Which team selected Anthony Davis with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft?

The New Orleans Hornets selected Anthony Davis with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

The draft took place on June 28, 2012, after New Orleans won the draft lottery. Davis had just completed his freshman season at the University of Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to the NCAA championship and won several major national player-of-the-year awards. His elite defense, rebounding, athleticism, and shot-blocking made him the clear consensus No. 1 selection.

A common source of confusion is the franchise’s name. The team was officially called the New Orleans Hornets when Davis was drafted. It later rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans before the 2013–14 season, so modern references may describe Davis as being drafted by the Pelicans. That is the same franchise, but “New Orleans Hornets” is the historically precise answer for the 2012 draft.

Davis was not New Orleans’ only first-round selection that night: the Hornets also chose Duke guard Austin Rivers with the 10th overall pick. Davis went on to become an eight-time NBA All-Star and helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship.