1.
1950 NBA draft
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The 1950 NBA draft was the fourth annual draft of the National Basketball Association. This is the first draft after the Basketball Association of America was renamed the NBA, the draft was held on April 25,1950, before the 1950–51 season. In this draft,12 remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players, in each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The Chicago Stags participated in the draft but folded prior to the start of the season, the draft consisted of 12 rounds comprising 121 players selected. Chuck Share from Bowling Green State University was selected first overall by the Boston Celtics, Paul Arizin from Villanova University was selected before the draft as Philadelphia Warriors territorial pick. The sixth pick, Irwin Dambrot, did not play in the NBA, four players from this draft, Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Yardley and Bill Sharman, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Chuck Cooper, the 12th pick, and Earl Lloyd, the 100th pick, Lloyd became the first African American to play in the NBA on October 31,1950, one day before Cooper made his debut. The following list includes draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game. General Specific NBA. com NBA. com, NBA Draft History
2.
1955 NBA draft
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The 1955 NBA draft was the ninth annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 13,1955, before the 1955–56 season, in this draft, eight remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The Milwaukee Hawks participated in the draft, but relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, the draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 96 players selected. Dick Ricketts from Duquesne University was selected first overall by the Milwaukee Hawks, second pick of the draft, Maurice Stokes from Saint Francis University won the Rookie of the Year Award. Dick Garmaker and Tom Gola were selected before the draft as Minneapolis Lakers, three players from this draft, Maurice Stokes, Tom Gola, and Jack Twyman, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Jones, who was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers in the rounds, has also been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. In the 1956 draft, he was selected in the round by the Boston Celtics. The following list includes draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game. General Specific NBA. com NBA. com, NBA Draft History
3.
1956 NBA draft
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The 1956 NBA draft was the tenth annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 30,1956, before the 1956–57 season, in this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season, except for the defending champion and runner-up. The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising 92 players selected, sihugo Green from Duquesne University was selected first overall by the Rochester Royals. Tom Heinsohn from the College of the Holy Cross was selected before the draft as Boston Celtics territorial pick, Heinsohn went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season. Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco was selected second overall by the St. Louis Hawks and immediately traded to the Boston Celtics for Ed Macauley, three players from this draft, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Russell, and K. C. Jones, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame, in the 1957 draft, Sam Jones was selected in the first round by the Boston Celtics, with whom he played for in his whole career. In the 1958 draft, Elgin Baylor was selected first overall by the Lakers, the following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game. A On draft-day, the Boston Celtics acquired the rights to second pick Bill Russell from the St. Louis Hawks in exchange for Ed Macauley. B On draft-day, the New York Knicks acquired the rights to sixth pick Ron Sobieszczyk from the Fort Wayne Pistons in exchange for Gene Shue. C Baylor would not play for the Minneapolis Lakers until he was drafted by them again 1st overall in the 1958 NBA draft, general Specific NBA. com NBA. com, NBA Draft History
4.
Sihugo Green
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Sihugo Si Green was an American professional basketball player who was born in New York City. A62 guard-forward from Duquesne University, Green was selected by the Rochester Royals with the first pick of the 1956 NBA draft and he played nine seasons in the league with four teams and scored 4,636 career points. Green died of cancer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,14 years after playing his last NBA game, Sihugo Green Info Page at NBA. com Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference. com Sihugo Green at the Internet Movie Database
5.
Hot Rod Hundley
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Rodney Clark Hot Rod Hundley was an American professional basketball player and television broadcaster. Hundleys life revolved around the game of basketball and his love and talent for the game led him to achieve honors in high school and most notably during his college years. At West Virginia University, Hundley played to packed crowds at the Old Field House and his dribbling antics and daredevil maneuvers on the floor led to his popular nickname, Hot Rod. He later became known as a broadcaster for the Utah Jazz, a native of Charleston, West Virginia, Hundley showed evident talent for the game during his youth. At Charleston High School in West Virginia he averaged 30 points per game and he was offered many scholarships to universities. Hundley played for WVU from 1954 to 1957, the Mountaineers made their first NCAA appearance and three total appearances between 1955 and 1957. During his junior year, Hundley averaged 26.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game and he scored more than 40 points in a game six times, which led to the Mountaineers scoring over 100 points in nine games. The Mountaineers were ranked No.20 in the nation in 1955, Hundley holds a varsity school record with 54 points in a single game against Furman and holds a freshmen team record of 62 points against Ohio University. As a sophomore in 1955, Hundley averaged 23.7 points per game and 8.1 rebounds in 30 games,27 of which he started, Hundley scored 24 points against Wake Forest, then followed up with 30 against Alabama. He then scored another 47 points against Wake Forest two games later and he then followed up with 24 points against Cornell then 38 points against NYU. Two games later, he scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Carnegie Tech and he then followed up three games later with 30 points against VMI. He then had 17 points against Virginia Tech and 25 points with 11 rebounds against Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl and he then had 35 points in a loss to Duke. He then had 21 against Penn State,28 against Washington & Lee,23 against William & Mary and he followed the five-game stretch with 39 points and 10 rebounds against George Washington, then 25 points and 7 rebounds against Rutgers. He then had 27 points and 9 rebounds against VMI,27 points and 12 rebounds against Washington & Lee, however, Hundley shot a hook shot and a behind-the-back shot that both resulted in air balls. As a junior in 1956, Hundley set a career-high with 26.6 points per game and 13.1 rebounds per game. Hundleys first six games of the season had scores of 34 points,20 points,27 points,40 points,20 points and he then had two games of 23 points and 29 points against Columbia and Washington & Lee, respectively. He followed up with 17 points ad 9 rebounds against Villanova,25 points and 10 rebounds against La Salle, then a career-game of 24 points,26 rebounds and he then had 28 points against Carnegie Tech and 29 points,5 rebounds and 4 assists against Penn State. He followed it up with 29 points against Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl,35 points and 6 rebounds against Furman,28 points against VMI and he followed up with 25 points against Penn State and 28 points,13 rebounds and 7 assists against Virginia Tech
6.
