1984 NBA draft
General information
SportBasketball
Date(s)June 19, 1984
LocationFelt Forum (New York City, New York)
Network(s)USA Network
Overview
228 total selections in 10 rounds
LeagueNBA
First selectionAkeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets)

The 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, on June 19, 1984, before the 1984–85 season.[1] The draft is generally considered to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, in NBA history,[2][3][4] with four Hall of Famers being drafted in the first sixteen picks and five overall. It included first pick Akeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network.[5]

In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The Houston Rockets won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Portland Trail Blazers, who obtained the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick in a trade, were awarded the second pick.[6] 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. The Cleveland Cavaliers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as compensation for the draft picks traded away by their previous owner, Ted Stepien.[7]

A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was automatically eligible for selection. Before the draft, five college underclassmen announced that they would leave college early and would be eligible for selection.[8] Prior to the draft, the San Diego Clippers relocated to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Clippers.[9] The draft consisted of 10 rounds comprising the selection of 228 players. This draft was the last to be held before the creation of the draft lottery in 1985.[10] It was the first NBA draft to be overseen by David Stern, who continued as the commissioner of the league for the following 30 years.

Draft selections

A man, wearing a checkered coat and a dark shirt, is signing an autograph.
Akeem Olajuwon was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets.
Michael Jordan was selected 3rd overall by the Chicago Bulls.
A basketball player, wearing a red jersey, is holding a basketball.
Charles Barkley was selected 5th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Alvin Robertson was selected 7th overall by the San Antonio Spurs.
Otis Thorpe was selected 9th overall by the Kansas City Kings.
Kevin Willis was selected 11th overall by the Atlanta Hawks.
John Stockton was selected 16th overall by the Utah Jazz.
Oscar Schmidt was selected 131st overall by the New Jersey Nets.
GGuard FForward CCenter
^ 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
Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality[n 1] Team School/club team
1 1 Akeem Olajuwon^
[1]
C  Nigeria[2] Houston Rockets Houston (Jr.)
1 2 Sam Bowie C  United States Portland Trail Blazers (from Indiana)[d] Kentucky (Sr.)
1 3 Michael Jordan^ G/F  United States Chicago Bulls North Carolina (Jr.)
1 4 Sam Perkins F/C  United States Dallas Mavericks (from Cleveland)[e] North Carolina (Sr.)
1 5 Charles Barkley^ F  United States Philadelphia 76ers (from L.A. Clippers)[f] Auburn (Jr.)
1 6 Melvin Turpin C  United States Washington Bullets (traded to Cleveland)[a] Kentucky (Sr.)
1 7 Alvin Robertson* G  United States San Antonio Spurs Arkansas (Sr.)
1 8 Lancaster Gordon G  United States Los Angeles Clippers (from Golden State)[g] Louisville (Sr.)
1 9 Otis Thorpe+ F/C  United States Kansas City Kings Providence (Sr.)
1 10 Leon Wood G  United States Philadelphia 76ers (from Denver)[h] Cal State Fullerton (Sr.)
1 11 Kevin Willis* F/C  United States Atlanta Hawks Michigan State (Sr.)
1 12 Tim McCormick C  United States Cleveland Cavaliers[3] (traded to Seattle)[a] Michigan (Sr.)[4]
1 13 Jay Humphries G  United States Phoenix Suns Colorado (Sr.)
1 14 Michael Cage F/C  United States Los Angeles Clippers (from Seattle)[i] San Diego State (Sr.)
1 15 Terence Stansbury G  United States Dallas Mavericks Temple (Sr.)
1 16 John Stockton^ G  United States Utah Jazz Gonzaga (Sr.)
1 17 Jeff Turner F/C  United States New Jersey Nets Vanderbilt (Sr.)
