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 25 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 25th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Quentin Grimes | LA Clippers | Houston | 2021 | ||
| Immanuel Quickley | Oklahoma City Thunder | Kentucky | 2020 | ||
| Nassir Little | Portland Trail Blazers | North Carolina | 2019 | ||
| Moritz Wagner | Los Angeles Lakers | Michigan | 2018 | ||
| Anzejs Pasecniks | Orlando Magic | CB Gran Canaria (Spain) | 2017 | ||
| Brice Johnson | LA Clippers | North Carolina | 2016 | ||
| Jarell Martin | Memphis Grizzlies | Louisiana State | 2015 | ||
| Clint Capela | Houston Rockets | Elan Chalon (France) | 2014 | ||
| Reggie Bullock | Los Angeles Clippers | North Carolina | 2013 | ||
| Tony Wroten | Memphis Grizzlies | Washington | 2012 | ||
| MarShon Brooks | Boston Celtics | Providence | 2011 | ||
| Dominique Jones | Memphis Grizzlies | South Florida | 2010 | ||
| Rodrigue Beaubois | Oklahoma City Thunder | Cholet Basket (France) | 2009 | ||
| Nicolas Batum | Houston Rockets | Le Mans Sarthe Basket (France) | 2008 | ||
| Morris Almond | Utah Jazz | Rice | 2007 | ||
| Shannon Brown | Cleveland Cavaliers | Michigan State | 2006 | ||
| Johan Petro | Seattle SuperSonics | Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez (France) | 2005 | ||
| Tony Allen | Boston Celtics | Oklahoma State | 2004 | ||
| Carlos Delfino | Detroit Pistons | Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna (Italy) | 2003 | ||
| Frank Williams | Denver Nuggets | Illinois | 2002 | ||
| Gerald Wallace | Sacramento Kings | Alabama | 2001 | ||
| Jake Tsakalidis | Phoenix Suns | A.E.K. Athens B.C. (Greece) | 2000 | ||
| Tim James | Miami Heat | Miami (FL) | 1999 | ||
| Al Harrington | Indiana Pacers | Saint Patrick | 1998 | ||
| John Thomas | New York Knicks | Minnesota | 1997 | ||
| Martin Muursepp | Utah Jazz | BC Kalev/Cramo (Estonia) | 1996 | ||
| David Vaughn | Orlando Magic | Memphis | 1995 | ||
| Greg Minor | Los Angeles Clippers | Louisville | 1994 | ||
| Corie Blount | Chicago Bulls | Cincinnati | 1993 | ||
| Elmore Spencer | Los Angeles Clippers | Nevada-Las Vegas | 1992 | ||
| Shaun Vandiver | Golden State Warriors | Colorado | 1991 | ||
| Alaa Abdelnaby | Portland Trail Blazers | Duke | 1990 | ||
| John Morton | Cleveland Cavaliers | Seton Hall | 1989 | ||
| David Rivers | Los Angeles Lakers | Notre Dame | 1988 | ||
| Ron Moore | New York Knicks | West Virginia State | 1987 | ||
| Mark Price | Dallas Mavericks | Georgia Tech | 1986 | ||
| Mike Smrek | Portland Trail Blazers | Canisius | 1985 | ||
| Devin Durrant | Indiana Pacers | Brigham Young | 1984 | ||
| Sidney Lowe | Chicago Bulls | North Carolina State | 1983 | ||
| Bryan Warrick | Washington Bullets | Saint Joseph’s | 1982 | ||
| Tracy Jackson | Boston Celtics | Notre Dame | 1981 | ||
| Jeff Ruland | Golden State Warriors | Iona | 1980 | ||
| Ollie Mack | Los Angeles Lakers | East Carolina | 1979 | ||
| Rick Wilson | Atlanta Hawks | Louisville | 1978 | ||
| Wilson Washington | Philadelphia 76ers | Old Dominion | 1977 | ||
| Lonnie Shelton | New York Knicks | Oregon State | 1976 | ||
| Bob Gross | Portland Trail Blazers | Long Beach State | 1975 | ||
| John Drew | Atlanta Hawks | Gardner-Webb | 1974 | ||
| Larry McNeill | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Marquette | 1973 | ||
| Tommy Patterson | Baltimore Bullets | Ouachita Baptist | 1972 | ||
| Charlie Yelverton | Portland Trail Blazers | Fordham | 1971 | ||
| Walt Gilmore | Portland Trail Blazers | Fort Valley State | 1970 | ||
| Wally Anderzunas | Atlanta Hawks | Creighton | 1969 | ||
| Donald Dee | Detroit Pistons | St. Mary of the Plains | 1968 | ||
| Bob Verga | St. Louis Hawks | Duke | 1967 | ||
| Dave Wagnon | Baltimore Bullets | Idaho State | 1966 | ||
| Jim Caldwell | Los Angeles Lakers | Georgia Tech | 1965 | ||
| John Thompson | Boston Celtics | Providence | 1964 | ||
| Lyle Harger | Los Angeles Lakers | Houston | 1963 | ||
| Jim Hadnot | Boston Celtics | Providence | 1962 | ||
| Robert Nordmann | Cincinnati Royals | Saint Louis | 1961 | ||
| Dalen Showalter | Cincinnati Royals | Tennessee | 1960 | ||
| Ron Stevenson | Philadelphia Warriors | Texas Christian | 1959 | ||
| Phil Murrell | Cincinnati Royals | Drake | 1958 | ||
| Jed Dormeyer | Cincinnati Royals | Minnesota | 1957 | ||
| Ed Wiener | Philadelphia Warriors | Tennessee | 1955 | ||
| Lee Morton | Rochester Royals | Cornell | 1954 | ||
| Joe Luchi | New York Knicks | Cincinnati | 1951 |