Top 5 NBA players who succeeded without being a Top 10 Draft pick

#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks holds the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award and the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was the 15th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft and has come a long way with the Milwaukee Bucks. The 'Greek Freak' is one of the greatest players in today's NBA and his exploits on the basketball court are starting to make him one of the greatest players ever seen in the league.

The Milwaukee Bucks' superstar has taken home two NBA MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year trophy and an All-Star MVP. On top of being an NBA champion and Finals MVP, Antetokoumpo is a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA player, and four-time All-Defensive player.

He's also won the Most Improved Player and is only 26 years old.

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#2 Julius Erving

Julius "Dr. J" Erving.

Julius 'Dr. J' Erving was the 12th pick of the 1972 NBA Draft, making him a second-rounder back then. The Milwaukee Bucks, who had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson on their roster, selected Erving after his first year in the ABA.

A legal dispute involving the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee and the ABA's Virginia Squires ended with Erving, the dunk artist, staying in the ABA for four more years before playing in the NBA.

In the NBA, Erving won an MVP award, one championship, and went to the All-Star Game in each of his 11 NBA seasons (all with the Philadelphia 76ers). Erving averaged 22 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in his NBA career and definitely became a basketball legend.

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#1 Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant #24 of the LA Lakers.

The late great Kobe Bryant was selected 13th in the 1996 NBA Draft and he turned out to be the undisputed best player of said class, which was one of the best ever. Bryant became a sports legend for the 20-year career he carved out with the LA Lakers and his greatness on the court.

He won five NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards, one regular-season MVP and earned 18 All-Stars, 15 All-NBA and 12 All-Defensive selections.

A Top five player in league history for many, Bryant also won two scoring titles and a joint-record four All-Star MVPs (tied with Bob Pettit).

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