The NBA draft is a player’s best opportunity to be drafted into the league. Since 1947, the NBA has drafted eligible players, typically from college to the league. Below, we are going to review the history of the number 3 draft pick in the NBA.
You might also be interested in the history of the number 1 draft pick in the NBA.
What is the NBA Draft?
The NBA draft is an annual ceremony, in which NBA teams, through a lottery system, select eligible players from college and the international stage to join their teams. College players who have completed all four years of their education are automatically eligible for the draft.
However, college players who have not completed all four years of their education, but are one-year removed from high school, must declare their eligibility for the draft. In declaring their eligibility, these underclassmen will effectively give up their remaining college eligibility.
For international players, any player older than 22 years old are automatically eligible for the draft. However, any international player younger than 22 years old must declare their eligibility.
How Does the Lottery System Work?
The NBA draft lottery system was revamped for the 2018 season. Looking at these new rules, the 14 NBA teams which did not make the playoffs will be eligible for the first 14 picks in the draft. Under the new system, the NBA Draft Lottery will ensure that the team with the worst overall record in the league will receive no worse than the fifth overall pick.
Similarly, in the new system, the three NBA teams with the worst regular-season records will each have a 14% chance of winning the lottery and the first overall pick. Once the first four teams with the worst records have been selected, the remaining ten teams will continue to pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
How Does the NBA Draft Work?
Going a bit deeper, and speaking only of the new system, the NBA draft will be televised on ESPN, who will air the results live. Drawings will be conducted to determine the first four picks, with the remaining ten picks being doled out in inverse order of an NBA teams regular-season record.
The actual lottery procedure, however, takes place in a separate room before ESPN announces the results. In this room, a member of the media, an NBA official, and a representative of the accounting firm Ernst & Young are present to ensure no foul play or tampering with the machine.
In this separate room, fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in the lottery machine. The lottery machine used by the NBA is manufactured by Smart Play Company. This company also weighs, measures, and certifies the ping-pong balls before the drawing.
There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating NBA teams.
Once all 14 balls have been placed into the machine, they will be mixed for 20-seconds before the first ball is removed. Similarly, the balls will be mixed for another 10-seconds before the second ball is drawn. Again, the machine will be mixed for another 10-seconds for both the third and fourth picks.
Full History of all 3rd Overall NBA Draft Picks
| Player | Team | Affiliation | Year |
| Evan Mobley | Cleveland Cavaliers | Southern California | 2021 |
| LaMelo Ball | Charlotte Hornets | Illawarra (Australia) | 2020 |
| RJ Barrett | New York Knicks | Duke | 2019 |
| Luka Doncic | Atlanta Hawks | Real Madrid Baloncesto (Spain) | 2018 |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | Duke | 2017 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | California | 2016 |
| Jahlil Okafor | Philadelphia 76ers | Duke | 2015 |
| Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | Kansas | 2014 |
| Otto Porter Jr. | Washington Wizards | Georgetown | 2013 |
| Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | Florida | 2012 |
| Enes Kanter | Utah Jazz | Kentucky | 2011 |
