The History of Picking 1‑8 in NBA Draft (Percentage of All‑Stars since 1980)
1 / 9OrlandoMagic.com’s Josh Cohen researched NBA draft picks selected 1-8 since 1980 and discovered how common it is for teams to land a future All-Star at each slot. No. 1 picks: 27 out of 35 (77 percent) Josh Cohen’s Analysis: Not only have most No. 1 overall picks evolved into perennial NBA All-Stars, but also many have been transcendent players. They include all-time greats such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James. There have been a few busts as well, including Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown and Greg Oden.