In theory, the best players are selected from the first picks of the NBA Draft, and generally the top picks live up to expectations. However, they sometimes turn out to be busts, while the real superstars are taken in later rounds.
It’s weird to see some of the greatest players of all time picked outside of the top 10 picks in a draft, and even some of them in the top 20. These NBA players fell off teams’ draft lists because scouts didn’t see much. potential in them, but these guys ended up proving everyone wrong. Without further ado, here are the 10 biggest draft picks in NBA history.
ten Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard was the 15th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, by the Indiana Pacers, but was immediately sent to the San Antonio Spurs along with Dāvis Bertāns and Erazem Lorbek in exchange for George Hill. Leonard had a slow start in the NBA, but gradually improved to become one of the best players of his generation. Kawhi is a two-time NBA champion, being a two-time Finals MVP, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a three-time All-NBA First Team name.
9 Draymond Green
Draymond Green is one of the best defenders in the NBA over the past 10 years, hands down. In fact, it was named an All-Defensive team seven times. He was crucial to all four Golden State Warriors championships, averaging 11.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per playoff game. Anyone would say Draymond Green was a top 10 pick in his class, but he was actually the 35th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
8 Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginóbili was the 57th overall pick in the 1999 draft, i.e. he was chosen second to last. Incredible, isn’t it? Ginobili ended up with the highest VORP player in this class (47.1), scoring over 14,000 points, with over 4,000 assists, 3,500 rebounds and 1,300 steals. Additionally, Gino ended his career with four championship rings and more importantly, he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
seven Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak is one of the most dominant players in the NBA in recent years, an unstoppable force in the paint and a natural rebounder. Giannis Antetokounmpo was born to play basketball, but for some reason scouts didn’t take him seriously and he was the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft. It’s inexplicable that 14 teams passed Giannis, who was by far the best player in this class. Anthony Bennet was the first pick that year, and it was one of the worst first picks ever.
6 Rudy Gobert
The Denver Nuggets selected Rudy Gobert with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 draft, which is incredible. This French center had a brilliant NBA career, recording 12.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in nine years with the Utah Jazz.
Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and he’s a mainstay on the All-NBA Defensive Team, with six appearances. Rudy Gobert is one of the best players in the NBA to date, and possibly one of the best foreign players of all time.
5 Denis Rodman
The NBA Hall of Famer has been a rebounding champion for seven consecutive seasons, averaging 16.7 rebounds per game during that span. But in addition to his unique ability to grab rebounds, Dennis Rodman was a major contributor defensively, being one of the best defensemen of his generation, in fact he twice won the defensive player award in the year. To top it off, The Worm won five championships, two with the Detroit Pistons and three with the Chicago Bulls. Believe it or not, Rodman was the 27th overall pick in the 1986 draft.
4 John Stockton
John Stockton was the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, and it’s safe to say no one thought this guy would end his career as the all-time leader in assists, with 15,806 , a record that will probably never be broken. Stockton have won the assists title for nine consecutive seasons, which is absolutely breathtaking. Stock also won two title robberies and made the All-NBA team 11 times.
3 Karl Malone
The following draft, the Utah Jazz selected Karl Malone with the 13th pick. That’s right, the Jazz have stolen the draft two straight years. Malone had a storied career, winning two MVP awards and appearing in All-Star play 14 times.
The Mailman averaged 25 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, and, according to Stathead, he had 706 20-Pt/10-Reb games, the most in NBA history. Malone was the best player in the 1985 class, even better than No. 1 pick Patrick Ewing.
2 Kobe Bryant
Another inexplicable 13th pick was none other than Kobe Bryant. How the hell did 12 teams pass on Kobe Bryant? And to make matters worse, the Charlotte Hornets selected him, but traded him ahead of his Los Angeles Lakers debut for Vlade Divac.
Kobe ended up being a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, with five championship rings, he was a two-time Finals MVP, 2007-08 MVP, a two-time scoring champion and made the team All NBA 15 times. Kobe averaged 25 points per game, racking up 33,643 points.
1 Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokić was the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, and with the mere fact that he won back-to-back MVP awards, and it looks like he has yet to reach his peak, we can say he is the biggest draft. fly in NBA history. The Serbian has improved his numbers year after year, and in the 2021-22 season he recorded video game stats, 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Nikola Jokić is the best player in the NBA right now, hands down.
