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 8 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 8th Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic | Michigan | 2021 | ||
| Obi Toppin | New York Knicks | Dayton | 2020 | ||
| Jaxson Hayes | Atlanta Hawks | Texas | 2019 | ||
| Collin Sexton | Cleveland Cavaliers | Alabama | 2018 | ||
| Frank Ntilikina | New York Knicks | SIG Strasbourg (France) | 2017 | ||
| Marquese Chriss | Phoenix Suns | Washington | 2016 | ||
| Stanley Johnson | Detroit Pistons | Arizona | 2015 | ||
| Nik Stauskas | Sacramento Kings | Michigan | 2014 | ||
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Detroit Pistons | Georgia | 2013 | ||
| Terrence Ross | Toronto Raptors | Washington | 2012 | ||
| Brandon Knight | Detroit Pistons | Kentucky | 2011 | ||
| Al-Farouq Aminu | Los Angeles Clippers | Wake Forest | 2010 | ||
| Jordan Hill | New York Knicks | Arizona | 2009 | ||
| Joe Alexander | Milwaukee Bucks | West Virginia | 2008 | ||
| Brandan Wright | Charlotte Bobcats | North Carolina | 2007 | ||
| Rudy Gay | Houston Rockets | Connecticut | 2006 | ||
| Channing Frye | New York Knicks | Arizona | 2005 | ||
| Rafael Araujo | Toronto Raptors | Brigham Young | 2004 | ||
| T.J. Ford | Milwaukee Bucks | Texas | 2003 | ||
| Chris Wilcox | Los Angeles Clippers | Maryland | 2002 | ||
| DeSagana Diop | Cleveland Cavaliers | Oak Hill Academy | 2001 | ||
| Jamal Crawford | Cleveland Cavaliers | Michigan | 2000 | ||
| Andre Miller | Cleveland Cavaliers | Utah | 1999 | ||
| Larry Hughes | Philadelphia 76ers | Saint Louis | 1998 | ||
| Adonal Foyle | Golden State Warriors | Colgate | 1997 | ||
| Kerry Kittles | New Jersey Nets | Villanova | 1996 | ||
| Shawn Respert | Portland Trail Blazers | Michigan State | 1995 | ||
| Brian Grant | Sacramento Kings | Xavier | 1994 | ||
| Vin Baker | Milwaukee Bucks | Hartford | 1993 | ||
| Todd Day | Milwaukee Bucks | Arkansas | 1992 | ||
| Mark Macon | Denver Nuggets | Temple | 1991 | ||
| Bo Kimble | Los Angeles Clippers | Loyola-Marymount | 1990 | ||
| Randy White | Dallas Mavericks | Louisiana Tech | 1989 | ||
| Rex Chapman | Charlotte Hornets | Kentucky | 1988 | ||
| Olden Polynice | Chicago Bulls | Virginia | 1987 | ||
| Ron Harper | Cleveland Cavaliers | Miami (OH) | 1986 | ||
| Detlef Schrempf | Dallas Mavericks | Washington | 1985 | ||
| Lancaster Gordon | Los Angeles Clippers | Louisville | 1984 | ||
| Antoine Carr | Detroit Pistons | Wichita State | 1983 | ||
| Clark Kellogg | Indiana Pacers | Ohio State | 1982 | ||
| Tom Chambers | San Diego Clippers | Utah | 1981 | ||
| Andrew Toney | Philadelphia 76ers | Louisiana-Lafayette | 1980 | ||
| Calvin Natt | New Jersey Nets | Louisiana-Monroe | 1979 | ||
| Freeman Williams | Boston Celtics | Portland State | 1978 | ||
| Jack Sikma | Seattle SuperSonics | Illinois Wesleyan | 1977 | ||
| Robert Parish | Golden State Warriors | Centenary (LA) | 1976 | ||
| Junior Bridgeman | Los Angeles Lakers | Louisville | 1975 | ||
| Campy Russell | Cleveland Cavaliers | Michigan | 1974 | ||
| Mike Bantom | Phoenix Suns | Saint Joseph’s | 1973 | ||
| Tom Riker | New York Knicks | South Carolina | 1972 | ||
| Darnell Hillman | Golden State Warriors | San Jose State | 1971 | ||
| Geoff Petrie | Portland Trail Blazers | Princeton | 1970 | ||
| Herm Gilliam | Cincinnati Royals | Purdue | 1969 | ||
| Gary Gregor | Phoenix Suns | South Carolina | 1968 | ||
| Tom Workman | St. Louis Hawks | Seattle | 1967 | ||
| Jim Barnett | Boston Celtics | Oregon | 1966 | ||
| Ollie Johnson | Boston Celtics | San Francisco | 1965 | ||
| Willis Reed | New York Knicks | Grambling | 1964 | ||
| Bill Green | Boston Celtics | Colorado State | 1963 | ||
| Terry Dischinger | Chicago Zephyrs | Purdue | 1962 | ||
| Cleo Hill | St. Louis Hawks | Winston-Salem State | 1961 | ||
| Thomas Sanders | Boston Celtics | New York University | 1960 | ||
| Don Goldstein | Detroit Pistons | Louisville | 1959 | ||
| Steve Hamilton | Minneapolis Lakers | Morehead State | 1958 | ||
| Sam Jones | Boston Celtics | North Carolina Central | 1957 | ||
| Jack Twyman | Rochester Royals | Cincinnati | 1955 | ||
| Jack Turner | New York Knicks | Western Kentucky | 1954 | ||
| Chuck Darling | Rochester Royals | Iowa | 1952 | ||
| Sam Ranzino | Rochester Royals | North Carolina State | 1951 | ||
| Bob Lavoy | Indianapolis Olympians | Western Kentucky | 1950 | ||
| Wallace Jones | Washington Capitols | Kentucky | 1949 | ||
| Ward Williams | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Indiana | 1948 | ||
| Paul Huston | Chicago Stags | Ohio State | 1947 |