1958 NBA draft
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The 1958 NBA draft was the 12th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 22,1958, before the 1958–59 season, in this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The draft consisted of 17 rounds comprising 88 players selected, Elgin Baylor from Seattle University was selected first overall by the Minneapolis Lakers. Baylor went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, guy Rodgers from Temple University was selected before the draft as Philadelphia Warriors territorial pick. Two players from this draft, Elgin Baylor and Hal Greer, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame, the following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game. A Prior to the draft, the New York Knicks acquired the Detroit Pistons first-round pick, general Specific NBA. com NBA. com, NBA Draft History
7.
Elgin Baylor
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Elgin Gay Baylor is an American retired basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 13 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association for the Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers. Baylor was a shooter, strong rebounder, and an accomplished passer. Renowned for his acrobatic maneuvers on the court, Baylor regularly dazzled Lakers fans with his trademark hanging jump shots. The No.1 draft pick in 1958, NBA Rookie of the Year in 1959, in 1977, Baylor was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Baylor spent 22 years as manager of the Los Angeles Clippers. He won the NBA Executive of the Year Award in 2006 and he had a special appearance in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode Olympiad, as one of the athletes. Elgin Rabbit Baylor had two basketball-playing brothers, Sal and Kermit, after stints at Southwest Boys Club and Brown Jr. High, Baylor was a 3 time All City player in High School. Elgin played his first 2 years at Phelps Vocational High School in the 1951 and 1952 basketball seasons where he set his first area scoring record of 44 points vs Cardozo. During his 2 All City years at Phelps he averaged 18.5 and 27.6 points per season and he did not perform well academically and dropped out of school to work in a furniture store and to play basketball in the local recreational leagues. He finished with a 36.1 average for his 8 Interhigh Division II league games, on February 3,1954 in a game against his old Phelps team, he scored 31 in the first half. Playing with 4 fouls the second half, Baylor scored 32 more points to establish a new DC area record with 63 points. This broke the point record of 52 that Westerns Jim Wexler had set the year before when he broke Rabbits record of 44. An inadequate scholastic record kept him out of college until a friend arranged a scholarship at the College of Idaho, after one season, the school dismissed the head basketball coach and restricted the scholarships. A Seattle car dealer interested Baylor in Seattle University, and Baylor sat out a year to play for Westside Ford, Baylor led the Seattle University Chieftains to the NCAA championship game in 1958, falling to the Kentucky Wildcats, Seattles last trip to the Final Four. Following his junior season, Baylor joined the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958, in his three collegiate seasons, one at Idaho and two at Seattle, Baylor averaged 31.3 points per game. He led the NCAA in rebounds during the 1956–57 season, fifty-one years after Baylor left Seattle University, Seattle U named its basketball court in honor of him on November 19,2009. The Redhawks now play on the Elgin Baylor Court in Seattles KeyArena, the Minneapolis Lakers used the No.1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA draft to select Baylor, then convinced him to skip his senior year at SU and instead join the pro ranks
8.
1959 NBA draft
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The 1959 NBA draft was the 13th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on March 31,1959, before the 1959–60 season, in this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The draft consisted of 14 rounds comprising 85 players selected, Bob Boozer from Kansas State University was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Royals. Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Ferry were selected before the draft as Philadelphia Warriors, the NBA agreed with the argument, hence making him the first territorial pick based solely on his pre-college roots. Chamberlain went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award, two players from this draft, Wilt Chamberlain and Bailey Howell, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. B Prior to the draft, the St. Louis Hawks acquired the New York Knicks second-round pick, ^1, Wilt Chamberlain was playing for the University of Kansas until May 1958, when he decided to leave college early to play professional basketball. However, the NBA rules prevented college players from playing in the league until their class graduated and he spent the 1958–59 season playing for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to the 1959 draft. General Specific NBA. com NBA. com, NBA Draft History
9.
Bob Boozer
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Robert Louis Boozer was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He won a medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won an NBA Championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Boozer was born and raised in North Omaha, Nebraska, one of his teammates was future Baseball Hall-of-Famer Bob Gibson. He attended Kansas State University, where he helped lead the Wildcats to the 1958 Final Four, during that year he played with the Peoria Caterpillars, where he won the National AAU Tournament title and earned MVP honors for the tournament. He won a medal with the Olympic team after they won eight games by an average of 42.4 points. The team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, in the fall of 1960, Boozer joined the Royals with Olympic teammate Oscar Robertson. As a rookie, Boozer contributed 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in a reserve role, the following season, he earned a spot in the Royals’ starting lineup and averaged 13.7 points and 10.2 rebounds. Boozers contract was sold to the New York Knicks in the middle of the 1963–64 season, though Boozer was a productive player with the Knicks, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1965. After one season in Los Angeles, where he played a supporting role amid players like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, Boozer was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1966 NBA Expansion draft. Boozer flourished in his first year with Chicago, averaging 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, the following year, he averaged 21.5 points and 9.8 rebounds and became the third Bull to appear in the NBA All-Star Game. During the 1968–1969 season, Boozer averaged a career-high 21.7 points per game, but the Bulls failed to make the playoffs and he spent one productive season with the Sonics and then joined the Milwaukee Bucks and won an NBA championship with the team in 1971. He ended his career with 12,964 total points and 7,119 total rebounds, Boozer returned to Omaha after his career ended, and worked as an executive for the Bell Systems. He was later appointed to the Nebraska Parole Board and volunteered at Boys Town, Bob Boozer Drive is a street named in his honor in his native Omaha. Boozer died due to an aneurysm in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19,2012. Career statistics and player information from Basketball-Reference. com
10.