| Derrick Favors | New Jersey Nets | Georgia Tech | 2010 |
| James Harden | Oklahoma City Thunder | Arizona State | 2009 |
| O.J. Mayo | Minnesota Timberwolves | Southern California | 2008 |
| Al Horford | Atlanta Hawks | Florida | 2007 |
| Adam Morrison | Charlotte Bobcats | Gonzaga | 2006 |
| Deron Williams | Utah Jazz | Illinois | 2005 |
| Ben Gordon | Chicago Bulls | Connecticut | 2004 |
| Carmelo Anthony | Denver Nuggets | Syracuse | 2003 |
| Mike Dunleavy | Golden State Warriors | Duke | 2002 |
| Pau Gasol | Atlanta Hawks | FC Barcelona Basquet (Spain) | 2001 |
| Darius Miles | Los Angeles Clippers | East St. Louis | 2000 |
| Baron Davis | Charlotte Hornets | California-Los Angeles | 1999 |
| Raef LaFrentz | Denver Nuggets | Kansas | 1998 |
| Chauncey Billups | Boston Celtics | Colorado | 1997 |
| Shareef Abdur-Rahim | Vancouver Grizzlies | California | 1996 |
| Jerry Stackhouse | Philadelphia 76ers | North Carolina | 1995 |
| Grant Hill | Detroit Pistons | Duke | 1994 |
| Anfernee Hardaway | Golden State Warriors | Memphis | 1993 |
| Christian Laettner | Minnesota Timberwolves | Duke | 1992 |
| Billy Owens | Sacramento Kings | Syracuse | 1991 |
| Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf | Denver Nuggets | Louisiana State | 1990 |
| Sean Elliott | San Antonio Spurs | Arizona | 1989 |
| Charles Smith | Philadelphia 76ers | Pittsburgh | 1988 |
| Dennis Hopson | New Jersey Nets | Ohio State | 1987 |
| Chris Washburn | Golden State Warriors | North Carolina State | 1986 |
| Benoit Benjamin | Los Angeles Clippers | Creighton | 1985 |
| Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | North Carolina | 1984 |
| Rodney McCray | Houston Rockets | Louisville | 1983 |
| Dominique Wilkins | Utah Jazz | Georgia | 1982 |
| Buck Williams | New Jersey Nets | Maryland | 1981 |
| Kevin McHale | Boston Celtics | Minnesota | 1980 |
| Bill Cartwright | New York Knicks | San Francisco | 1979 |
| Rick Robey | Indiana Pacers | Kentucky | 1978 |
| Marques Johnson | Milwaukee Bucks | California-Los Angeles | 1977 |
| Richard Washington | Kansas City Kings | California-Los Angeles | 1976 |
| Marvin Webster | Atlanta Hawks | Morgan State | 1975 |
| Tom Burleson | Seattle SuperSonics | North Carolina State | 1974 |
| Ernie DiGregorio | Buffalo Braves | Providence | 1973 |
| Double D Davis | Cleveland Cavaliers | Houston | 1972 |
| Elmore Smith | Buffalo Braves | Kentucky State | 1971 |
| Pete Maravich | Atlanta Hawks | Louisiana State | 1970 |
| Lucius Allen | Seattle SuperSonics | California-Los Angeles | 1969 |
| Bob Kauffman | Seattle SuperSonics | Guilford | 1968 |
| Clem Haskins | Chicago Bulls | Western Kentucky | 1967 |
| Clyde Lee | San Francisco Warriors | Vanderbilt | 1966 |
| Dave Stallworth | New York Knicks | Wichita State | 1965 |
| Gary Bradds | Baltimore Bullets | Ohio State | 1964 |
| Nate Thurmond | San Francisco Warriors | Bowling Green | 1963 |
| Zelmo Beaty | St. Louis Hawks | Prairie View A&M | 1962 |
| Larry Siegfried | Cincinnati Royals | Ohio State | 1961 |
| Darrall Imhoff | New York Knicks | California | 1960 |
| Tom Hawkins | Minneapolis Lakers | Notre Dame | 1959 |
| Mike Farmer | New York Knicks | San Francisco | 1958 |
| Jim Krebs | Minneapolis Lakers | Southern Methodist | 1957 |
| Jim Paxson | Minneapolis Lakers | Dayton | 1956 |
| Jim Loscutoff | Boston Celtics | Oregon | 1955 |
| Gene Shue | Philadelphia Warriors | Maryland | 1954 |
| Jack Molinas | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Columbia | 1953 |
| Dick Groat | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Duke | 1952 |
| Marcus Freiberger | Indianapolis Olympians | Oklahoma | 1951 |
| Bob Cousy | Tri-Cities Blackhawks | Holy Cross | 1950 |
| Bob Harris | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Oklahoma State | 1949 |
| George Hauptfuhrer | Boston Celtics | Harvard | 1948 |
| Eddie Ehlers | Boston Celtics | Purdue | 1947 |