The 1974 NBA draft was the 28th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 28, 1974, before the 1974–75 season.[1] In this draft, 18 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip.[2] The Portland Trail Blazers won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Philadelphia 76ers were awarded the second pick. 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. Prior to the draft, the Capital Bullets were renamed the Washington Bullets.[3] An expansion franchise, the New Orleans Jazz, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the tenth pick in each round. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. Before the draft, 20 college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule.[4] These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier.[5] The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising the selection of 178 players.
| 1974 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date(s) | May 28, 1974 |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Overview | |
| 178 total selections in 10 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| First selection | Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers |
Draft selections and draftee career notes
edit
Bill Walton, from the University of California Los Angeles, was selected first overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.[6] Jamaal Wilkes, (then known as Keith Wilkes) from UCLA, was selected 11th by the Golden State Warriors[7] and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Walton, Wilkes, and 40th pick George Gervin have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.[8] Both Walton and Gervin were also named to the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[9] Walton won the NBA championship, along with the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, with the Blazers in 1977. Later in his career, he won another NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 1986. During that season, he also won the Sixth Man of the Year Award.[10] Walton's other achievements include one Most Valuable Player Award in 1978, two All-NBA Team selections and two All-Star Game selections.[11] Gervin had left college in 1972 to play professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Virginia Squires. He later joined the NBA in 1976 after both leagues merged. His achievements include two All-ABA Team selections, seven All-NBA Team selections, three ABA All-Star Game selections and nine NBA All-Star Game selections.[12][13]
Jamaal Wilkes won four NBA championships, one with the Golden State Warriors and three with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was selected to three All-Star Games.[14] Maurice Lucas, the 14th pick, was selected to one All-NBA Team and four All-Star Games. He also won the NBA championship in 1977 with the Trail Blazers.[15] Truck Robinson, the 22nd pick, and Phil Smith, the 29th pick, were selected to one All-NBA Team and two All-Star Games each.[16][17] Bobby Jones, the 5th pick, initially opted to play in the ABA. He played two seasons in the ABA before finally joined the NBA with the Denver Nuggets when both leagues merged. His achievements include an NBA championship with the 76ers in 1983, one All-ABA Team selection, one ABA All-Star Game selection, four NBA All-Star Game selections, nine NBA All-Defensive Team selections and one Sixth Man of The Year Award.[18] Five other players from this draft, 6th pick Scott Wedman, 8th pick Campy Russell, 12th pick Brian Winters, 21st pick Billy Knight and 25th pick John Drew, were also selected to at least one All-Star Game.[19][20][21][22][23] Two players drafted went on to have coaching careers in the NBA: Brian Winters and 45th pick Kim Hughes.[24][25]
Key
edit| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| * | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-NBA Team |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |
Draft
edit
Trades
edit- a 1 2 On the draft-day, the Seattle SuperSonics acquired a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Dick Snyder and a first-round pick.[28] The Sonics used the pick to draft Tommy Burleson. The Cavaliers used the pick to draft Campy Russell.
- b On May 20, 1974, the Atlanta Hawks acquired Bob Kauffman, Dean Meminger, the tenth pick, a 1975 first-round pick, 1975 and 1976 second-round picks, and a 1980 third-round pick from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for Pete Maravich.[29] The Hawks used the pick to draft Mike Sojourner.
- c On the draft-day, the Chicago Bulls acquired a first-round pick from the New York Knicks in exchange for Howard Porter and a 1975 second-round pick.[30] The Bulls used the pick to draft Maurice Lucas.
- d On August 31, 1972, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired a second-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Jim Cleamons.[31] The Lakers used the pick to draft Billy Knight.
- e On August 23, 1973, the Washington Bullets (as the Capital Bullets) acquired a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Stan Love.[32] Previously, the Lakers acquired the pick on September 19, 1972, from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Paul Stovall.[33] The Bullets used the pick to draft Truck Robinson.
- f On September 10, 1973, the Chicago Bulls acquired John Hummer and a second-round pick from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for Gar Heard, Kevin Kunnert and a 1975 second-round pick.[34] The Bulls used the pick to draft Leon Benbow.
- g On October 30, 1973, the Phoenix Suns acquired Keith Erickson and a second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Connie Hawkins.[35] The Suns used the pick to draft Fred Saunders.
- h On October 14, 1973, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Rick Adelman.[36] The Blazers used the pick to draft Phil Lumpkin.