1960 NBA draft
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The 1960 NBA draft was the 14th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 11,1960, before the 1960–61 season, in this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, the Minneapolis Lakers participated in the draft, but relocated to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the start of the season. The draft consisted of 21 rounds comprising 100 players selected, oscar Robertson from the University of Cincinnati was selected before the draft as Cincinnati Royals territorial pick. However, he was recognized as the first pick in the first round of the draft as the Cincinnati Royals also held the first overall draft pick. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, jerry West from West Virginia University was selected second by the Minneapolis Lakers. Three players from this draft, Robertson, West and 6th pick Lenny Wilkens, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame and they were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Robertsons achievements include an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, West played 14 seasons with the Lakers, winning the NBA championship in 1972. He was also selected to 12 consecutive All-NBA Teams and 14 consecutive All-Star Games and he later coached the Lakers for three seasons. Wilkens achievements include 9 All-Star Game selections, after his playing career, he became a successful head coach. He won the NBA championship in 1979 with the Seattle SuperSonics and he held the record for most games as a head coach in the NBA, with 2,487 games coached. He was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 1998 and he became the third man to be inducted as a player and as a coach, after John Wooden and Bill Sharman. Two players from this draft, 3rd pick Darrall Imhoff and 5th pick Lee Shaffer, have also selected to an All-Star Game. Tom Sanders, the 8th pick, won 8 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1960s and he later briefly coached the Celtics in 1978. Al Attles, the 39th pick, also had a coaching career and he coached the San Francisco/Golden State Warriors for 14 seasons, winning the NBA championship in 1975
11.
Oscar Robertson
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Oscar Palmer Robertson, nicknamed The Big O, is an American former National Basketball Association player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. The 6 ft 5 in,205 lb Robertson played point guard and was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time member of the All-NBA Team and he is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. In the 1970–71 NBA season, he was a key player on the team brought the Bucks their only NBA title. His playing career, especially during school and college, was plagued by racism. He also was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and he was ranked as the 36th best American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN. Robertson was also a part of Robertson v. National Basketball Assn of 1970. Robertson was born in poverty in Charlotte, Tennessee, and grew up in a housing project in Indianapolis. In contrast to other boys who preferred to play baseball. Because his family could not afford to buy a basketball, he learned how to shoot by tossing tennis balls, Robertson attended Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black high school. At Crispus Attucks, Robertson was coached by Ray Crowe, whose emphasis on a sound game had a positive effect on Robertsons style of play. As a sophomore in 1954, he starred on an Attucks team that lost in the finals to eventual state champions Milan. When Robertson was a junior, Crispus Attucks dominated its opposition, going 31–1 and winning the 1955 state championship, the state championships were also the first ever by an Indianapolis team in the Hoosier tourney. After their championship wins, the team was paraded through town in a regular tradition. Robertson stated, thought the blacks were going to tear the town up, Robertson scored 24.0 points per game in his senior season and was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1956. After his graduation year, Robertson enrolled at the University of Cincinnati. Robertson continued to excel while at the University of Cincinnati, recording an incredible scoring average of 33.8 points per game, the third highest in college history. In each of his three years, he won the scoring title, was named an All-American, and was chosen College Player of the Year. Robertsons stellar play led the Bearcats to a 79–9 overall record during his three varsity seasons, including two Final Four appearances, however, a championship eluded Robertson, something that would become a repeated occurrence in his professional career
12.
Walt Bellamy
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Walter Jones Bellamy was an American professional basketball player. Bellamy chose to play basketball at Indiana University, in the summer after my junior year of high school I played with some guys from Indiana, he said. Indiana at the time was the closest school to the South that would accept African-Americans and it was an easy transition for me to make. Not that I was naive to what was going on in Bloomington in terms of the times, Bellamy graduated from Indiana University with the most school rebounds in a career with 1,087 in only 70 games. He also averaged 20.6 points per game and shot 51.7 percent from the floor for his college career, as a senior, Bellamy averaged 17.8 rebounds per game. He also holds the records for most rebounds in a season. In 2000 he was selected to Indiana Universitys All-Century Team, in his final college game, he set Indiana and Big Ten Conference records that still stand with 33 rebounds in an 82-67 win over Michigan. Bellamy was named an All-American in both his junior and senior year, Bellamy was the first Hoosier taken No.1 in the NBA draft and the first Hoosier named NBA Rookie of the Year. Bellamy was the center on the gold medal-winning American basketball team at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Bellamy had a stellar 14-year career in the NBA, and was the NBA first overall pick in 1961. Bellamy was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1962 after having one of the three greatest rookie seasons in NBA history. His 31.6 points per game average that season is second all-time for a rookie to Wilt Chamberlains 37.6, No NBA rookie has since surpassed Bellamys 973 field goals during the 1961-62 season. Bellamy also led the NBA in field goal percentage in his rookie season and he later played for several seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, and finished his career with the New Orleans Jazz. Despite being one of the top rebounders, Bellamy never made an All-NBA team. After his retirement from the NBA, Bellamy was active with the NAACP, the Urban League and he served as a Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Executive Committee of the NAACPs Georgia State Conference. Bellamy was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and his half-brother is professional boxer Ron Bellamy. Bellamy died on November 2,2013 at the age of 74 and he was survived by his wife of 53 years, Helen Hollie Ragland Bellamy, son, Derrin Bellamy and his wife, Sherrika, and two grandsons
13.
