Is it rare for the three No. 1 picks to team up in the NBA? Theoretically speaking, it is still relatively rare. After all, a number one pick is born every year in the draft. In addition, some number one picks have become parallel imports and have left the NBA in just a few seasons. Therefore, it is not easy for a team to gather three No. 1 picks. Let alone three No. 1 picks, it is rare for two No. 1 picks to join forces. In the history of the NBA, the three No. 1 picks have joined forces 7 times in a row, and two of them were the fourth No. 1 picks. So what is the effect of these No. 1 picks joining forces?

James + Davis + Howard

This is the closest combination of the three No. 1 picks to us. The Lakers traded for Davis in the offseason last year, and before the start of the season, they After signing Howard and adding James to the team, the Lakers now have three top picks in 2003, 2004, and 2012. In the first season when the three teamed up, they led the Lakers to the first place in the Western Conference, making the Lakers a strong contender for the championship. Of course, this mainly relies on James and Davis. The current Warcraft still plays more of a blue-collar role. If all three are at their peak, it goes without saying that the Lakers' championship slogan can be chanted for at least three years.

Towns + Wiggins + Rose

Although the Timberwolves have a poor record in recent years, they have been very lucky. They won the No. 1 pick in 2014 and 2015. Two talented young people were drafted in Wiggins and Towns. In the 17-18 season, Rose was acquired in the trade, so the Timberwolves also assembled a combination of three No. 1 picks. But the effect is indeed very average. The three of them have worked together for a season and a half, and they have experienced a trip to the first round of the playoffs. However, the playoff spots this time will mainly depend on Butler's leadership to catch the last train of the playoffs.

Iverson + Robinson + Coleman

How many fans still remember? The Philadelphia 76ers also had a combination of three No. 1 picks, but the time was short and they only worked together for one season. In the 2003-04 season, the 76ers acquired the 1994 No. 1 pick Glenn Robinson through a trade. At this time, the team still had two No. 1 picks, Iverson and Coleman. So the three No. 1 picks in the 1990s reunited with the 76ers. The three No. 1 picks looked great together, but continuous injuries meant that the three only played more than 20 games together. The 76ers didn't even make the playoffs this season. After the season, Robinson once again became a bargaining chip in the trade. After an incomplete season, the top three picks announced their disbandment.

Olajuwon + Sampson + Lucas II

The Rockets’ three No. 1 pick combinations were chosen by themselves. Needless to say, Olajuwon, in 1984 The No. 1 pick of the Diamond Generation, and Sampson was the No. 1 pick the year before. Lucas II was the No. 1 pick in 1976. After spending the first two seasons of his career with the Rockets, he was traded out and bounced around many teams before returning to the Rockets in the 1984-85 season. The three No. 1 picks led the Rockets to win 48 games in their first season together, and entered the playoffs again after many years. In the second season, the cooperation between the three No. 1 picks became more and more tacit, not only achieving the second regular season record in the Western Conference, but also reaching the finals. But the opponent was the powerful Celtics, and the Rockets were eliminated in six games and went home.

Jabbar + Magic + Worthy + Michael Thompson

It is very rare for the three No. 1 picks to join forces. The combination of the fourth No. 1 picks is definitely a spectacle. The Lakers in the 1980s Appeared once. In 1975, the Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a trade, and in 1979 and 1982, the Lakers used their No. 1 picks to select Magic Johnson and James Worthy respectively. The three No. 1 picks teamed up to start the Lakers' performance era. In the 1986-87 season, the Lakers acquired the 1978 No. 1 pick Michael Thompson through a trade. The Lakers, with their four No. 1 picks, won the championship that season. They became even more unstoppable in the second season and successfully defended their title. The four No. 1 pick combination led by Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can be said to be the most successful No. 1 pick combination in the NBA.

Jabbar + Big O Robertson + Bob Boozer

The Bucks in the early 1970s also had three No. 1 picks. In the 1970-71 season, the Bucks obtained Big O Robertson and Boozer through trade and signing. The two were the No. 1 picks in 1960 and 1959. Together with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the team, the three No. 1 pick combination was officially established. In their first season, they led the Bucks to an outstanding record of 66 wins and 16 losses, and they advanced all the way to the finals, sweeping their opponents to win the championship. The Bucks' combination of three No. 1 picks was also relatively successful. The three of them successfully won the championship in just one season together. And for Robertson and Boozer, it is a very satisfying thing to win a championship at the end of their careers.

Baylor + Felix + Frank Selvey + Rod Hundley

In addition to having the four No. 1 picks in the 1980s, the Lakers also had the No. 1 picks in the 1960s. But compared to the glory of the 1980s, the four top picks in the 1960s were much more low-key. Among the four, only Baylor is a superstar player. Although the other three have the halo of being the top pick, they have not shown the strength that a top pick should have. The four No. 1 picks worked together for less than three seasons and had only one trip to the finals. In fact, the Lakers' No. 1 pick combination this time is just a gimmick for the No. 1 pick. The core of the team is actually Baylor and West.

Because the spread of information in that era was slow and the draft was not as complete as it is now, many top picks were not the most talented players. At that time, the draft was more about luck, and draft picks were not as important as they are now.