Top 5 Greatest Players Who Got Selected 1st Overall In the NBA Draft Since 2000.

The 1st overall picks of the NBA draft since 2000 were fully loaded by many high-caliber players. There are defensive behemoths, and there is one-of-a-kind talent that we’ve never seen before.

So let’s get straight to the highlight of this article. Here are the top 5 greatest players who were selected 1st overall in the NBA Draft since 2000. 

5. Kyrie Irving (2011)

Kyrie Irving is one of the most intriguing prospects when he declared himself to join the 2011 NBA Draft because of his loaded skillset. He has the speed, ball-handling skills, ability to finish around the hoop in different ways, body control when in traffic, ability to break down the defense, and the ability to be a one-man offensive dynamo.

From the beginning of his NBA career, Uncle Drew quickly became a legitimate all-star until now. He’s also part of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers along with LeBron James who made the impossible 3-1 series comeback to win the championship.

The only bad thing about him is his leadership. He can’t lead a team to contention. Actually, until LeBron James joined the Cavaliers way back in 2014 they were just a mediocre team and didn’t make the playoffs at least once. His behavior also affects the team he was playing with. When everything is not going right he’ll just blame anyone on the team with no hesitation, more like cancer to the team he’s playing with.

4. Karl Anthony-Towns  (2015)

Karl-Anthony Towns has had an upward trajectory since he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010. His unbelievable offensive skill set made the defenders scratch their heads every time they faced him.

KAT is a raw material as what we’ve seen in his NBA rookie year but as the year goes by he consistently improves every aspect of his game. He added three-point shooting to his repertoire, improved his defense and his post-game significantly, and he addressed his consistency issues.

He’s the only player in league history to compile at least 7,000 points, 3,000 rebounds, 400 blocks and 300 made threes in his first four seasons. And that’s just the beginning of his impressive career, more achievements will come sooner than later.

3. Anthony Davis (2012)

Anthony Davis was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in 2012. Since the day he was selected, the NOLA’s future drastically changed and they immediately have a perennial superstar. He got his first All-Star selection the following year as part of the newly named New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis is a combination of offense and defense. He can score at will and also can defend very well, that’s why he’s well-known as one of the best two-way players in this generation.

Among No. 1 picks in the last 30 years, Davis ranks third in points per game, fifth in rebounds, and first in blocks. His 0.214 win shares per 48 minutes are second in that illustrious crew; according to Bleacher Report.

In his 8 seasons in the league, he just made it into the postseason twice and never passed the second round. But now, he’s already with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and maybe this time he’s already feeling what championship contention is. Maybe this is also the time that he will get his first championship. Unfortunately, the NBA season is suspended so he’ll wait even longer to chase that championship dream.

2. Dwight Howard (2004)

Dwight Howard is one of the most coveted 1st overalls in the 21st century because of his massive physique and stellar defense. He was selected by the Orlando Magic in the 2004 NBA Draft. He’s the greatest interior defender that the league has ever seen.

Howard won Defensive Player of the Year thrice and he’s an 8-time NBA All-Star. He ranked in the top 7 MVP voting for five straight seasons from 2007-08 to 2011-12. In the 2008-09 season, he led the Orlando Magic beat the heavily-favored LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to punch their ticket for the trip to NBA Finals.

After his exceptional years with the Magic, the team decided to let go of him as he intends to sign with the Brooklyn Nets after his contract expires to make something in return before they lose him. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers later that year.

The only negative thing about his career is he was plagued by injuries that resulted in frustrations and became locker room cancer. But now, he’s redeeming himself again with the Lakers along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

1. LeBron James (2003)

No doubt the greatest 1st overall on this list came from the best NBA draft class of the 21st century and he’s LeBron James. LeBron came into the league like a hurricane, he dominated everything that he passed by. His enormous talent and colossal durability made him one of the greatest athletes in recent years.

The King is a complete package player that the NBA ever had. His impact on the game is so substantial to the league. He’s a great leader as he can carry any team to contention despite having just mediocre teammates and he’s also a great teammate on and off the court. He made the NBA Finals for eight straight years from 2010-11 to 2017-18.

King James is now on his 17th NBA season and is merely declining but still, he’s dropping MVP numbers. He can still put the team to recognition for what he’s doing right now.

Being surrounded by caliber players, LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to reach the NBA Finals prior to the NBA hiatus. Once the season continues, we can already see again what LeBron can do when a championship is on the line like what we’ve seen in his recent postseason runs.