1962 NBA draft
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The 1962 NBA draft was the 16th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on March 26,1962, before the 1962–63 season, in this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. In each round, the teams selected in order of their won–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, the Chicago Packers, who finished last in the previous season, were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs. The Philadelphia Warriors relocated to San Francisco and became the San Francisco Warriors prior to the start of the season, the draft consisted of 16 rounds, comprising 102 players selected. Dave DeBusschere and Jerry Lucas were selected before the draft as the Detroit Pistons and Cincinnati Royals territorial picks, bill McGill from the University of Utah was selected first overall by the Chicago Zephyrs. Terry Dischinger from Purdue University, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected eight overall by the Chicago Zephyrs. Four players from this draft, DeBusschere, Lucas, seventh pick John Havlicek and they were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Lucas initially opted to sign for the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League, however, the Pipers folded before the start of the season and Lucas opted to sit out a year to complete his education. He eventually entered the NBA and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the 1963–64 season, Lucas achievements include an NBA championship with the New York Knicks in 1973,5 All-NBA Team selections and 7 All-Star Game selections. DeBusscheres achievements include 2 NBA championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973,1 All-NBA Team selection,8 All-Star Game selections and 6 All-Defensive Team selections. In the 1964–65 season, he was named as a player-coach for the Pistons and he coached the Pistons for almost three years before returning to a full-time player. He also had a professional baseball career with the Chicago White Sox. He played two seasons in the Major League Baseball in 1962 and 1963, and another season in the minor-league before he gave up his career to focus on basketball. He is one of only 12 athletes who have played in both NBA and MLB, Havlicek spent all of his 16-year playing career with the Boston Celtics. His achievements include 8 NBA championships with the Celtics,1 Finals MVP,11 All-NBA Team selection,13 All-Star Game selections and 8 All-Defensive Team selections
14.
Bill McGill
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Bill The Hill McGill was an American basketball player. McGill was honored in 2008 as a member of the University of Utah All-Century team, McGill was selected by the Chicago Zephyrs with the first pick of the 1962 NBA draft. He played three seasons in the NBA and 2 seasons in the ABA, in his ABA/NBA career, he scored a combined 3,094 points. His pro basketball career did not bring him wealth or security, by the early 1970s, he was in debt and living on the streets before sportswriter Brad Pye Jr. arranged for McGill to be employed by Hughes Aircraft, that job ended in 1995. He died on July 11,2014 from natural causes at the age of 74
15.
1963 NBA draft
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The 1963 NBA draft was the 17th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 30 and May 7,1963, in this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, the Chicago Zephyrs relocated to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Bullets prior to the draft. The Syracuse Nationals participated in the draft, but relocated to Philadelphia, the draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 84 players selected. This draft holds the record for the least number of non-territorial picks who later debuted in the NBA, Tom Thacker from the University of Cincinnati was selected before the draft as Cincinnati Royals territorial pick. Art Heyman from Duke University was selected first overall by the New York Knicks, two players from this draft, Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Thurmond was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996, thurmonds achievements include seven All-Star Game selections and five All-Defensive Team selections. Johnsons achievement include four All-NBA Team selections and five All-Star Game selections, two players from this draft, 4th pick Eddie Miles and 13th pick Jim King, have also been selected to an All-Star Game. Reggie Harding, who was the first player drafted out of school when he was drafted the previous year, was drafted again by the Detroit Pistons with the 48th pick. Larry Brown from the University of North Carolina was selected with the 55th pick, however, he never played in the NBA. He spent his career within the Amateur Athletic Union before joining the newly formed American Basketball Association in 1967. He played there for five seasons, earning one All-ABA Team selection, after his playing career, he became a head coach. He coached nine NBA teams, most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats and he won the NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and went to the NBA Finals two other times, with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and with the Pistons in 2005. In between his NBA coaching career, he coached the Kansas Jayhawks of the University of Kansas for five seasons. He is the coach to win both an NCAA title and an NBA championship
16.
Art Heyman
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Arthur Bruce Art Heyman was an American professional basketball player. Heyman, who was Jewish, was born in New York City, at the last moment, however, Heyman changed his mind and agreed to play for the Tar Heels greatest rivals, the Duke Blue Devils. During one of the Duke-North Carolina freshman games, North Carolina freshman Dieter Krause attacked Heyman, Heyman needed five stitches after the attack. During his sophomore season, Heyman starred for the varsity team, on February 4,1961, the Duke and North Carolina freshman teams had played the first game of the double header. There were multiple fights during the game, and North Carolina had finished the game only three players on the floor. Brown threw the ball and then a punch at Heyman, touching off a general melee, the melee lasted about ten minutes, and despite Heyman being ejected for fighting, his 36 points had given Duke the victory, 81–77. Brown, Walsh and Heyman were all suspended for the remainder of the ACC season, Heyman was allowed to play in non-conference games, and the ACC Tournament. At the time, only the champion was admitted to the NCAA Tournament. Heyman finished the season averaging 25 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game and he also won numerous national plaudits, being named to the UPI and AP Third-Team All American squad. Heyman was once again voted to the All-ACC Basketball first team, however, during Heymans 1963 senior year, Heyman unleashed his best season yet. Duke won the regular season title, but to make the NCAA tournament. Their first game was against 8th seed Virginia, a game in which the Blue Devils won handily, in the tournament semi finals, the Blue Devils defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 82–65. In the final, they had a chance to get revenge for the 1961 tournament final loss, Heyman and Duke avenged that 1961 loss, defeating the Demon Deacons 68–57, earning the Blue Devils the right to play in the 1963 NCAA Tournament. In the East Regional final, Heyman and the Blue Devils defeated Saint Josephs University, 73–59, despite Heymans 29 points and 12 rebounds in the semi-finals, the Blue Devils succumbed 94-75 to eventual national champion Loyola of Chicago. In the consolation game, Heyman completed his career when Duke defeated Oregon State 85-63. In this game, Heyman scored 22 points, and added seven rebounds, Art Heyman was also named MVP of the 1963 NCAA tournament, even though Duke finished third. Heyman again won the plaudits of the sportswriters, winning the AP National Player of the Year award, the ACC Player of the Year award, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Heyman averaged 25.1 points per game and scoring 1,984 points while at Duke University, Heyman is one of three athletes in ACC History to have been elected unanimously to the All-ACC Mens Basketball team three times, along with David Thompson and Tyler Hansbrough
17.
