14 Mind-Blowing NBA Draft Facts and Figures You Probably Never Heard Before

Crazy NBA Draft facts and figures about LeBron James, Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics, and more that will shock you

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Complex Original

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lebron nba draft facts

In basketball, legacies are built in June. Just days after the association crowns its champion, 60 amateur players realize their dream when they’re picked in the NBA Draft. Last year’s draft might go down as one of the all-time best. But the class of 2018 is shaping up to be quite strong, too, especially at the top.

For all the predictions and punditry that define draft day, there’s really no telling how the results will ultimately shake out. Sometimes, like when the Kings picked Isaiah Thomas in 2010, your team drafts an All-Star with the last pick. Sometimes (looking at you, Mr. Bennett), the No. 1 pick washes out of the league in two years.

That unpredictability is what makes the draft so exciting. It’s also what makes it an everlasting source of trivia. In preparation for the late-June frenzy, we’ve accrued a lottery-sized list (14, to be exact) of the most mind-blowing facts and figures in NBA Draft history.

Tanking Doesn't Actually Work

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The Top Pick Is Usually a Top Player

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First Isn’t the Worst, and Second Sure Ain’t the Best

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How the Ice Capades Changed the Game

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The King of… Memphis?!

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The Draft That Didn't Matter

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No Surprise, Michael Jordan’s Draft Class was Legendary

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Undrafted Centers Make History

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Division I? Who Needs It!

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The Prep-to-Pro Pipeline

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The Tale of Two Drafts and One School

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Wait, Pat Riley was drafted by the Cowboys?!

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The Celtics' 4-for-1 Trade That Never Was

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Did Kristaps Porzingis Unwittingly Shape NBA History?

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