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Shaquille O'Neal was surprised to learn that Melbourne, Australia, is the city with the most No. 1 overall picks in the modern NBA. O'Neal recently visited Melbourne and Sydney for several seminars and appearances. It was his first trip to the Land Down Under in more than 20 years.
During the early part of his Australian trip, O'Neal made an appearance for CreativeCubes, a company that converts buildings into collaborative communities. The LA Lakers legend was very surprised to learn from CreativeCubes CEO, Tobi Skobron, that Melbourne has produced the most first overall picks in modern NBA history.
"We have (Andrew) Bogut, Kyrie (Irving), and?" Skobron asked.
O'Neil responded:
"Kyrie who? He's from Melbourne? Stop it! Kyrie was born in Melbourne? I can't wait to tell Charles Barkley."
Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne and holds American and Australian citizenship. His father, Drederick, lived in Australia for a few years while playing for the Bulleen Boomers in the South East Australian Basketball League. The Irving family moved back to the United States when Kyrie was two years old.
As for the third former No. 1 pick from Melbourne, it's Ben Simmons. Other Melbourne-born NBA players include Josh Giddey, Luc Longley and Jock Landale.
Other cities with at least two multiple No. 1 overall picks in the modern NBA are Chicago and Toronto. Derrick Rose and Anthony Davis are from Chicago, while Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett are from Toronto.
Chicago (4) holds the record as the city with the most first overall picks in NBA history. LaRue Martin and Mark Aguirre are also from Chicago. Martin was the top pick in 1972, while Aguirre was selected No. 1 nine years later.
Shaquille O'Neal was first pick in 1992 draft
Shaquille O'Neal played three years for the LSU Tigers, averaging 21.6 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game. O'Neal was then selected first overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. He was named an All-Star in his first season and earned Rookie of the Year honors at the end of the 1993 season.
O'Neal played in Orlando for four seasons before joining the LA Lakers in 1996 as a free agent. He led them to three straight championships from 2000 to 2002 under Phil Jackson, teaming up with Kobe Bryant. After eight years in Hollywood, O'Neil was traded to the Miami Heat in the summer of 2004.
Shaquille O'Neal helped the Heat win their first championship in franchise history in 2006. He then bounced around the league, playing for the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. He retired in 2011 and became an analyst for TNT. He's also a successful businessman.
O'Neal was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016. He was one of 19 former first overall picks in the Hall of Fame. Notable No. 1 picks in NBA history include Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson.
