they won fewer games) the opportunity to pick before teams with better records. So, the fourteen teams who get the chance to draft the player of their choosing first would not have made the playoffs the previous season. The top team in the previous season will have the 30th pick in the first round.
Ahead, get all the details on the top five most-searched draft picks of all time, according to Google.
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LeBron James, 2003
Draft Year: 2003
At just 18, James was the number one pick of his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on May 22, 2003. James has played various positions throughout his storied career, including shooting guard, small forward, power forward and point guard. Following his inaugural season, he would go on to become the first members of the Cavs to receive the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Teams:
James played with the Cavaliers until 2010 before moving on to the Miami Heat, where he would play until 2014. The basketball legend would return to Cleveland for a second stint, staying for another four years before leaving again in 2018 to join the Los Angeles Lakers. He is still a member of the Lakers today.
Championship Wins: 4
James, now 38, has gone to the NBA Finals ten times but has only won four championships. He picked up two wins turning his term with the Miami Heat and then one each with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. After winning with the Heat in 2012 and 2013, James went on to lead the Cavaliers to victory against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, earning the team its first championship.
Salary: $44.47 million
James signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Lakers last summer. This is slated to kick in next season, though there has been talk of James retiring. If he were to walk away, James would not see that nearly $100 million. He makes $44.47 million per year.
Right out of high school, James signed a four-year, 18.8 million contract with the Cavaliers. During his 2007-2008 season with the team, he signed a three-year contract extension worth $60 million.
Endorsements:
In addition to a lifetime contract with Nike, James has signed lucrative deals with brands such as Coca-Cola, AT&T, Beats Electronics, GMC, Ruffles, PepsiCo, Rimova, Sony, Calm and Walmart.
Factoring in these partnerships in addition to his NBA salary, Forbes estimated his net worth to be a whopping $1 billion in June 2022. This makes him the first active NBA player to reach billionaire status.
Height:
6’9″
Wingspan:
7’0″
Shoe Size:
James wears a shoe size 15.
Kevin Durant, 2007
Draft Year: 2007
The 2007 NBA Draft saw Durant selected as the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics on June 28. Durant — who played one season of college basketball with the Texas Longhorns before being drafted — is a small forward and power forward. At the end of his first season with the SuperSonics, he picked up Rookie of the Year in 2008.
Teams:
Following his rookie season, the SuperSonics would relocate to Oklahoma City and become the Thunder. Durant made Oklahoma his home base, playing for the Thunder up until 2016. During this time, he won his first and only MVP in 2014. KD then moved on to the Golden State Warriors, where he would play until 2019. The Slim Reaper made his debut with the Brooklyn Nets in 2020 after sitting out the entire 2019–20 season. But last summer, reports swirled that Durant requested a trade and he would go on to join the Phoenix Suns in February 2023.
Championship Wins: 2
Durant won his first championship in 2017 after joining the Golden State Warriors. He would take home another the following year. Durant has played in four NBA Finals series since joining the league in ’07.
Salary: $43 million
Durant signed a four-year extension deal worth $194 million in 2021. This kicked in this season. He is earning $43 million this season, with an incentive of approximately $1.1 million.
In his rookie year playing for the SuperSonics, he made just $4,171,200.
Endorsements:
It was announced this year that Durant signed a lifetime deal with Nike, making him the third NBA player in history after LeBron James and Michael Jordan to do so. The baller’s partnership with the iconic brand dates back to 2007 and has seen him release 15 shoes.
In addition to the sportswear titan, some of Durant’s other notable partnerships include Alaska Air Group, Google, Sparkling Ice, NBA 2K, Gatorade, Sprint, Sonic Drive-In and American Family Insurance.
Height:
6’10”
Wingspan:
7’5″
Shoe Size:
Durant wears a shoe size 18.
Lonzo Ball, 2017
Draft Year: 2017
Like Durant, Lonzo Ball played a single college season while attending UCLA in 2016. After playing with the UCLA Bruins, he was drafted second overall by his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers, on June 22, 2017. Ball is a point guard and shooting guard.
Teams:
The Lakers would trade Ball just two years later, sending him to play for the New Orleans Pelicans for another two years. In 2021, the California native was traded again, going to the Chicago Bulls, which is where he currently plays. However, due to injury, he was forced to sit out all of last season and the majority of the 2023-24 season.
Championship Wins: 0
Ball has yet to win a championship in his career so far.
Salary: $20 million
Lonzo Ball’s annual average salary is reportedly approximately $20 million. Coming out as a rookie in 2017, he signed a four-year, $33.4 million contract with the Lakers.
Endorsements:
Ball currently has partnerships with Marvel, Footlocker and C4 Energy. According to a 2017 Bleacher Report story, Nike, Adidas and Under Armour all passed on endorsing Ball after his father, LaVar Ball, tried to include the licensing of his Big Baller Brand.
Height:
6’6″
Wingspan:
6’9″
Shoe Size:
Ball reportedly wears a size 14 shoe.
Zion Williamson, 2019
Draft Year: 2019
After playing one season with the Duke Blue Devils, Williamson, a shooting guard, was drafted number one by the New Orleans Pelicans on June 20, 2019.
Teams:
The 22-year-old star athlete currently plays for the Pelicans.
Championship Wins: 0
Williamson has yet to win a championship.
Salary: $13 million
Williamson signed a five-year rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans worth $193 million guaranteed. He earns a salary of $13,534,817 per year.
Endorsements:
The young baller reportedly signed a 5-year contract worth $75 million with Nike’s Jordan Brand in 2019. His Nike collection includes a range of apparel and shoes, and his much-hyped Air Jordan 1 Low “Voodoo” dropped last summer. Williamson’s other endorsements include Gatorade, Mountain Dew and 2K Sports.
Height:
6’6″
Wingspan:
6’10”
Shoe Size:
Williamson reportedly wears a size 15.
LaMelo Ball, 2020
Draft Year: 2020
LaMelo Ball was drafted third overall by the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 18, 2020.
Teams:
The 21-year-old point guard has played three seasons with the Hornets.
Championship Wins: 0
LaMelo Ball has not won any championships so far.
Salary: $8 million
Ball signed a four-year, $35,596,275 contract with the Charlotte Hornets. His annual average salary is $8,899,069.
Endorsements:
Ball reportedly signed a massive endorsement deal with Puma worth $100 million ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Height:
6’7″
Wingspan:
6’9″
Shoe Size:
Ball reportedly wears a size 13.
