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NBA Draft: 30 greatest draft picks in league history

By Josh Cornelissen

Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Tom Herde/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by Tom Herde/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers
Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo by Brian Drake/NBAE via Getty Images) /

30. player. 93. . Power Forward. Auburn Tigers, 1984 (No. 5). Charles Barkley

Greatest NBA Draft picks in league history: Charles Barkley, Philadelphia 76ers

The player nicknamed “Chuck” and “The Round Mound of Rebound” is one of basketball’s most charismatic characters, carving out a role for himself on television well beyond his playing years. Long before getting into verbal sparring matches with Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley was carving out a Hall of Fame basketball career.

An Alabama native, Barkley played three seasons at Auburn and developed a reputation as a dominant rebounder, a fact that belied his relatively short stature. He was skilled at rebounding and immediately pushing the ball in transition himself.

Barkley was named SEC Player of the Year in 1984. That same year, he lead the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

The Philadelphia 76ers made him the No. 5 overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, and he would play eight seasons for the franchise. During that time he would make six NBA All-Star Game appearances, led the league in rebounding once and was a five-time All-NBA selection, making the First Team four times.

In 1990, he finished second to Magic Johnson in the NBA MVP race. He was a part of Team USA’s men’s basketball “Dream Team” at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, crushing the competition all the way to Olympic gold.

Barkley never led the 76ers deep into the playoffs, losing in the postseason year after year before missing the playoffs altogether in 1991-92, despite Barkley putting in another strong season. His trade demand saw him end up with the Phoenix Suns, and Philadelphia got a package of talented players in return.