1964 NBA draft
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The 1964 NBA draft was the 18th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on May 4,1964, before the 1964–65 season, in this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. In each round, the teams select in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, the draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 101 players selected. Mahdi Abdul-Rahman and George Wilson were selected before the draft as Los Angeles Lakers, jim Barnes from Texas Western College was selected first overall by the New York Knicks. Willis Reed from Grambling College, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected eight overall by the New York Knicks. Reed has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and was named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Reed, who spent all of his 10-year playing career with the Knicks, in both NBA Finals, he was named as the Finals MVP. He also won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1970 and was selected to five All-NBA Teams and he became a head coach after ending his playing career. He coached the Knicks for two seasons and then the New Jersey Nets for two seasons, paul Silas, the 10th pick, won three NBA championships, two with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976 and one with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. He also had two All-Star Game selections, after his playing career, he coached three NBA teams, most recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jerry Sloan, the 19th pick, was selected to two All-Star Games in his career before becoming a head coach. He coached the Chicago Bulls for three seasons before being fired during the 1981–82 season and he then became the head coach of the Utah Jazz in 1988, the position he held until resigning in early 2011. He has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, Abdul-Rahman, 2nd pick Joe Caldwell, 4th pick Lucious Jackson and 5th pick Jeff Mullins are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an All-Star Game. John Thompson, the 25th pick, has also inducted to the Basketball Hall of Hame as a coach. After finishing his career, he became a successful college basketball head coach at Georgetown University
18.
1965 NBA draft
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The 1965 NBA draft was the 19th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on May 6,1965, before the 1965–66 season, in this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. Teams that finished last in division, the San Francisco Warriors. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, the draft consisted of 17 rounds comprising 112 players selected. This draft was the last in which the territorial pick rule remained in effect, Bill Bradley, Bill Buntin and Gail Goodrich were selected before the draft as New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers territorial picks respectively. Fred Hetzel from Davidson College was selected first overall by the San Francisco Warriors, rick Barry from the University of Miami, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was drafted second by the Warriors. Four players from this draft, Barry, Bradley, Goodrich, Barry and Cunningham were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Barrys achievements include one NBA championship with the Warriors in 1975, one Finals MVP, five All-NBA Team selections, cunninghams achievements include an NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, four All-NBA Team selections and four All-Star Game selections. He also played two seasons in the American Basketball Association with the Carolina Cougars, in his first season there, he won the ABA Most Valuable Player Award and was selected to the ABA All-Star Game and All-ABA Team. He later coached the 76ers for eight seasons and won the NBA championship in 1983, goodrichs achievements include an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972, one All-NBA Team selection and five All-Star Game selections. Bradley, who spent all of his 10-year playing career with the Knicks, Bradley became a successful politician after retiring from basketball. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate for 18 years and he was also a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2000, losing to incumbent Vice President Al Gore in the presidential primaries. Bob Love, the 33rd pick, was selected to two All-NBA Teams and three All-Star Games, jerry Sloan, the 4th pick, was selected to two All-Star Games during his playing career before becoming a head coach. He coached the Chicago Bulls for three seasons before being fired during the 1981–82 season and he then became the head coach of the Utah Jazz in 1988, the position he held until resigning in early 2011. He has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, twin brothers Dick and Tom Van Arsdale, who were drafted with the 10th and 11th picks, became the first set of twins to play in the NBA
19.
1966 NBA draft
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The 1966 NBA draft was the 20th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on May 11 and 12,1966 before the 1966–67 season, in this draft, ten NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The New York Knicks won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. This draft was the first to use the coin flip method, the remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. An expansion franchise, the Chicago Bulls, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the last pick of each round, the draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising 112 players selected. Cazzie Russell from the University of Michigan was selected first overall by the New York Knicks, dave Bing from Syracuse University, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was drafted second by the Detroit Pistons. He was named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996 and has also inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was selected to three All-NBA Teams and seven All-Star Games and he became a politician after ending his playing career and won the election to become the mayor of Detroit in 2009. Russell won the NBA championship with the New York Knicks 1970 and he later was named to the All-Star Game in 1972. Lou Hudson, the 4th pick, and Archie Clark, the 37th pick, have also selected to both All-NBA Team and All-Star Game. Hudson was selected to six All-Star Games and one All-NBA Team while Clark was selected to two All-Star Games and one All-NBA Team. Three other players from this draft, 3rd pick Clyde Lee, 5th pick Jack Marin, Matt Guokas, the 9th pick, won the NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in his rookie season. He and his father, Matt Guokas, Sr. became the first father, Matt Guokas, Sr. won the inaugural championship with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947. The younger Guokas became a coach after ending his playing career. He coached the 76ers for three seasons and the Orlando Magic for four seasons, John Wetzel, the 75th pick, also became a head coach, he coached the Phoenix Suns for one season
20.
