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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
Arriving in the NBA twenty years apart, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama have more than lived up to their status as first picks in the draft. But according to former player Brandon Jennings, another basketball legend can claim the honorary title of greatest first pick of all time.
Being drafted is an honor in itself, but being the first player to be called to the podium by Adam Silver is even more so. Every year, the first pick in the draft arouses covetousness but also enormous expectations around the winner. This status almost automatically makes you a budding star, around whom a franchise wants to build its long-term future.
Of course, not all of them manage to live up to such expectations: some simply crack under the pressure, while others are quickly slowed down by injuries. However, there are several who have surpassed the expectations placed on them to become true legends. Examples include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James, to name a few.
More recently, Victor Wembanyama has made a remarkable debut in the NBA after arriving in 2023. In the space of two years, the Frenchman has established himself as the most terrifying defender in the entire league and would have been voted DPOY in his sophomore season had he not had to end it prematurely following a deep vein thrombosis. He is therefore following in the footsteps of his predecessors with ease.
Tim Duncan, best first pick of all time?
That being said, is it possible to name the best first pick in the draft in over 75 years of NBA history? For Brandon Jennings, the answer is yes. The former Bucks point guard gave his strong opinion on X, snubbing everyone except one player:
Brandon Jennings : Tim Duncan is the greatest #1 pick ever.
Spurs fans will surely agree with this statement. While Wemby has had a fantastic start to his career in Texas, he still has a long way to go to surpass the Big Fundamental in the franchise’s all-time hierarchy. As a reminder, Duncan arrived in 1997 following a disastrous season in San Antonio, marked by David Robinson’s long injury absence.
However, the presence of the young big man from Wake Forest changed everything from his rookie season, the Spurs winning 36 more victories compared to the previous campaign. Better still, Duncan would lead them to their first title the following year… to which would be added four more championship rings until his retirement in 2016. The history of the franchise would not be the same without him.
