NBA Draft: Every team’s best pick ever

Jun 10, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) speaks to the media during a press conference after game four of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors won 108-97. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

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KANSAS CITY, MO – CIRCA 1974: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar /

Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, No.1 , 1969 NBA Draft

Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) was selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 in one of the easiest draft decisions of all time. The center was a legend after a stellar career at UCLA under John Wooden, winning three consecutive national titles and compiling an 88-2 college record. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 28 and 14 in his first year in the league, and the Bucks won a championship their second season behind the dominant big man and the Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. The year after that they had one of the best regular seasons of all-time, before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals

After five straight trips to the postseason with the Bucks, Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade, and was moved to the Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar and the Lakers went on to win five championships together, while the Bucks have yet to win a championship since Abdul-Jabbar was traded. Abdul-Jabbar is still the league’s all-time scoring champion with 38,387 career points, a record that is unlikely to ever been broken. He acquired the record by averaging 24.7 points per game over a 20-year NBA career. While the Hall of Famer requested a trade from the franchise, he remains the best player the Bucks have ever drafted.

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