Cazzie Russell
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Cazzie Lee Russell is an American former professional basketball player and coach. In 1962, while playing at Chicagos Carver High School, Russell was named the Chicago Sun-Times Boys Player of the Year, in 1966, Russell averaged 30.8 points per game and was named the College Basketball Player of the Year. Crisler Arena, which opened in 1967, has been dubbed The House that Cazzie Built, Russell spent twelve seasons in the NBA, and is best remembered for his five seasons with the New York Knicks. Russell was the NBAs first draft pick in 1966, and was named to the 1967 All-Rookie Team and he was later part of the famous 1970 Knicks team that won the NBA championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. After being traded for Jerry Lucas, Russell played in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game while with the Golden State Warriors, Cazzie became miffed at Golden States refusal to offer him a no-cut contract and combined with a foot injury, decided to try free agency. Picked up by the Lakers, he was the last player to wear the number 32 prior to Magic Johnson and 33 prior to Kareem Abdul Jabbar, in 1981, he returned to pro basketball as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association for the Lancaster Lightning. He guided his team to league championship that season. During the 1960s while with the Knicks, Russell was part of the New York Army National Guards Fighting 69th Regiment. Russell was the coach of the mens basketball team at the Savannah College of Art and Design for 13 seasons. He still remains at the college in an administrative capacity and he is currently an assistant coach at Armstrong State University, an NCAA D2 and member of the very competitive Peach Belt Conference. He spent several years as coach at Centennial High School in Columbus, Ohio. Russell received the Bobby Jones Award in 2015 at the Athletes in Action All Star Breakfast, in 2016 Russell was the recipient of the Coach Wooden Keys to Life Award at the Athletes in Action Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast, which is held each year at the Final Four. University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
21.
1967 NBA draft
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The 1967 NBA draft was the 21st annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on May 3 and 4,1967 before the 1967–68 season, in this draft,12 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Detroit Pistons won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Five teams that had the best records in season were not awarded second round draft picks. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising 162 players selected, Jimmy Walker from Providence College was selected first overall by the Detroit Pistons. Earl Monroe from Winston-Salem State University, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was drafted second by the Baltimore Bullets, Monroe, fifth pick Walt Frazier and ninth pick Mel Daniels have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. They were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996, Monroe and Frazier both won the NBA championship with the Knicks in 1973. Three seasons earlier in 1970, Frazier was also a member of the Knicks team that won the NBA championship for the first time. Frazier was selected to seven All-NBA Teams, six All-Star Games and seven All-Defensive Teams, while Monroe was selected to one All-NBA Team, Walker and 19th pick Bob Rule are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an All-Star Game. Daniels, the 9th pick, opted to play in the American Basketball Association with the Minnesota Muskies and he won the ABA Most Valuable Player Award twice and was selected to five All-ABA Teams and seven ABA All-Star Games. He later played one season in the NBA with the New York Nets after the ABA–NBA merger, after his playing career, he became a coach for the Indiana Pacers and served two games as their interim head coach in 1988. Pat Riley, the 7th pick, and Phil Jackson, the 17th pick, Riley won five NBA championships as head coach, four with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s and one with the Miami Heat in 2006. He also won the Coach of the Year Award for a three times, tied with Don Nelson. Jackson won eleven NBA championships, the most in NBA history and he led the Chicago Bulls to win three straight championships twice over separate three year periods, during 1991–1993 and 1996–1998
22.
1968 NBA draft
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The 1968 NBA draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 3,1968, and May 8 and 10,1968 before the 1968–69 season, in this draft,14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The San Diego Rockets won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. Six teams that had the best records in season were not awarded second round draft picks. The St. Louis Hawks relocated to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Hawks prior to the start of the season, the draft consisted of 21 rounds comprising 214 players selected. Elvin Hayes from the University of Houston was selected first overall by the San Diego Rockets, wes Unseld from the University of Louisville was selected second by the Baltimore Bullets. Hayes and Unseld have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame and they were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Hayes and Unseld both won the NBA championship with the Washington Bullets in 1978, in the Finals, Unseld was named as the Finals Most Valuable Player. Bob Kauffman, the pick, is the only other player from this draft who has been selected to an All-Star Game. Unseld became a coach after ending his playing career. He coached the Washington Bullets for seven seasons, three other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career, 12th pick Don Chaney and 79th pick Rick Adelman. Chaney coached four NBA teams and won the Coach of the Year Award in 1991 with the Houston Rockets, Adelman coached four NBA teams, most recently with the Houston Rockets. He lost the NBA Finals twice with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1990 and 1992, in the fourteenth round, the Seattle SuperSonics selected Mike Warren of UCLA. However, Warren never played basketball, he opted for an acting career in films
23.
Elvin Hayes
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Elvin Ernest Hayes is an American retired professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma-mater Houston Cougars. He is a member of the NBAs 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, a quiet, introverted youth, Hayes first picked up a basketball in eighth grade, by accident. He was wrongly blamed for playing a prank and was sent to the principals office. But another teacher, Reverend Calvin, saw Hayes and said he was welcome in his class, although the youngster showed no inclination for any sports, Calvin thought he would benefit by playing basketball and put him on the school team. Hayes was so clumsy, however, that he evoked laughter with his attempts at shooting and dribbling. But young Hayes was determined to improve, and during the summers he practiced long hours, as a 65 ninth grader he was a benchwarmer on the junior varsity squad at Britton High School when he became determined to crack the starting lineup. I was too weak to shoot the turnaround then, Hayes recalled, in Hayess senior year, 1963–64, he led Britton to the state championship, averaging 35 points during the regular season. In the championship game he picked up 45 points and 20 rebounds, Hayes and Don Chaney were the University of Houstons first Black American basketball players in 1966. In 1966, Hayes led the Cougars into the Western Regional semi-finals of the 1966 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament before losing to the Pac-8 champion Oregon State Beavers, in 1967, he led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament. He would attempt 31 field goals, and score 25 points and 24 rebounds in a loss to the eventual champion UCLA Bruins featuring Lew Alcindor. His rebounding total is second to Bill Russells Final Four record of 27, on January 20,1968, the Big E and the Houston Cougars faced Lew and the UCLA Bruins in the first-ever nationally televised regular season college basketball game. That game helped Hayes earn The Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year, one month later, he grabbed a career-high 37 rebounds in a game against Centenary on February 10. In the rematch to the Game of the Century, Hayes faced Alcindor and he was held to 10 points, losing to Alcindor and the Bruins 101-69 in the semi-final game. For his college career, Hayes averaged 31.0 points per game and 17.2 rebounds per game and he has the most rebounds in NCAA tournament history at 222. While a student at Houston, Hayes was initiated into the Alpha Nu Omega Chapter of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, with his departure from college Hayes was selected as the first overall selection in both the 1968 NBA draft and 19681968 ABA draft. He was taken by the San Diego Rockets and the Houston Mavericks, respectively. Hayes joined the NBA with the San Diego Rockets in 1968 and went on to lead the NBA in scoring with 28.4 points per game, averaged 17.1 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Hayes scoring average is the fifth best all-time for a rookie and he scored a career-high 54 points against the Detroit Pistons on November 11 of 1968
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1969 NBA draft
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The 1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 7,1969, and May 7,1969, in this draft,14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Milwaukee Bucks won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The Los Angeles Lakers were awarded an extra draft pick as settlement of the Rudy LaRusso trade to the San Francisco Warriors. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising the selection of 218 players, kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the University of California, Los Angeles was selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and was selected to both All-NBA Second Team and All-Star Game in his first season, the following season, the Bucks acquired former first overall pick Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals. They led the Bucks to a league-best 66 win in regular season, the Bucks then beat the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals to win their first NBA championship, in only their third season. In that season, Abdul-Jabbar also won the Most Valuable Player Award and he went on to win five more NBA championships in the 1980s with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he teamed up with Magic Johnson, the first pick in 1979. He also won another Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 1985 and he won a total of six Most Valuable Player Award, the most in the history of the NBA. He also held the record for the most All-Star Game selections with 19, furthermore, he was selected to eleven All-Defensive Teams, the second most selections. He retired as all–time league scoring leader with 38,387 points, for his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996, Jo Jo White, the ninth pick, won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976. He was named as the Finals Most Valuable Player in latter and he was selected to two All-NBA Teams and seven All-Star Games. 45th pick Bob Dandridge won two NBA championships with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 and with the Washington Bullets in the 1978 and he was selected to one All-NBA Team and four All-Star Games
25.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP, in 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving have called him the greatest basketball player of all time, drafted by the one-season-old Bucks franchise in the 1969 NBA draft with the first overall pick, Alcindor spent six seasons in Milwaukee. After winning his first NBA championship in 1971, he adopted the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at age 24, using his trademark skyhook shot, he established himself as one of the leagues top scorers. In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, with whom he played the last 14 seasons of his career, Abdul-Jabbars contributions were a key component in the Showtime era of Lakers basketball. Over his 20-year NBA career his team succeeded in making the playoffs 18 times and past the 1st round in 14 of them and he remains the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, and is ranked 3rd all-time in both rebounds and blocks. In 2007, ESPN voted him the greatest center of all time, in 2008, they named him the greatest player in basketball history. Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a coach. In 2012, he was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U. S. global cultural ambassador, in 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. was born in New York City, the child of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker. At birth, he weighed 12 pounds 11 ounces and was 22 1⁄2 inches long and he was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended Power Memorial Academy, a Catholic high school in Manhattan. From an early age, Lew Alcindor began his record-breaking basketball accomplishments and this earned him a nickname—The tower from Power. His 2,067 total points were a New York City high school record, the team won the national high school boys basketball championship when Alcindor was in 11th grade, and was runner-up his senior year. Alcindor played on the UCLA freshman team only because the rule was in effect. In his first college game, Lew set a UCLA single game record with 56 points, in 1967 and 1968, he also won USBWA College Player of the Year which later became the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Alcindor became the player to win the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award three times. The 1965–66 UCLA Bruin team was the preseason #1, but on November 27,1965, the freshman team led by Alcindor defeated the varsity team 75–60 in the first game in the new Pauley Pavilion
26.
1970 NBA draft
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The 1970 NBA draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on March 23,1970, before the 1970–71 season, in this draft,17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Detroit Pistons won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. In the first round, the Cavaliers had the pick, while the Blazers and the Braves had the eighth. In the subsequent rounds, the Cavaliers and the Braves exchanged their order of selection, the draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising the selection of 239 players, it holds the record for the most prospects selected in any NBA draft. Bob Lanier from St. Bonaventure University was selected first overall by the Detroit Pistons, rudy Tomjanovich from the University of Michigan and Pete Maravich from Louisiana State University were selected second and third respectively. Six players from this draft, Lanier, Maravich, Cowens, 18th pick Calvin Murphy, 19th pick Nate Archibald, Maravich, Cowens and Archibald were also named to the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History announced at the leagues 50th anniversary in 1996. Maravich had four All-NBA Team selections and five All-Star Game selections, Cowens won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976, one Most Valuable Player Award in 1973, and had three All-NBA Team selections and seven All-Star Game selections. Archibald won one NBA championship with the Celtics in 1981 and had five All-NBA Team selections, Lanier and Murphy were selected to eight and one All-Star Games respectively. Dan Issel initially opted to play in the American Basketball Association with the Kentucky Colonels and he played six seasons in the ABA before finally joining the NBA with the Denver Nuggets when both leagues merged. He was selected to five All-ABA Teams, six ABA All-Star Games and he was selected to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Star Game. Tomjanovich was selected to five All-Star Games during his career, charlie Scott, the 106th pick, initially opted to play in the ABA with the Virginia Squires before joining the NBA in 1972. He was selected to two All-ABA Teams, two ABA All-Star Games and three NBA All-Star Games, three other players from this draft, fifth pick Sam Lacey, seventh pick John Johnson and eighth pick Geoff Petrie, was also selected to at least one All-Star Game. The Rockets first and second picks, Tomjanovich and Murphy spent all of their playing career with the Rockets
27.
