Basketball has changed. You can see it in the way the game is played—positionless, fast, and obsessed with the three-ball—but you can also see it in the history of the #1 overall pick. For decades, a specific question has floated around barbershops and Twitter threads: who was the last white guy to be drafted 1st NBA?
If you ask a casual fan, they might guess someone like Chet Holmgren (went #2) or maybe even Christian Laettner (went #3). They’d be wrong. Depending on how you define "white guy"—whether you mean a domestic American player or an international prospect—the answer changes. But if we’re looking at the most recent name to ever sit at the top of the draft board before the 2025 season changed everything, that name is Zaccharie Risacher.
Wait, did you think it was further back? Honestly, many people do. They think of the "dry spell" of white American stars and assume the #1 pick reflected that. But the NBA is a global game now.
The International Shift: Zaccharie Risacher and Victor Wembanyama
Before we get into the American drought, we have to look at what just happened in 2024. The Atlanta Hawks took Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward from France. He’s white. He’s also part of a massive trend where European talent is basically taking over the top of the lottery.
Just one year before him, in 2023, the San Antonio Spurs took Victor Wembanyama. Now, Wemby isn't who people are usually referring to when they search for this specific trivia, but he represents the same shift: the best talent isn't always coming from the American AAU circuit anymore.
Before Risacher, you have to go back to 2006 to find the next name. That was Andrea Bargnani. The Toronto Raptors took the Italian big man #1 overall, hoping he’d be the next Dirk Nowitzki. He wasn’t. Bargnani had a decent career, averaging about 14 points a game, but he never became the franchise-altering superstar people expect from a top pick.
And then there’s Andrew Bogut in 2005. The Australian center was a rock-solid piece for the Milwaukee Bucks and later a champion with the Golden State Warriors. Bogut was the first Australian to ever go #1.
- 2024: Zaccharie Risacher (France)
- 2006: Andrea Bargnani (Italy)
- 2005: Andrew Bogut (Australia)
But let's be real. When people search for the "last white guy," they are usually asking about the White American. That is a much, much longer story.
The 48-Year Wait: From Kent Benson to Cooper Flagg
If you want to talk about white American players, the history is wild. Between 1977 and 2025, not a single white American player was selected with the #1 overall pick in the NBA.
That is almost half a century.
The man who held that "last" title for nearly five decades was Kent Benson. In 1977, the Milwaukee Bucks took Benson out of Indiana University. He was a powerhouse in college, a Bob Knight disciple who helped lead the Hoosiers to an undefeated season in 1976. But his NBA career is mostly remembered for one thing: getting punched in the face by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar two minutes into his first game.
Kareem broke his hand. Benson got a broken nose. It was a metaphor for a career that never quite reached the heights of his college days.
Since Benson in '77, plenty of white American players came close.
- Chet Holmgren went #2 in 2022.
- Adam Morrison went #3 in 2006.
- Keith Van Horn went #2 in 1997.
- Shawn Bradley (who was born in Germany but played for BYU and is American) went #2 in 1993.
- Christian Laettner went #3 in 1992.
But nobody could crack the #1 spot. Until Cooper Flagg.
Why Cooper Flagg Changed the Conversation in 2025
The 2025 NBA Draft was a historic moment because of one kid from Maine. Cooper Flagg, the 6-foot-9 phenom from Duke, was the consensus #1 pick for years before he even stepped on a college court. When the Dallas Mavericks (who acquired the pick via a series of blockbuster moves) called his name, the 48-year drought finally ended.
Flagg isn't just "the next white guy." He’s a defensive monster with a 7-foot-plus wingspan and a mean streak that reminds scouts of Kevin Garnett. He broke the mold because he didn't fit the "shooter/role player" stereotype that had been attached to white American prospects for years.
Honestly, the "drought" was always a bit of a statistical anomaly mixed with a shift in how American kids are developed. For a long time, the best white athletes in the U.S. were often pushed toward baseball or became "specialists" in basketball. Flagg changed that by being the most versatile player on the floor, regardless of race or nationality.
The "Mago" and the Aussie: Bargnani and Bogut
It's worth looking closer at the two guys who held the mantle in the mid-2000s.
Andrea Bargnani was nicknamed "Il Mago" (The Magician). When the Raptors took him in 2006, the league was desperate to find the next European unicorn. He could shoot the lights out, but he struggled with rebounding and defense—the "soft" label plagued him his entire career. He’s often cited in "bust" conversations, which is a bit harsh, but when you go #1, the bar is in the stratosphere.
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Andrew Bogut, on the other hand, was the opposite. He was a bruiser. He was the last player from a U.S. college (Utah) who was a white #1 pick until Flagg. Bogut was an elite passer and a defensive anchor. If he hadn't suffered a horrific arm injury in 2010, his stats probably would have matched his impact. He remains one of the most respected big men of his era.
Why Does This Even Matter?
You might wonder why people even track this. Is it just about race? Sorta, but it’s more about the evolution of the game.
For a long time, the NBA was dominated by American stars. Then, the "Dream Team" in 1992 exploded the game's popularity globally. Suddenly, the "white guy" at the top of the draft wasn't a kid from Indiana or Kentucky; he was a kid from Rome, Melbourne, or Paris.
The fact that it took 48 years for another white American to go #1 says a lot about the incredible level of athleticism and talent in the African American community and the massive leap in international scouting. It’s not that white players stopped being good—look at Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic—it’s just that the #1 pick is reserved for the absolute "alpha" of a class. For a long time, that alpha was either a hyper-athletic American wing or a generational international big.
Quick Facts on #1 Overall Picks
- Last White Player (Overall): Zaccharie Risacher (2024)
- Last White American Player: Cooper Flagg (2025)
- The Longest Drought: 1977 to 2025 (White Americans)
- Most Famous White #1 Pick: Bill Walton (1974)
Walton is the gold standard. Before the injuries derailed him, he was arguably the best player on the planet. He led the Blazers to a title in '77 and won an MVP. Most fans who look for the last white guy to be drafted 1st NBA are looking for a Walton-type impact.
Moving Forward: The New Era of the NBA Draft
We are currently in a "Golden Age" of global basketball. The last few MVP awards have been swept by international players like Jokic, Embiid, and Giannis. The draft is reflecting that.
If you're following the draft now, don't look for "the next" version of anyone. The scouts aren't looking for race; they are looking for skill gravity. Can you handle the ball at 7 feet? Can you switch onto a guard? That’s what made Risacher the pick in '24 and Flagg the pick in '25.
What you should do next:
If you want to see how these players actually stack up, go watch the defensive highlights of Cooper Flagg from his freshman year at Duke. Compare that to the 2005 footage of Andrew Bogut at Utah. You’ll see exactly how the "big man" position has evolved from a back-to-the-basket bruiser to a full-court playmaker. Also, keep an eye on the 2027 prospects—the international pipeline is only getting stronger, and the next #1 pick is just as likely to come from Barcelona as it is from Brooklyn.