NBA draft facts for kids

The NBA draft is a big yearly event for the National Basketball Association (NBA). It started way back in 1947. During the draft, NBA teams get to pick new players to join their teams. These players must say they want to be in the draft and meet certain rules to be chosen.

There are 30 teams in the NBA, and each team usually gets to pick at least one player. Most players chosen in the draft used to come from college basketball teams. But now, players also come from international leagues, the G-League Ignite team, and other youth professional leagues.

The draft usually happens in late June, when the NBA season is over. Since 1989, the draft has had two rounds. This is shorter than drafts in other major sports. Sixty players are picked in total each year. A player cannot sign with an NBA team until they have been eligible for at least one draft.

Before 2006, high school players could enter the draft right after graduating. But now, they must be at least one year out of high school. They also need to be at least 19 years old by the end of the draft year. Some players choose to play professionally overseas for that year. For example, Brandon Jennings played in Italy, and Emmanuel Mudiay played in China.

How Players Are Picked

To be picked in the NBA draft, players must be at least 19 years old during the draft year. If a player finished high school basketball in the U.S., they must also be at least one year past their high school graduation. These rules help make sure players are ready for the NBA.

In the past, drafts were much longer. The 1960 and 1968 drafts had 21 rounds! By 1974, it was usually 10 rounds. But since 1989, the draft has been only two rounds. This gives players who aren't drafted a chance to try out for any team they want.

From 1956 to 1965, teams could use a "territorial pick." This meant they could give up their first-round pick to choose a player from their local area. This was thought to help get more fans interested. This rule ended in 1966. That year's draft is seen as the start of the modern NBA draft.

College players used to have a strict deadline to decide if they would stay in the draft or go back to college. But since 2016, players can enter the draft and even join the NBA draft combine. They can still go back to college if they withdraw from the draft soon after the combine.

The Draft Lottery Explained

The NBA draft lottery is a yearly event where teams that didn't make the playoffs get a chance to pick players earlier. It's like a lottery drawing to decide the order of the first few picks. Until 2018, the lottery decided the first three picks. Now, it decides the first four. The team with the worst record has the best chance to get the first pick.

The NBA started the lottery in 1985. Before that, the two worst teams would flip a coin for the first pick. Some people thought teams might try to lose games on purpose to get a better pick. The lottery was created to make things fairer.

In the lottery, the league uses a machine with 14 ping-pong balls, numbered 1 to 14. They assign 1,000 four-digit number combinations to the teams. The worst teams get more combinations, giving them a better chance to win. Since 2019, the three worst teams all have an equal chance of winning the top pick. After the first four picks are decided by the lottery, the rest of the teams pick in reverse order of how well they did last season.

The lottery usually happens in May. The NBA works hard to make sure the process is fair. The actual drawing happens in a private room just before it's shown on TV. Only a few media members, NBA officials, team representatives, and accountants are allowed to watch. They can't use their phones until the top pick is announced on TV.

NBA Draft Goes Global

For many years, most NBA draft picks were college players from the U.S. From 1995 to 2005, many talented high school players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were drafted. To change this, the NBA added an age rule in 2005. This meant high school seniors could no longer enter the draft right away.

Now, high school players must be at least one year out of high school and 19 years old to be eligible. This rule has opened the door for more international players. For example, Satnam Singh Bhamara from India was drafted in 2015. Thon Maker from South Sudan and Australia was drafted in 2016.

Picking Players from Other Countries

Players from other countries have really changed the NBA draft. At first, very few foreign players were drafted. The NBA was mostly popular in the U.S. The first player from another country to be picked first overall was Mychal Thompson from The Bahamas in 1978. But he had lived in Florida and played college basketball in the U.S.

One of the first foreign players to be drafted and play in the NBA was Manute Bol from Sudan in 1985. He was 7 feet 7 inches tall! After him, two more players born outside the U.S. were picked first overall: Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria in 1984 and Patrick Ewing from Jamaica in 1985.

By the late 1990s, many more foreign-born players were being drafted. In the 1997 NBA draft, 11 international players were picked. In 2002, Yao Ming from China became the first foreign player picked first overall who had not played college basketball in the U.S. This was a huge moment for the NBA and for China. Yao helped the NBA become popular all over the world.

Top International Picks

Before 2002, four international players were picked first overall, but they all played college basketball in the U.S. Yao Ming was the first without U.S. college experience to be picked first. His selection was very important for the NBA's growth. For example, NBA game ratings in China went way up because people wanted to watch Yao play for the Houston Rockets.

Many international players have been picked first overall since then.

• In 2005, Andrew Bogut from Australia was picked first.
• In 2006, Andrea Bargnani from Italy was the first European player without U.S. college experience to be picked first.
• In 2011, Kyrie Irving, born in Australia, was picked first.
• In 2013, Anthony Bennett became the first Canadian picked first overall.
• In 2014, another Canadian, Andrew Wiggins, was picked first.
• In 2015, Karl-Anthony Towns, who also has citizenship from the Dominican Republic, became the first Latin American picked first.
• In 2016, Ben Simmons from Australia was picked first.
• In 2018, Deandre Ayton from The Bahamas was picked first.
• In 2023, Victor Wembanyama from France was picked first. He was the first French player and the second European without U.S. college experience to be picked first.

Famous NBA Drafts

Some NBA draft years are very famous. The drafts of 1984, 1996, and 2003 are often called the best ever. The 2003 draft is seen as the best in the last 25 years. It included superstars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. The 1986 draft was also known for having many good players picked in later rounds.

On the other hand, the 2000 draft is often called the worst in NBA history. Sports Illustrated even called its first round "a horrible group of players." The 2013 draft was also thought to be not very good at first. But players like Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert, and Giannis Antetokounmpo later became All-Stars or even MVPs.

NBA Draft on TV

The NBA draft has been shown on television since 1980.

• From 1980 to 1984, USA Network broadcast the draft.
• From 1985, TBS showed it.
• From 1990 to 2002, TNT took over.
• Since 2003, ESPN has been broadcasting the draft.
• In 2021, it was shown on regular broadcast TV for the first time on ABC.
• NBA TV has also shown its own coverage since 2008.

See also

• List of first overall NBA draft picks
• Draft bust
• Expansion draft
• Mock draft
• NBA high school draftees
• WNBA draft