Bob Lanier (basketball)
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Robert Jerry Lanier, Jr. is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, Lanier was born in Buffalo, New York. Under coach Fred Szwejbka, he played at Buffalos Bennett High School and he then played collegiately at St. Bonaventure University, in Allegany, New York. Lanier was a three-time Converse All-America selection, and in 1970 and he was injured late in the regional championship game in a collision with Villanovas Chris Ford and did not participate in Bonas national semi-final loss to Artis Gilmore-led Jacksonville University. That year he was named Coach and Athlete Magazine player of the year, Laniers latter years in Detroit were marred by recurring injuries, as he never played more than 64 games in any of his last four seasons as a Piston. The Pistons traded Lanier to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1980, in his five seasons with the Bucks, they won the division championship each year. The same year he retired, in 1984, he was awarded the Oscar Robertson Leadership Award, in his 14 NBA seasons, Lanier averaged 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting a respectable 51.4 percent from the field. He played in eight NBA All-Star Games, and was named Most Valuable Player of the 1974 game, Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992 and had his #16 jersey retired by both the Pistons and the Bucks. In 1994–95, he became head coach of the Golden State Warriors for 37 games after Don Nelson stood down. According to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lanier would smoke cigarettes during halftime breaks, Abdul-Jabbar would try to take advantage of this by forcing Lanier to run more during the second half. At the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, the largest shoe ever created by shoe company Allen Edmonds was a size 22 for Lanier. The basketball court at Laniers alma mater, St. Bonaventure, is named after him
28.
1971 NBA draft
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The 1971 NBA draft was the 25th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on March 29 and 30,1971 before the 1971–72 season, in this draft,17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U. S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. A player who had finished his college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip. The Cleveland Cavaliers won the flip and were awarded the first overall pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising the selection of 237 players, the league also hosted a supplemental hardship draft on September 20,1971, for college underclassmen who wish to join the league. Austin Carr from the University of Notre Dame was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sidney Wicks from the University of California, Los Angeles, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected second by the Portland Trail Blazers. Spencer Haywood, the 30th pick, and Randy Smith, the 104th pick, were selected to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Star Game, Haywood was selected to four All-NBA Teams and five All-Star Games. He also won the NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980, during his first and only season in the American Basketball Association, he won the ABA Most Valuable Player Award, and was selected to the ABA All-Star Game and All-ABA Team. Smith was selected to one All-NBA Team and two All-Star Games, artis Gilmore, the 117th pick, initially opted to play in the ABA. He spent five seasons with the Kentucky Colonels before finally joined the NBA in 1976 after both leagues merged and his achievements include ABA Most Valuable Player Award in 1972, five All-ABA Team selections, five ABA All-Star Game selections and six NBA All-Star Game selections. For his achievements, he will be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, fred Brown, the 6th pick, spent all of his 13-year playing career with the Sonics and was selected to one All-Star Game. Carr, Wicks, and 11th pick Curtis Rowe are the other players from this draft who were selected to an All-Star Game. Phil Chenier, a college underclassman selected in the hardship draft, was also selected to both All-NBA Team and All-Star Game. Two players drafted went on to have coaching careers in the NBA, 13th pick Jim Cleamons, Spencer Haywood was selected in the second round by the Buffalo Braves although he already played in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics in the previous season
29.
Austin Carr
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Austin George Carr is an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Bullets of the National Basketball Association. He is known by Cleveland basketball fans as Mr. Cavalier and he was part of the Notre Dame team that ended the Bruins winning streak. Carr grew up in Washington, D. C. and attended Holy Redeemer School, at Mackin, Carr teamed with All-City guard Tom Little, who made some national All-American teams before starring at the University of Seattle. As a Junior All Met, Carr scored 475 points in 24 games, during Carrs All Met senior season, he scored 600 points and along with Sterling Savoy, led the Paul Furlong coached Trojans to the Catholic League title over DeMatha. Carr was named Parade All-American along with other 1967 seniors such as Artis Gilmore, Howard Porter, Jim McDaniels, and Curtis Rowe, all of whom became major college stars. Carr lived up to his lofty billing by ending his career at Notre Dame with 2,560 points. During his final two seasons, Carr became only the college player ever to tally more than 1,000 points in a season. Carr holds NCAA tournament records for most points in one game, most field goals in one game and his record scoring average of 50 points per game in seven NCAA playoff games may never be broken. Recently, ESPN named Carr the 22nd greatest college player of all time. Carr moved onto the professional ranks as the first overall selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1971 NBA draft, Carr was also selected in the 1971 ABA Draft by the Virginia Squires, but signed with the Cavaliers on April 5,1971. Carrs first season in the NBA was marred by a series of injuries limited his output. During the 1971 preseason, he broke his foot and missed the first month of the season, less than one month after returning to the court, he was sidelined again by another foot injury, missing another seven weeks. Upon his return, he began to display the skills which made him the top selection in the NBA draft and was named to the 1972 NBA All-Rookie Team, following the conclusion of his first season, Carr had surgery to clear up any lingering foot problems. The arrival of Lenny Wilkens prior to the start of the 1972–73 campaign gave Carr a solid partner in the backcourt, helping the Cavaliers improve by nine games in the win column. Carrs best season came the year, when he averaged a career-best 21.9 points,3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 85. 6% from the free-throw line. Two months into the 1974–75 season, he suffered an injury that put him out of the lineup indefinitely. His absence in the lineup likely prevented the Cavaliers from capturing their first-ever playoff berth, with the teams bid falling one game short, however, during the next three seasons, Carr played a role in three straight playoff appearances for the team. Cleveland met the Boston Celtics in the 1976 Eastern Conference finals and they were eliminated in the first round of the 1977 playoffs by the Washington Bullets in a close three-game series