1 18 Vern Fleming G  United States Indiana Pacers (from New York)[j] Georgia (Sr.)
1 19 Bernard Thompson G/F  United States Portland Trail Blazers Fresno State (Sr.)
1 20 Tony Campbell G/F  United States Detroit Pistons Ohio State (Sr.)
1 21 Kenny Fields G/F  United States Milwaukee Bucks UCLA (Sr.)
1 22 Tom Sewell G  United States Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Washington)[b] Lamar (Sr.)
1 23 Earl Jones C  United States Los Angeles Lakers UDC (Sr.)
1 24 Michael Young G/F  United States Boston Celtics Houston (Sr.)
2 25 Devin Durrant F  United States Indiana Pacers Brigham Young (Sr.)
2 26 Victor Fleming# G  United States Portland Trail Blazers (from Chicago via Indiana)[k] Xavier (Sr.)
2 27 Ron Anderson G/F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Fresno State (Sr.)
2 28 Cory Blackwell F  United States Seattle SuperSonics (from Houston)[l] Wisconsin (Jr.)
2 29 Stuart Gray F/C  Panama[5] Indiana Pacers (from L.A. Clippers via Philadelphia)[m] UCLA (Jr.)
2 30 Steve Burtt G  United States Golden State Warriors (from Washington)[n] Iona (Sr.)
2 31 Jay Murphy F  United States Golden State Warriors (traded to L.A. Clippers)[c] Boston College (Sr.)
2 32 Eric Turner# G  United States Detroit Pistons (from San Antonio)[o] Michigan (Jr.)
2 33 Steve Colter G  United States Portland Trail Blazers (from Denver)[p] New Mexico State (Sr.)
2 34 Tony Costner# C  United States Washington Bullets (from Kansas City via Detroit and Atlanta)[q] Saint Joseph's (Sr.)
2 35 Othell Wilson G  United States Golden State Warriors (from Atlanta)[r] Virginia (Sr.)
2 36 Charles Jones F  United States Phoenix Suns Louisville (Sr.)
2 37 Ben Coleman F  United States Chicago Bulls (from Seattle via Atlanta and Kansas City)[s] Maryland (Sr.)
2 38 Charlie Sitton F  United States Dallas Mavericks Oregon State (Sr.)
2 39 Danny Young G  United States Seattle SuperSonics (from New Jersey)[t] Wake Forest (Sr.)
2 40 Anthony Teachey# F  United States Dallas Mavericks (from Utah)[u] Wake Forest (Sr.)
2 41 Tom Sluby G  United States Dallas Mavericks (from New York via New Jersey)[v] Notre Dame (Sr.)
2 42 Willie White G  United States Denver Nuggets (from Portland)[w] Chattanooga (Sr.)
2 43 Greg Wiltjer# C  Canada Chicago Bulls (from Detroit via Indiana and Kansas City)[x] Victoria (Canada) (Sr.)
2 44 Fred Reynolds# F  United States Washington Bullets (from Milwaukee)[y] UTEP (Sr.)
2 45 Gary Plummer F/C  United States Golden State Warriors (from Philadelphia 76ers)[z] Boston University (Sr.)
2 46 Jerome Kersey F  United States Portland Trail Blazers (from L.A. Lakers)[aa] Longwood (Sr.)
2 47 Ronnie Williams# F  United States Boston Celtics Florida (Sr.)
3 48 James Banks# F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Georgia (Sr.)
3 49 Tim Dillon# F  United States Chicago Bulls Northern Illinois (Sr.)
3 50 Ben McDonald F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers UC Irvine (Sr.)
3 51 Jim Petersen F/C  United States Houston Rockets Minnesota (Sr.)
3 52 Terry Williams# G  United States Seattle SuperSonics Alabama (Sr.)
3 53 Ricky Ross# F  United States Washington Bullets Tulsa (Sr.)
3 54 Roosevelt Chapman# G  United States Kansas City Kings Dayton (Sr.)
3 55 Lewis Jackson# G  United States Golden State Warriors Alabama State (Sr.)
3 56 Jeff Allen# F  United States Kansas City Kings St. John's (Sr.)
3 57 Joe Binion F  United States San Antonio Spurs (from Denver)[ab] North Carolina A&T (Sr.)
3 58 Bobby Parks# F  United States Atlanta Hawks Memphis (Sr.)
3 59 Murray Jarman# C  United States Phoenix Suns Clemson (Sr.)
3 60 Leonard Mitchell# F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers LSU (Sr.)
3 61 Jeff Cross F  United States Dallas Mavericks Maine (Sr.)
3 62 David Pope F  United States Utah Jazz Norfolk State (Sr.)
3 63 Yommy Sangodeyi# F  Nigeria New Jersey Nets Sam Houston (Jr.)
3 64 Curtis Green# G  United States New York Knicks Southern Miss (Sr.)
3 65 Tim Kearney# C  United States Portland Trail Blazers West Virginia (Sr.)
3 66 Kevin Springman# F  United States Detroit Pistons Saint Joseph's (Sr.)
