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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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Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets
Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets. (Photo by Jerry Wachter/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Greatest NBA Draft picks in league history: Wes Unseld, Washington Wizards

The 6-foot-7 Wes Unseld was a scoring and rebounding monster as a young man, averaging 20.6 points and 18.9 rebounds per game for the Louisville Cardinals. He was All-Missouri Valley Conference all three seasons he played at the varsity level. As a junior and senior, Unseld was named a First-Team All-American.

That prowess led to Unseld going second overall to the then-Washington Bullets in the 1968 NBA Draft, just behind future teammate Elvin Hayes, who went to the then-San Diego Rockets. The center wasted no time in making his mark, averaging 18.2 rebounds per game as a rookie and earning not only NBA Rookie of the Year honors, but also won NBA MVP as well.

A dominant collection of centers limited Unseld’s ability to rack up awards, as he made just one All-NBA squad. He was a five-time All Star for a Bullets team that competed throughout the 1970s.

In 1978, Unseld and Hayes finally broke through, bringing a title to Washington. Unseld retired after 13 seasons with the Bullets, with his Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame career bringing a significant return on investment for the team that drafted him No. 2 overall out of Louisville.