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The NBA Draft first-overall pick is something highly coveted and celebrated in the basketball world. It defines the most brilliant player in a draft class with a promising future in projection.
The ACC is a prominent conference in the world of college basketball. The league has over time produced a host of No.1 picks in the draft, who have gone on to have brilliant careers in the NBA. We take a look at the top first-overall picks in the history of the ACC.
Top five all-time No.1 NBA draft picks from the ACC
#1 Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan was selected as the first-overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1997 NBA Draft following his outstanding college career at Wake Forest from 1993 to 1997.
Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental," he went on to become a great of the game in his 19 seasons in the NBA. Duncan is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time, winning five NBA championships and two NBA MVPs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.
#2 James Worthy
Following a standout college career at North Carolina, where he was a consensus All-American among other honors, James Worthy was the No. 1 pick by the LA Lakers in 1982.
Famously known as “Big Game James,” Worthy had his entire professional career with the Lakers from 1982 to 1994. He won three NBA championships and was a seven-time NBA All-Star as well as a two-time All-NBA Team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.
#3 Ralph Sampson
Ralph Sampson was a three-time college national player of the year during his time at Virginia and was selected as the first overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.
He hit the ground running immediately, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He went on to play with the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Washington Bullet. Despite his injury troubles, he had a noteworthy career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
#4 Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving was drafted as the first-overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft following a “one-and-done” career at Duke. He's known for his superb ball-handling techniques.
The guard won the Rookie of the Year in 2012 and has gone on to play for the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets. He's now with the Dallas Mavericks, joining the franchise in 2023. Irving is an eight-time NBA All-Star and won the NBA championship in 2016.
#5 Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson had a brilliant “one-and-done” college career at Duke in the 2018-19 season before he was selected as the No.1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Williamson continued the brilliance of his college career, where he won several accolades on the professional stage. He was in the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020 and has made the NBA All-Star team twice. The power forward has long years ahead of him in the NBA.
