US media lists the top 10 picks in NBA history, Iverson is only ninth, and James ranks first

After the Mavericks won the No. 1 pick in 2025, Flag has basically confirmed that his NBA career will start from Dallas. As the only No. 1 pick this year, according to the predictions of various media, as long as Flag can fulfill his talent, he will definitely be an MVP candidate in the future. From the cases of No. 1 picks in NBA history, it can be seen that many players who can be selected at this ranking have indeed reached super level. Recently, the US media have listed the top 10 top picks in NBA history in their minds, among which Iverson, the strongest No. 1 picks can only be ranked 9th!

10. Elgin Baylor (1958)

The Lakers selected Baylor in 1958. After entering the league, he quickly realized his talent. He was selected into the All-Team with an average of 24.9 points and 15 rebounds per game in the rookie season. He was also selected into the All-Team 9 times in the next 10 seasons. Under Baylor's leadership, the Lakers have reached the Finals many times, but unfortunately they have not been able to laugh to the end every time. However, this did not affect Baylor's greatness in the NBA. He averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds in his career. Both of these data were ranked among the top ten in history, so when he retired, he was admitted to the Hall of Fame without any suspense.

9. Allen Iverson (1996)

Although Iverson is only 1.83 meters tall, he still became the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft, and his performance did not disappoint the 76ers after entering the league. In the peak 2000-2001 season, Iverson not only won the scoring and stealing king, but also won the MVP. At the same time, he even performed 48 points in the finals that year, and he also gave the Lakers the only loss in the entire playoffs. Perhaps Iverson's career is not satisfactory and full of controversy, but it is undeniable that he is one of the most influential players in NBA history.

8. David Robinson (1987)

After being selected by the Spurs, David Robinson did not choose to enter the NBA immediately, but went to serve in the military first. However, when Robinson started his NBA career, he immediately made a name for himself. In his rookie season, he became a member of the All-Star, the Best-Squad and the Best-Defensive Team. Finally, in his 14-year career, Robinson also won various top personal honors such as MVP, DPOY, and the Best Team. At the end of his career, Robinson also assisted Duncan to win many championships.

7. Oscar Robertson (1960)

As the first player in NBA history to average triple-double per game, Robertson achieved this feat and was still a sophomore rookie. That season, he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game. In addition, Robertson has won 6 assists and 1 MVP in his career, and he has also been selected for the All-Stars and 11 Best Team. After transferring to the Bucks at the end of his career, he also won the only championship ring in his career, so he has no regrets when he retires.

6. Hakeim Olajuwon (1984)

In Olajuwon's long NBA career, he ushered in his true peak in the 1990s, and the best proof was that he led the Rockets to win the championship for two consecutive years in 1994 and 1995. Moreover, in the 1993-1994 season, Olajuwon not only won the championship, but also won three major awards: MVP, DPOY, and FMVP. In the NBA history, he only did this feat. Jordan, as strong as he did, took many seasons to collect these three major awards. In addition, before Olajuwon retired, he set a record of total blocks (3,830 times). Even though he has been retired for 23 years, he still has no players who have the chance to break his record. Lopez, who is closest to him, can only rank 18th in history with 2,060 times.

5. Shaquille O'Neal (1992)

Magic who entered the NBA in 1989, they drew the first No. 1 pick in team history in 1992, and then they chose the most popular rookie O'Neal that year. Facts have proved that there is no problem with the Magic this time draft. After entering the NBA, O'Neal became one of the most dominant players. At his peak, he led the team to win the championship for three consecutive years and won the FMVP. In addition, he has also won MVP, scoring champion and other achievements. Even though O'Neal's career has achieved honors that are enough to make him ranked among the top ten in history, people always imagine what level he could have reached if he had paid more self-disciplined and valued training.

4. Tim Duncan (1997)

As the greatest power forward in NBA history, Duncan attracted high attention from the NBA when he participated in the draft. At that time, his college head coach said that he had nothing to teach Duncan. After Duncan entered the league, he immediately performed at the dominant level. He was selected into the All-A-Team in the rookie season. Under his leadership, the Spurs quickly returned to the ranks of strong teams and successfully won the first championship in team history in 1999. Finally, when Duncan retired, looking back at his career, he not only never missed the playoffs, but also led the team to win 5 championships in total. In terms of personal honors, he won FMVP three times, MVP two times, was selected for the Best Hot 15 times, and was selected for the Best Defensive Team 15 times. It can be said that the achievements of any other power forward are not the same level as Duncan..

3. Magic Johnson (1979)

When referring to the Magician's name, he is basically recognized as the top five levels in history, and he is also the first point guard in history. Although the Magic's career in the NBA is not long compared to many super giants, he still achieved 5 championships, 3 MVPs, 3 FMVPs, 9 Best Teams and other achievements. And until now, the Magic is still the king of historical assists in the NBA playoffs. In addition, he scored 30 triple-doubles in the playoffs and can also rank first in history. At the peak of the Magician, he was undoubtedly the most influential player in the NBA. Considering his bonus to NBA ratings, it can even be said that he once played the role of "NBA savior".

2. Karem Abdul Jabbar (1969) When Jabbar was selected by the Bucks, the team had just entered the NBA shortly after he led the Bucks to the peak, and in 1971 they won their first championship in team history. Later, Jabbar played in the NBA until he was 42 years old. During his career, he won a total of 6 championship rings. His total score, rebounds and blocks are currently ranked among the top three in history. Therefore, before Jordan won the second three-game championship, Jabbar was basically recognized as the first in history.

1.LeBron James (2003 Class)

Before James officially entered the NBA, he became the focus of the sports circle. Even when he was a high school student, many people in the outside world expected him to become the best player in the NBA in the future. Now 22 years have passed, whether James has become the best player in history can only be said to be a matter of opinion, but there is no doubt that he has entered this discussion. No player has been able to compare with Jordan's career so frequently before him. The most important thing is that James has not yet ended his legendary career, and he still maintains a very high competitive level at this stage of his career, which once again proves his love for the sport of basketball. If he is really just a businessman in Kuroko's mouth, he will never be able to stick with it. Therefore, it can be said that James is one of the purest athletes in NBA history.