The NBA draft will take place on Thursday, and for the first time in history the Minnesota Timberwolves will have the first overall selection.
Certainly the biggest debate, and hype, centers on who should be the No. 1 pick.
And for good reason. Some of the greatest players to ever play the game -- Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon -- have been No. 1 overall picks.
But being No. 1 isn't a guaranteed path to stardom. Look at Kwame Brown, Michael Olowokandi and Greg Oden. In fact, about half of the No. 1 picks in the past 25 years haven't worked out too well for their teams. And even out of all the successful picks, only one has led the team that drafted him to an NBA title.
Where do players like Duncan, LeBron, Kwame and Oden rank? Here's a look at the best and worst No. 1 picks over the past 25 years. Every ranking has its own criteria.
I'm focusing on the value that player gave the franchise that drafted him -- not necessarily what the player accomplished over his entire career. For example, Chris Webber had a great career, but he didn't do much for the Golden State Warriors, who traded for him on draft night. I also am factoring in the quality of the draft each year and whether a team passed on a better player.
1. Tim Duncan, F/C
School: Wake Forest
Drafted: Spurs, 1997
18 seasons with San Antonio, two MVPs, five NBA championships
James might be the best player in the world, but no one has done more for the team that drafted him than Duncan. He has averaged 19 points and 11 rebounds per game over that career, with an average PER of 24.5. He is a two-time league MVP and three-time NBA Finals MVP. And he's regarded by many as the greatest power forward to ever play the game. Greatest draft pick in the past 25 years? It's hard to argue against Duncan.