NBA Draft: Ranking every first overall pick in NBA history

Ranking every first overall pick in NBA history

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16. 1994: Chris Webber, Orlando Magic

It’s amazing how a lot of people have forgotten how good Chris Webber was as a pro. When the name “Chris Webber” comes up, it’s usually to discuss his time as a member of the hallowed “Fab 5” at the University of Michigan or, more specifically, to talk about the infamous timeout in the 1993 National Championship game against North Carolina. Oftentimes, his career is always a secondary topic.

Recency bias plays a role in this; Webber hasn’t played since 2008 and he was hampered by knee injuries that left him a shell of his former self in his final seasons. But when Webber was healthy, he was a problem for plenty of NBA teams.

The Orlando Magic, who won the Draft Lottery for the second consecutive season in 1994, took Webber with the first overall pick, but they immediately traded him to the Golden State Warriors. It worked out for Orlando, as they received Penny Hardaway and three first-round picks in return.

As for Webber, he spent only one season with the Warriors before requesting a trade, as he felt that then-head coach Don Nelson was using him improperly. He then spent four years with the Washington Bullets/Wizards before finding a home with the Sacramento Kings.

In head coach Rick Adelman’s corner offense, Webber thrived playing alongside Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Jason Williams, and later Mike Bibby, as he averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in seven seasons there. Thanks in part to Webber the Kings became a Western Conference powerhouse, as they made the playoffs seven straight years in his tenure.