Schools with Multiple #1 Picks
| 1 | Duke | 6 |
| 2 | Kentucky | 3 |
| 3 | Cincinnati | 2 |
| 3 | Duquesne | 2 |
| 3 | Georgetown | 2 |
| 3 | Houston | 2 |
| 3 | Indiana | 2 |
| 3 | Kansas | 2 |
| 3 | Kansas State | 2 |
| 3 | Louisiana State | 2 |
| 3 | Maryland | 2 |
| 3 | Michigan | 2 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 2 |
| 3 | Purdue | 2 |
| 3 | UCLA | 2 |
| 3 | UNLV | 2 |
| 3 | Utah | 2 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 2 |
By Position
21
C
16
PF
8
G
8
F
7
PG
7
SF
3
SG
1
G/F
| Year | Team | Player | Pos | Ht/Wt | School | Level | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | WAS | AJ Dybansta | F | 6-9 / 215 | BYU | College | Freshman |
| 2025 | DAL | Cooper Flagg | SF | 6-9 / 221 | Duke | College | Freshman |
| 2024 | ATL | Zaccharie Risacher | SF | 6-9 / 195 | — | International | — |
| 2023 | SAS | Victor Wembanyama | C | 7-5 / 220 | — | International | — |
| 2022 | ORL | Paolo Banchero | PF | 6-10 / 250 | Duke | College | Freshman |
| 2021 | DET | Cade Cunningham | PG | 6-7 / 220 | Oklahoma State | College | Freshman |
| 2020 | MIN | Anthony Edwards | SG | 6-5 / 225 | Georgia | College | Freshman |
| 2019 | NOP | Zion Williamson | PF | 6-7 / 285 | Duke | College | Freshman |
| 2018 | PHO | Deandre Ayton | C | 7-1 / 250 | Arizona | College | Freshman |
| 2017 | PHI | Markelle Fultz | PG | 6-5 / 185 | Washington | College | Freshman |
| 2016 | PHI | Ben Simmons | SF | 6-10 / 240 | Louisiana State | College | Freshman |
| 2015 | MIN | Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 6-11 / 250 | Kentucky | College | Freshman |
| 2014 | CLE | Andrew Wiggins | SF | 6-8 / 197 | Kansas | College | Freshman |
| 2013 | CLE | Anthony Bennett | PF | 6-7 / 239 | UNLV | College | Freshman |
| 2012 | NOH | Anthony Davis | PF | 6-10 / 222 | Kentucky | College | Freshman |
| 2011 | CLE | Kyrie Irving | PG | 6-3 / 191 | Duke | College | Freshman |
| 2010 | WAS | John Wall | PG | 6-4 / 196 | Kentucky | College | Freshman |
| 2009 | LAC | Blake Griffin | PF | 6-10 / 248 | Oklahoma | College | Sophomore |
| 2008 | CHI | Derrick Rose | PG | 6-2 / 196 | Memphis | College | Freshman |
| 2007 | POR | Greg Oden | C | 7-0 / 257 | Ohio State | College | Freshman |
| 2006 | TOR | Andrea Bargnani | PF | 6-10 / 225 | — | International | — |
| 2005 | MIL | Andrew Bogut | C | 7-0 / 251 | Utah | College | Sophomore |
| 2004 | ORL | Dwight Howard | C | 6-10 / 240 | — | High_school | Senior |
| 2003 | CLE | LeBron James | SG | 6-8 / 240 | — | High_school | — |
| 2002 | HOU | Yao Ming | C | 7-6 / 295 | — | International | — |
| 2001 | WAS | Kwame Brown | PF | 6-11 / 240 | — | High_school | — |
| 2000 | NJN | Kenyon Martin | PF | 6-9 / 230 | Cincinnati | College | Senior |
| 1999 | CHI | Elton Brand | PF | 6-9 / 275 | Duke | College | Sophomore |
| 1998 | LAC | Michael Olowokandi | C | 7-0 / 269 | Pacific | College | Junior |
| 1997 | SAS | Tim Duncan | C | 7-0 / 248 | Wake Forest | College | Senior |
| 1996 | PHI | Allen Iverson | PG | 6-0 / 165 | Georgetown | College | Sophomore |
| 1995 | GSW | Joe Smith | PF | 6-10 / 225 | Maryland | College | Sophomore |
| 1994 | MIL | Glenn Robinson | SF | 6-8 / 225 | Purdue | College | Junior |
| 1993 | ORL | Chris Webber | PF | 6-10 / 260 | Michigan | College | Sophomore |
| 1992 | ORL | Shaquille O'Neal | C | 7-1 / 301 | Louisiana State | College | Junior |
| 1991 | CHH | Larry Johnson | PF | 6-7 / 250 | UNLV | College | Senior |
