There are obvious ones, such as LeBron, Tim Duncan, Hakeem, and Shaq (although I’ve even heard some people claim that Shaq underachieved for a #1 pick).
But I’m curious exactly how many actually have lived up to their #1 pick status. There are some legends like Iverson and Kyrie that you could even question. Curious to hear people’s opinions on this, especially with Victor now in the league.
The average #1 pick of the past 45 years has averaged just under 80 career Win Shares. The #1 picks closest to this mark are James Worthy (81.2 WS), Blake Griffin (81.1 WS), and Kyrie Irving (80.7 WS). #1 picks above this average include Lebron (257 WS), Tim Duncan (206), Shaq (181), David Robinson (178), Hakeem (162), Magic (155), Dwight Howard (141), Patrick Ewing (126), Elton Brand (109), Anthony Davis (102), Iverson (99), Chris Webber (85).