Who Went Number 1 in the 2021 NBA Draft?

The 2021 NBA Draft was held on July 29th, and it was a historic event. For the first time ever, the top three picks were all international players. Who went number one? Read on to find out!

Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards, who is from Atlanta, Georgia, went number one in the 2021 NBA draft. Edwards went to the University of Georgia where he played for the Bulldogs. In his one and only season with the Bulldogs, Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game.

High School

Anthony Edwards is an American basketball player. He played high school basketball for Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta, Georgia. He was named a McDonald’s All-American and was considered one of the top prospects in the class of 2020. Edwards was selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA draft.

College

Anthony Edwards played one season of college basketball for the University of Georgia before declaring for the 2021 NBA draft. He was widely considered to be one of the top prospects in the draft and was selected with the first overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Edwards averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game as a freshman at Georgia. He shot 40.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three-point range.

Professional

Anthony Edwards (born August 5, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Georgia. Edwards was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in his class. He was selected first overall by the Timberwolves in the 2020 NBA draft.

LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball is an American college basketball player for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League (NBL). He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He is the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and Los Angeles Lakers forward LiAngelo Ball.

High School

LaMelo Ball began his high school career at Chino Hills High School in Los Angeles County, where he played for his father, LaVar. As a freshman, he averaged 16 points per game, while leading the Huskies to a 30–3 record and a share of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIFSS) Championship. He was subsequently named a MaxPreps Freshman All-American.

As a sophomore, Ball averaged 24.9 points, 11.0 assists, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game en route to being named a consensus first-team All-American and CIFSS Co-Player of the Year (along with Lonzo Ball). The Huskies finished the season 33–1 overall and won another CIFSS title after going undefeated in league play (16–0).

Professional

LaMelo Ball was the number one pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo is the younger brother of Lonzo Ball, who was also drafted number one overall, in 2017. LaMelo is a point guard and he played professionally in Australia, before declaring for the NBA Draft.

James Wiseman

James Wiseman was the number one pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He is a 7-foot-1 center from Memphis, Tennessee. Wiseman is a highly rated prospect and is expected to be a star in the NBA.

High School

James Wiseman (born March 31, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played high school basketball for Memphis East High School. In his senior season, he was named Mr. Basketball USA. Wiseman was also a McDonald’s All-American and a consensus five-star recruit.

College

Wiseman played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers of the University of Memphis. In his freshman season, Wiseman was named the preseason American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year and was also named to the AAC All-Rookie Team. He averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, and was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year. Wiseman only played in three games before leaving Memphis due to eligibility concerns.

Professional

James Wiseman (born March 31, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers. Wiseman was considered one of the top prospects in the high school class of 2019. He played his freshman season of college basketball at Memphis before declaring for the 2020 NBA draft where he was projected to be a lottery pick. In November 2020, after playing three games for Memphis, Wiseman withdrew from school to prepare for the draft.