- i On September 11, 1972, the Portland Trail Blazers acquired a second-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers as compensation for the signing of Gary Gregor as a free agent.[37] Previously, the 76ers acquired the pick and future consideration (the 76ers acquired John Block on July 28, 1972) on December 13, 1971, from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Wali Jones.[33] The Blazers used the pick to draft Rubin Collins.
- j On October 24, 1972, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired a third-round pick from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Charlie Davis.[38] The Cavaliers used the pick to draft Foots Walker.
- k On January 26, 1973, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Tom Van Arsdale and a third-round pick from the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in exchange for John Block.[39] The 76ers used the pick to draft Harvey Catchings.
- l On October 9, 1973, the Phoenix Suns acquired 1974 and 1975 third-round picks from the Washington Bullets (as the Capital Bullets) in exchange for Walt Wesley.[40] The Suns used the pick to draft Earl Williams.
Early entrants
editCollege underclassmen
editFor the fourth year in a row, the NBA would implement the hardship exception for college underclassmen to enter the NBA draft. This season had 20 different players initially declare their entry into this year's draft, but eight of these players in the University of Oklahoma's Alvan Adams, UNLV's Jimmie Baker, the University of Utah's Luther Burden, the University of West Florida's David Mitchell Jr., St. John's Mel Utley, Southeastern Community College's Michael Washington, Jacksonville University's Henry Williams, and Austin Peay State University's James Williams would all later skip out on official entry into this year's draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for an NBA hardship.[41]
Gary Brokaw – G, Notre Dame (junior)- Rubin Collins – G, Maryland Eastern Shore (junior)
- John Drew – F, Gardner–Webb (sophomore)
- Rudy Jackson – Hutchinson CC (sophomore)
- Maurice Lucas – F, Marquette (junior)
- Eric Money – G, Arizona (junior)
- Coniel Norman – G, Arizona (sophomore)
- Cliff Pondexter – F/C, Long Beach State (sophomore)
- Roscoe Pondexter – Long Beach State (junior)
- Campy Russell – Michigan (junior)
- Mike Sojourner – Utah (sophomore)
- Bobby Taylor – F, Cal State L.A. (freshman)
Notes
edit- ^ Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules.
- ^ Even though John Shumate was a senior, he had one extra year of college eligibility remaining after he missed his sophomore year due to an illness. However, he decided to pass up his final year to enter the draft.[26]
- ^ Keith Wilkes changed his name into Jamaal Abdul-Lateef prior to the start of the season. However, he retained his surname throughout his NBA career and is commonly known as Jamaal Wilkes.[14]
- ^ Sylvester became an Italian citizen in 1977 and played for the Italian national team.
- ^ Perry became an Israeli citizen in 1978.
See also
editReferences
edit- General
- "Complete First Round Results 1970–79". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- "1974 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- "1972–1976 NBA Drafts". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- Specific
- ^ "Philadelphia Chooses Barnes; Sonics Draft N.C.'s Burleson". The Harvard Crimson. The Harvard Crimson, Inc. May 29, 1974. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Evolution of the Draft and Lottery". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
- ^ Colston, Chris (November 25, 2009). "Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin dies at 85". USA Today. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Drew Among 20 Approved For Hardship Cases". The Spartanburg Herald. Spartanburg, South Carolina: Public Welfare Foundation. May 9, 1974. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
- ^ "Spencer Haywood Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ "1974 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ "Rookie of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ "The NBA's 50 Greatest Players". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ "Sixth Man Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on June 5, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Bill Walton Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "George Gervin Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ a b "George Gervin Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ a b "Jamaal Wilkes Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Maurice Lucas Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Truck Robinson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Phil Smith Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Bobby Jones Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Scott Wedman Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Campy Russell Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Brian Winters Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Billy Knight Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "John Drew Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Brian Winters Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Kim Hughes Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- ^ "Shumate decides to go pro". Anchorage Daily News. Anchorage, Alaska. March 29, 1974. Retrieved June 22, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d Gammons, Peter (May 29, 1974). "Second choice, top quality". The Boston Globe. p. 53. Retrieved December 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dick Snyder Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Pete Maravich Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Howard Porter Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Jim Cleamons Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Stan Love Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Paul Stovall Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "John Hummer Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Connie Hawkins Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Rick Adelman Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Gary Gregor Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
- ^ "Charlie Davis Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "John Block Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "Walt Wesley Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "1974 Underclassmen Hardship List". The Draft Review. August 4, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2022.