NBA Draft: 30 Worst No. 1 overall picks in league history (Updated 2023)

30 worst No. 1 overall picks in league history: 20. Kent Benson

Stats:

• 9.1 points
• 5.7 rebounds

There’s nothing like a hometown hero, and for the state of Indiana, that hero was Kent Benson. Growing up in Indiana he always wanted to play for the Hoosiers, and 1973’s “Indiana Mr. Basketball” did just that. Playing for head coach Bobby Knight young Benson became a star. As a sophomore he helped propel Indiana to a 31-1 record, and as a junior was a key part of Indiana’s undefeated 32-0 season; Benson was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1976.

Entering the NBA Draft meant leaving Indiana, although at first, he didn’t go far, as the Milwaukee Bucks took him first overall in the 1977 NBA Draft. Benson’s claim to NBA fame doesn’t involve his playing at all, but rather his instigation. Just two minutes into the first game of his career, Kent Benson fouled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers, including putting an elbow in his gut. The multi-time MVP responded by punching Benson, breaking the rookie’s jaw and his own hand. Abdul-Jabbar missed months with a broken hand.

Unfortunately for Benson, he couldn’t parlay his success inside the state of Indiana into the pros. He averaged just 7.7 points per game as a rookie, and his high water mark was 15.7 points per game in 1980-81 with the Detroit Pistons. Benson was frequently traded, as his size and college stats likely gave him enough extra cache in trades to paper over his middling production. Benson was a decent rebounder and decent shot blocker, but he didn’t do much to help teams win.

Benson played 11 years in the league, only once leaving the Midwest (one season with the Utah Jazz). His 680 career games became just 33.6 win shares, and he had to watch both the Bucks and the Pistons make runs to the Conference Finals directly after trading him away.

Should have picked: Marques Johnson (3rd), Jack Sikma (8th), Bernard Kind (7th)