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 7 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 7th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Jonathan Kuminga | Golden State Warriors | Ignite (G League) | 2021 | ||
| Killian Hayes | Detroit Pistons | Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) | 2020 | ||
| Coby White | Chicago Bulls | North Carolina | 2019 | ||
| Wendell Carter Jr. | Chicago Bulls | West Virginia | 2018 | ||
| Lauri Markkanen | Minnesota Timberwolves | Arizona | 2017 | ||
| Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets | Kentucky | 2016 | ||
| Emmanuel Mudiay | Denver Nuggets | Guangdong Southern Tigers (China) | 2015 | ||
| Julius Randle | Los Angeles Lakers | Kentucky | 2014 | ||
| Ben McLemore | Sacramento Kings | Kansas | 2013 | ||
| Harrison Barnes | Golden State Warriors | North Carolina | 2012 | ||
| Bismack Biyombo | Sacramento Kings | Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (Spain) | 2011 | ||
| Greg Monroe | Detroit Pistons | Georgetown | 2010 | ||
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | Davidson | 2009 | ||
| Eric Gordon | Los Angeles Clippers | Indiana | 2008 | ||
| Corey Brewer | Minnesota Timberwolves | Florida | 2007 | ||
| Randy Foye | Boston Celtics | Villanova | 2006 | ||
| Charlie Villanueva | Toronto Raptors | Connecticut | 2005 | ||
| Luol Deng | Phoenix Suns | Duke | 2004 | ||
| Kirk Hinrich | Chicago Bulls | Kansas | 2003 | ||
| Nene | New York Knicks | CR Vasco da Gama (Brazil) | 2002 | ||
| Eddie Griffin | New Jersey Nets | Seton Hall | 2001 | ||
| Chris Mihm | Chicago Bulls | Texas | 2000 | ||
| Richard Hamilton | Washington Wizards | Connecticut | 1999 | ||
| Jason Williams | Sacramento Kings | Florida | 1998 | ||
| Tim Thomas | New Jersey Nets | Villanova | 1997 | ||
| Lorenzen Wright | Los Angeles Clippers | Memphis | 1996 | ||
| Damon Stoudamire | Toronto Raptors | Arizona | 1995 | ||
| Lamond Murray | Los Angeles Clippers | California | 1994 | ||
| Bobby Hurley | Sacramento Kings | Duke | 1993 | ||
| Walt Williams | Sacramento Kings | Maryland | 1992 | ||
| Luc Longley | Minnesota Timberwolves | New Mexico | 1991 | ||
| Lionel Simmons | Sacramento Kings | La Salle | 1990 | ||
| George McCloud | Indiana Pacers | Florida State | 1989 | ||
| Tim Perry | Phoenix Suns | Temple | 1988 | ||
| Kevin Johnson | Cleveland Cavaliers | California | 1987 | ||
| Roy Tarpley | Dallas Mavericks | Michigan | 1986 | ||
| Chris Mullin | Golden State Warriors | St. John’s (NY) | 1985 | ||
| Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs | Arkansas | 1984 | ||
| Thurl Bailey | Utah Jazz | North Carolina State | 1983 | ||
| Quintin Dailey | Chicago Bulls | San Francisco | 1982 | ||
| Steve Johnson | Kansas City Kings | Oregon State | 1981 | ||
| Mike Gminski | New Jersey Nets | Duke | 1980 | ||
| Vinnie Johnson | Seattle SuperSonics | Baylor | 1979 | ||
| Ron Brewer | Portland Trail Blazers | Arkansas | 1978 | ||
| Bernard King | New Jersey Nets | Tennessee | 1977 | ||
| Quinn Buckner | Milwaukee Bucks | Indiana | 1976 | ||
| Rich Kelley | New Orleans Jazz | Stanford | 1975 | ||
| Tom Henderson | Atlanta Hawks | Hawaii | 1974 | ||
| Ron Behagen | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Minnesota | 1973 | ||
| Isaac Stallworth | Seattle SuperSonics | Kansas | 1972 | ||
| Cliff Meely | Houston Rockets | Colorado | 1971 | ||
| John Johnson | Cleveland Cavaliers | Iowa | 1970 | ||
| Bob Portman | San Francisco Warriors | Creighton | 1969 | ||
| Charlie Paulk | Milwaukee Bucks | Northeastern State | 1968 | ||
| Pat Riley | San Diego Rockets | Kentucky | 1967 | ||
| Jerry Chambers | Los Angeles Lakers | Utah | 1966 | ||
| Nate Bowman | Cincinnati Royals | Wichita State | 1965 | ||
| Mel Counts | Boston Celtics | Oregon State | 1964 | ||
| Roger Strickland | Los Angeles Lakers | Jacksonville | 1963 | ||
| John Havlicek | Boston Celtics | Ohio State | 1962 | ||
| Tom Meschery | Philadelphia Warriors | St. Mary’s (CA) | 1961 | ||
| Al Bunge | Philadelphia Warriors | Maryland | 1960 | ||
| Tom Robitaille | Detroit Pistons | Rice | 1959 | ||
| Bennie Swain | Boston Celtics | Texas Southern | 1958 | ||
| George H. Bon Salle | Syracuse Nationals | Illinois | 1957 | ||
| Hal Lear | Philadelphia Warriors | Temple | 1956 | ||
| Jack Stephens | St. Louis Hawks | Notre Dame | 1955 | ||
| Tom Marshall | Rochester Royals | Western Kentucky | 1954 | ||
| Jim Fritsche | Minneapolis Lakers | Hamline | 1953 | ||
| Bob Lochmueller | Syracuse Nationals | Louisville | 1952 | ||
| Ernie Barrett | Boston Celtics | Kansas State | 1951 | ||
| George Yardley | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Stanford | 1950 | ||
| Dick McGuire | New York Knicks | St. John’s (NY) | 1949 | ||
| Robert Gale | St. Louis Bombers | Cornell | 1948 | ||
| Jack Underman | St. Louis Bombers | Ohio State | 1947 |