NBA Draft: 30 Worst No. 1 overall picks in league history (Updated 2023)
30 worst No. 1 overall picks in league history: 15. Hot Rod Hundley
Stats:
- 8.4 points
- 3.3 rebounds
- 3.4 assists
We have back-to-back picks from the 1950s on our list, which kicks off a trend: seven of the 15-worst No. 1 overall picks in league history were taken in the 1950s when teams’ scouting departments were much smaller and considerations like geographic location and skin color were influencing who teams drafted. In fact, nine of the decade’s ten No. 1 picks show up somewhere on this list of 30; only Elgin Baylor (1958) would prove to be a great use of the top slot.
Rodney Clark Hundley was not simply a basketball player but a showman. He earned the nickname “Hot Rod” for the ways he showed off to the crowd, with zany dribbling moves and wild shot motions. The West Virginia native stayed close to home, attending West Virginia University. In three seasons with the varsity team, he scored 2,180 points, twice making first team All-American.
Upon graduation, he was the first pick in the 1957 NBA Draft, taken by the nearby Cincinnati Royals — who immediately traded his rights to the Minneapolis Lakers. He played with the Lakers for all six years of his career, earning himself two “oh, you play for the Lakers” All-Star berths despite never averaging more than 12.8 points per game in a season.
In total Hundley played in 431 career games, three in Minneapolis and three in L.A. Knee injuries ended his career, but thankfully that early retirement just led to an early start on a long career in broadcasting.
Should have picked: Sam Jones (8th)