Name every franchise that has had a #1 overall pick
Every NBA team that has ever held the first selection in the draft.
About this quiz
Every franchise would like the first pick and most have had one, but the names on this list are the ones they held it UNDER — the Seattle SuperSonics took a number one, the Oklahoma City Thunder never have. Relocated and renamed teams count separately, which is what makes the list longer than you expect.
A few franchises have never had it at all, including some very old clubs that were simply never bad enough at the right moment.
The lottery, introduced in 1985, changed the shape of this list. Before it, the worst record got the pick outright; since, the worst record has won it less than a third of the time.
How to beat the clock
- Use the team's name at the time: Bullets rather than Wizards, Bobcats rather than Hornets.
- Work through the expansion teams — most got an early number one while they were terrible.
- The Cavaliers have had more than anyone.
How it works
One quiz a day, the same one for everybody — so the leaderboard is a straight comparison rather than fifteen boards with three names each. Your first attempt is the one that counts, because the game reveals every answer when the clock stops; replay as often as you like afterwards, it is pure practice and never changes your score.
Start typing and suggestions appear instantly. Submit with Enter or by clicking one — nothing is scored until you do, so you can finish typing the name you actually meant. Arrow keys move through the list.
A surname is enough when it is unambiguous — “Jordan” counts on a list with one Jordan, but a list with several Johnsons asks for the first name too. Capitalisation, punctuation and accents are all ignored, so “o neal” and “O’Neal” are the same answer. Suggestions are drawn from every player in the database, so seeing a name there says nothing about whether it is on the list.
Previously
Every quiz in the rotation, still playable any time: Name the NBA 75th Anniversary Team · Name every NBA MVP · Name every Finals MVP · Name every Defensive Player of the Year · Name every Rookie of the Year · Name every 10-time All-Star · Name the 20,000-point club · Name the 10,000-rebound club · Name the 8,000-assist club · Name every 2,000 three-pointer shooter · Name every 25-point-per-game scorer · Name every #1 overall draft pick · Name the undrafted players with 500+ games · Name every international All-NBA player · Name the 20,000-point scorers who never won a title · Name the #1 picks who never made an All-Star team · Name the 4-time champions who were never All-Stars · Name the stars who played for 6+ franchises · Name every NBA team that has moved city · Name the NBA teams that no longer exist · Name every retired Lakers and Celtics number · Name the team that drafted each recent #1 pick.