<P> As noted earlier, four international players had gone first overall before 2002, although all had played college basketball in the U.S., and one of them was in fact a U.S. citizen by birth . It was not until 2002 that an international player without college experience went first overall--Yao Ming . His selection was not only a watershed moment for the NBA, but it also had a large impact in Yao's homeland of China . Hannah Beech (2003) wrote "Yao has single - handedly transformed his countrymen from nameless, faceless millions into mighty men who can jam with the very best". Yao has helped the NBA grow into a worldwide product . Beech (2003) goes on to write "Ratings for NBA games broadcast on Chinese TV have never been higher than this year as the nation keeps track of its new favorite team, Yao's Houston Rockets". For his career Yao averaged a solid 19.0 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, 1.89 blocks per game, and shot 82.6 percent from the free throw line . It had later gotten to a point where the last four drafts from 2013--2016 all held international prospects as #1 selections in their respective drafts before ending the run in 2017 . </P> <P> The 2002, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018 NBA drafts saw international players picked first overall . In 2002, the Houston Rockets selected Yao Ming from China first in the draft . In 2005, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Andrew Bogut, from Australia by way of the University of Utah, #1 . The next year, the Toronto Raptors drafted Andrea Bargnani from Italy, making him the second foreign player without U.S. college experience and the first European to be selected number 1 overall . In 2011, Australian born Kyrie Irving was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers after having played one year at Duke . In 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Anthony Bennett, who played at UNLV, first overall and making Bennett the first Canadian to be drafted at #1 . In the 2014 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers, again picking #1, selected Canadian shooting guard / small forward Andrew Wiggins . During the 2015 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected American / Dominican Center Karl - Anthony Towns as the first player from the Dominican Republic to become the #1 selection, teaming up with Andrew Wiggins in the process . During the 2016 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Australian Forward Ben Simmons to be the #1 selection, the first time the franchise got one in 20 years since the 1996 NBA draft when they selected the first overall pick Allen Iverson, a sophomore from Georgetown . In the 2018 NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns selected Bahamian Center DeAndre Ayton as their first ever #1 selection, with Ayton being the second Bahamian taken at #1 behind Mychal Thompson . </P> <P> Some of the most noted NBA draft years are 1984, 1996, and 2003 . Each of those is often referred to as one of, if not the, best NBA draft ever . The 2003 NBA draft is now considered the best draft in the last 15 years, with superstars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh headlined . The 2000 NBA draft has been regarded as the worst in history, with Sports Illustrated calling its first round "a horrible group of players". The 1986 Draft was notable for the number of solid and even outstanding players selected in later rounds, partly because of drug problems that claimed the life of second overall pick Len Bias and affected the careers of several other first - round picks . </P> <P> The NBA draft has been televised since 1980, the same year the NFL and NHL televised (or publicized) theirs . USA Network broadcast the draft as part of its contract with the NBA until 1984; starting in 1985, TBS did so as part of its NBA on TBS package . From 1990 to 2002, TNT took over the draft as more NBA properties moved to the network (the NBA on TNT). When ESPN acquired the rights to the NBA from NBC in 2002, ESPN began broadcasting the draft (starting in 2003) with the NBA on ESPN, which it continues to do today . </P>

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