Top 5 NBA Draft Classes of All Time

In the world of hoops and basketball odds, it’s typically unusual to see a batch of new players make an immediate and long-lasting impact in the NBA.

That’s why the draft is so important to the league. Over the years, fans have watched hundreds of players from all over the spectrum. Some evolved into healthy careers; others eventually became some of the worst No.1 draft picks of all time.

Every once in a while, an exceptional wave of players all appear together in one burst. These five outstanding draft classes had it all: NBA champions, bona fide superstars, perennial All-Stars, and even players who are in the argument of being the greatest of all time.

1984 Class

Hakeem Olajuwon (first pick). Michael Jordan (third pick), Charles Barkley (fifth pick) and John Stockton (sixteenth pick) were all part of the 1984 draft class.

This is one of the best draft classes as Olajuwon became one of the best dominant big men in the game’s history and helped Houston win back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995. Jordan is considered one of the best players to have ever played basketball. His well-known list of accomplishments includes a pair of three-peats as NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

Even though Barkley and Stockton both lacked a championship ring on their resume, they are still considered icons of the game, with Barkley recognized as one of the best small forwards and Stockton still holding the record for the most assists in NBA history (with 15,806).

Safe to say that the 1984 NBA Draft class was one of the best of all time ⭐️

The ’84 Draft – 9pm ET on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/Oms8Oruihx

— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 23, 2020

1996 Class

Talent-wise, the 1996 NBA Draft class may have the deepest in history as names like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, Steve Nash and Marcus Camby make up the group of newcomers.

Bryant is the most successful in this batch after collecting five NBA titles, while Ray Allen accumulated two of his own. Their fellow draftees were not able to win a championship, but they significantly impacted basketball culture, especially Allen Iverson.

Other notable players included in this draft class were Antoine Walker, Erick Dampier, Peja Stojakovic, Jermaine O’Neal, Dontae’ Jones and Derek Fisher. They played significant roles in their respective teams throughout their basketball careers.

2003 Class

Another group with exceptional players is the 2003 draft class. It was spearheaded by LeBron James, who was selected at No. 1 overall. His close friends Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade were selected at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, while big man Chris Bosh went to the Raptors at No. 4.

2003 NBA Draft Class update

6-58: Retired
5. Wade: Retired
4. Bosh: Retired
3. Melo: 13.4 PPG last season
2. Darko: Retired
1. LeBron: 25.0 PPG 7.7 RPG 7.7 APG last season

🤯 pic.twitter.com/tboxyoMc6W

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 16, 2021

James, Wade, and Bosh can claim a combined nine NBA titles, with the possibility for more since James still plays for the Lakers.

Other recognizable players drafted this year were David West, Boris Diaw, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich and Mickael Pietrus.

1987 Class

David Robinson was was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft, which included other major names like Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, Horace Grant, Kevin Johnson and Mark Jackson.

Pippen was the most successful among them, having won six championships with Chicago. Grant won four of his own, including three with the Bulls.

As for Robinson, he captured two rings with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999 and 2003.

Meanwhile, Miller became one of the best 3-point shooters of all time by knocking down 2,560 of them. He retired with the most made 3-pointers in NBA history. (Ray Allen eventually surpassed this feat in 2011 and Stephen Curry in 2021.)

2009 Class

The 2009 NBA Draft class can possibly compete with the 1996 class in terms of depth because of the number of superstars it produced. These superstars include Stephen Curry, James Harden, Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday.

Curry has dominated the NBA odds market, winning championships in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. Jrue Holiday picked up a ring in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks and a second in 2024 with the Boston Celtics.

Harden, Griffin, and Derozan still haven’t collected championships yet but have combined for 22 NBA All-Star appearances. Harden and DeRozan remain two of the most prolific scorers in the game.

Other notable names included in this class are Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson and Darren Collison.