| 1990 | NJN | Derrick Coleman | PF | 6-10 / 230 | Syracuse | College | Senior |
| 1989 | SAC | Pervis Ellison | PF | 6-9 / 210 | Louisville | College | Senior |
| 1988 | LAC | Danny Manning | PF | 6-10 / 230 | Kansas | College | Senior |
| 1987 | SAS | David Robinson | C | 7-1 / 235 | Navy | College | Senior |
| 1986 | CLE | Brad Daugherty | C | 7-0 / 245 | North Carolina | College | Senior |
| 1985 | NYK | Patrick Ewing | C | 7-0 / 240 | Georgetown | College | Senior |
| 1984 | HOU | Hakeem Olajuwon | — | — | Houston | College | — |
| 1983 | HOU | Ralph Sampson | C | 7-4 / 228 | Virginia | College | Senior |
| 1982 | LAL | James Worthy | SF | 6-9 / 225 | North Carolina | College | Junior |
| 1981 | DAL | Mark Aguirre | SF | 6-7 / 235 | DePaul | College | Junior |
| 1980 | GSW | Joe Barry Carroll | C | 7-0 / 225 | Purdue | College | Senior |
| 1979 | LAL | Magic Johnson | — | — | Michigan State | College | — |
| 1978 | POR | Mychal Thompson | PF | 6-10 / 226 | Minnesota | College | Senior |
| 1977 | MIL | Kent Benson | C | 6-10 / 235 | Indiana | College | Senior |
| 1976 | HOU | John Lucas | PG | 6-2 / 175 | Maryland | College | Senior |
| 1975 | ATL | David Thompson | SG | 6-4 / 195 | N.C. State | College | Senior |
| 1974 | POR | Bill Walton | C | 6-11 / 235 | UCLA | College | Senior |
| 1973 | PHI | Doug Collins | G | 6-6 / 180 | Illinois State | College | Senior |
| 1972 | POR | LaRue Martin | C | 6-11 / 208 | Loyola, Chicago | College | Senior |
| 1971 | CLE | Austin Carr | G | 6-4 / 200 | Notre Dame | College | Senior |
| 1970 | DET | Bob Lanier | C | 6-11 / 250 | St. Bonaventure | College | Senior |
| 1969 | MIL | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | — | — | UCLA | College | — |
| 1968 | SDR | Elvin Hayes | F | 6-9 / 235 | Houston | College | Senior |
| 1967 | DET | Jimmy Walker | G | 6-3 / 195 | Providence | College | Senior |
| 1966 | NYK | Cazzie Russell | F | 6-5 / 218 | Michigan | College | Senior |
| 1965 | SFW | Fred Hetzel | F | 6-8 / 220 | Davidson | College | Senior |
| 1964 | NYK | Jim Barnes | F | 6-8 / 210 | Texas-El Paso | College | Senior |
| 1963 | NYK | Art Heyman | G/F | 6-5 / 205 | Duke | College | Senior |
| 1962 | CHZ | Billy McGill | — | — | Utah | College | — |
| 1961 | CHP | Walt Bellamy | C | 6-10 / 225 | Indiana | College | Senior |
| 1960 | CIN | Oscar Robertson | — | — | Cincinnati | College | — |
| 1959 | CIN | Bob Boozer | F | 6-8 / 215 | Kansas State | College | Senior |
| 1958 | MNL | Elgin Baylor | F | 6-5 / 225 | Seattle | College | Senior |
| 1957 | CIN | Hot Rod Hundley | — | — | West Virginia | College | — |
| 1956 | ROC | Si Green | — | — | Duquesne | College | — |
| 1955 | STL | Dick Ricketts | F | 6-7 / 215 | Duquesne | College | Senior |
| 1954 | BLB | Frank Selvy | G | 6-3 / 180 | Furman | College | Senior |
| 1953 | PHW | Ernie Beck | — | — | Pennsylvania | College | — |
| 1952 | MLH | Mark Workman | C | 6-9 / 215 | West Virginia | College | Senior |
| 1951 | BLB | Gene Melchiorre | G | 5-8 / 175 | Bradley | College | Senior |
| 1950 | BOS | Chuck Share | — | — | Bowling Green | College | — |
| 1949 | PRO | Howie Shannon | G | 6-2 / 175 | Kansas State | College | — |
| 1948 | PRO | Andy Tonkovich | G | 6-1 / 180 | Marshall | College | Senior |
| 1947 | PIT | Clifton McNeely | G | — | Texas Wesleyan | College | Senior |
★ = Basketball Hall of Fame · Gold rows = HOF players