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The NBA Draft lottery gives bottom-barrel teams the opportunity to secure the No. 1 pick in a bid to improve their squad with the top prospects ahead of the new season. The Detroit Pistons were ever so lucky to clinch the top pick in the 2021 lottery following their last-place finish in the 2020-21 NBA Eastern Conference.
While many of the top picks have performed well above expectations, a few have fallen short of glory. The No. 1 picks are expected to develop and change the fortunes of the franchise they join, with a championship being the eventual goal. However, only ten top picks in the league's history have delivered NBA titles to the teams that drafted them.
Cade Cunningham, who was selected by the Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft, has a promising future ahead of him. Although his team are not in championship contention for the 2021-22 season, who knows what might happen?
Meanwhile, the last No. 1 pick to win an NBA championship for the team that drafted him is Kyrie Irving. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA draft, with Irving winning with the help of the King himself, another top pick.
On that note, here are the No. 1 picks in NBA history that have won championships for the teams that drafted them.
#10 Cazzie Russell - New York Knicks
The New York Knicks selected Cazzie Russell as the first overall pick in the 1966 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he made the All-Rookie team, losing the Rookie of the Year award to second overall pick Dave Bing.
Russell played for the Knicks for five seasons, helping them win a championship in 1970 over the LA Lakers. In the process, he became the first-ever No. 1 pick to win an NBA championship for the team that signed him. That turned out to be the only championship win of his career.
#9 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Milwaukee Bucks
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won six NBA championships in his illustrious career, the first of which came in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks, who drafted him in 1969 as the no. 1 pick. Jabbar won the Rookie of the Year award that year.
Thanks to his famous skyhook shot, he is the NBA's all-time leader in points scored, games played and field goals made. He also won two titles as an assistant coach with the Lakers in 2009 & 2010.
#8 Bill Walton - Portland Trail Blazers
Bill Walton is responsible for giving the Portland Trail Blazers their only NBA title in franchise history. Their only other trip to the finals came in 1990 and 1992, where they lost to the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, respectively.
Walton was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 1974 NBA Draft by the Blazers. He led them to their first and only championship triumph three years later. His incredible showing in the finals also earned him the finals MVP award.
#7 Magic Johnson - LA Lakers
Although the LA Lakers reached the Western Conference semi-finals in the 1979 NBA playoffs, they still had the No. 1 pick heading into the 1979 draft. They acquired the slot from the Utah Jazz in 1976, and selected Magic Johnson with it.
The Lakers immediately reaped the benefits of their selection, as Johnson helped them clinch the NBA title in his rookie season. More impressively, he won the NBA Finals MVP award after a sublime Game 6 outing.
Johnson filled in for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center, registering 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. His stellar effort earned him the NBA Finals MVP award. To date, he remains the only rookie to have achieved this feat.
#6 James Worthy - LA Lakers
In another trade that guaranteed the No. 1 pick for the LA Lakers, they selected James Worthy in the 1982 NBA Draft. It was another rare case of a playoff team having the top pick in the draft. Interestingly, the Lakers were the reigning champions too.
Worthy quickly made an impression in the NBA, winning his first title with the Lakers three seasons later. He played all 12 seasons with the Lakers, winning three NBA championships in total.
In his final championship campaign, Worthy was crowned the finals MVP. Although he made four more playoff appearances, he failed to win another NBA title.
#5 Hakeem Olajuwon - Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon as the No. 1 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. The famed 1984 draft class also included arguably the greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan, and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.
Olajuwon led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships, besting the legendary Shaquille O'Neal. Those victories in 1994 and 1995 remain the only championships the Rockets have won.
He played 17 of his 18 seasons with the Rockets, and played his final NBA campaign with the Toronto Raptors. His No. 34 jersey hangs in the Toyota Center rafters.
#4 David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs
David Robinson was selected as the top pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1987 NBA Draft. However, he did not make his first appearance in the NBA until 1989, after he ended with his commitment with the Navy.
Robinson's introduction to the NBA was well worth the wait, as he helped the Spurs to their first-ever championship title in 1999. He also retired on a high, winning another title with the Spurs in his final season in the league.
In his rookie season, Robinson averaged 24.3 points and 12 rebounds, playing in all 82 matches. He also averaged the same numbers in the playoffs. To commemorate his efforts for the team, his No. 50 jersey has been retired by the San Antonio Spurs.
#3 Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs
An unfortunate injury to David Robinson resulted in the San Antonio Spurs ending the 1996-97 NBA season as the third-worst team in the league. After winning the draft lottery, they selected Tim Duncan as the No. 1 pick in the 1997 Draft.
Two years later, Duncan helped the Spurs win their first-ever NBA title. It was a comfortable 4-1 series victory, with Duncan closing out the series with 31 points and nine rebounds.
Duncan spent his entire NBA career with the Spurs, helping them win four more championships before retiring in 2016. Since their last victory in 2014, the Spurs have not featured in the NBA Finals.
#2 LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James was selected as the 1st overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft class that included superstars like Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. James led the Cavs to the playoffs on numerous occasions, but failed to reach the NBA Finals.
All hope was lost when LeBron James announced his departure from the team. The Cleveland natives knew James was their best chance of winning a championship, and were distraught by the news of his exit. However, the Akron native promised to return and bring a championship to the city after four years with the Miami Heat.
James made his return in the 2014 offseason, and led the Cavs to the NBA finals in 2015. However, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala proved too much for the Cavs to handle.
Making another run to the NBA Finals in 2016, James rallied the Cavs from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-9 Warriors, which marked his third championship and first for the Cavaliers.
#1 Kyrie Irving - Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers had two top-five picks in the 2011 NBA Draft, both of whom made significant contributions to their 2016 NBA championship run. Kyrie Irving was the No. 1 overall pick, while Tristan Thompson was selected as the 4th overall pick.
Irving has always shown high-level ball-handling skills, which earned him the Rookie of the Year award that year. LeBron James' departure in 2010 turned out to be good for the Cavs, as they finished dead last in the Eastern Conference, leading to a favorable pick in the draft.
Despite Irving's arrival, the Cavs won the championship only after the return of James. He championed the signings of All-Star Kevin Love and JR Smith to boost the team's chances. After falling to the Golden State Warriors in 2015, they exacted revenge the next year, with James producing the dagger 3 in Game 7 to seal their title.
Guess the Lakers players!