3 67 Vernon Delancy# F  United States Milwaukee Bucks Florida (Sr.)
3 68 Butch Graves G  United States Philadelphia 76ers Yale (Sr.)
3 69 George Singleton# F  United States Los Angeles Lakers Furman (Sr.)
3 70 Rick Carlisle G  United States Boston Celtics Virginia (Sr.)
4 71 Ralph Jackson G  United States Indiana Pacers UCLA (Sr.)
4 72 Melvin Johnson# F  United States Chicago Bulls Charlotte (Sr.)
4 73 Art Aaron# F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Northwestern (Sr.)
4 74 Willie Jackson# F  United States Houston Rockets Centenary (Sr.)
4 75 Marc Glass# G  United States Los Angeles Clippers Montana (Sr.)
4 76 Jim Grandholm F  United States Washington Bullets South Florida (Sr.)
4 77 Mark Halsel# F  United States Chicago Bulls Northeastern (Sr.)
4 78 John Devereaux# C  United States San Antonio Spurs Ohio (Sr.)
4 79 Karl Tilleman# G  Canada Denver Nuggets Calgary (Sr.)
4 80 Carl Henry G  United States Kansas City Kings Kansas (Sr.)
4 81 Dicky Beal# G  United States Atlanta Hawks Kentucky (Sr.)
4 82 Jeff Collins# G  United States Phoenix Suns UNLV (Sr.)
4 83 Jeff Jenkins# F  United States Seattle SuperSonics Xavier (Sr.)
4 84 John Horrocks# C  United States Dallas Mavericks North Texas (Sr.)
4 85 Hank Cornley# F  United States New Jersey Nets Illinois State (Sr.)
4 86 Jim Rowinski F  United States Utah Jazz Purdue (Sr.)
4 87 Bob Thornton F/C  United States New York Knicks UC Irvine (Sr.)
4 88 Brett Applegate# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers BYU (Sr.)
4 89 Phillip Smith# G  United States Detroit Pistons New Mexico (Sr.)
4 90 Ozell Jones F/C  United States San Antonio Spurs (from Milwaukee)[ac] Cal State Fullerton (Sr.)
4 91 Earl Harrison# F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Morehead State (Sr.)
4 92 John Revelli# F  United States Los Angeles Lakers Stanford (Sr.)
4 93 Kevin Mullin# F  United States Boston Celtics Princeton (Sr.)
5 94 Gene Smith# G  United States Indiana Pacers Georgetown (Sr.)
5 95 Lamont Robinson# G  United States Chicago Bulls Lamar (Sr.)
5 96 Vince Hinchen# G  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Boise State (Sr.)
5 97 Al McClain# G  United States Houston Rockets New Hampshire (Sr.)
5 98 Alonza Allen# F  United States Los Angeles Clippers Southwestern Louisiana (Sr.)
5 99 Colin Irish# F  United Kingdom Washington Bullets Bowling Green (Sr.)
5 100 Eric Richardson# G  United States San Antonio Spurs Alabama (Sr.)
5 101 Steve Bartek# F  United States Golden State Warriors Doane (Sr.)
5 102 Jim Foster# F  United States Kansas City Kings South Carolina (Sr.)
5 103 Prince Bridges# G  United States Denver Nuggets Missouri (Sr.)
5 104 Terry Martin# F  United States Atlanta Hawks Louisiana–Monroe (Sr.)
5 105 Bill Flye# C  United States Phoenix Suns Richmond (Sr.)
5 106 Eli Pasquale# G  Canada Seattle SuperSonics Victoria (Sr.)
5 107 Dave Williams# C  United States Dallas Mavericks UIC (Sr.)
5 108 Marcus Gaither# G  United States
 France
Utah Jazz Fairleigh Dickinson (Sr.)
5 109 Michael Gerren# G  United States New Jersey Nets South Alabama (Sr.)
5 110 Scott McCollum# F  United States Golden State Warriors Pepperdine (Sr.)
5 111 Mike Whitmarsh# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers San Diego (Sr.)
5 112 Rick Doyle# F  United States Detroit Pistons UTSA (Sr.)
5 113 Ernie Floyd# C  United States Milwaukee Bucks Holy Cross (Sr.)
5 114 Dan Federman# C  United States Philadelphia 76ers Tennessee (Sr.)
5 115 Lance Berwald# C  United States Los Angeles Lakers North Dakota State (Sr.)
5 116 Todd Orlando# F  United States Boston Celtics Bentley (Sr.)
6 117 Clyde Vaughan# F  United States Indiana Pacers Pittsburgh (Sr.)
6 118 Jeff Tipton# C  United States Chicago Bulls Morehead State (Sr.)
6 119 Matt Doherty# F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers North Carolina (Sr.)
6 120 McKinley Singleton G  United States Milwaukee Bucks (from Houston)[ad] UAB (Sr.)
6 121 Phillip Haynes# F  United States Los Angeles Clippers Memphis (Sr.)
6 122 Blaise Bugajski# G  United States Washington Bullets Illinois Wesleyan (Sr.)
6 123 Tony Martin# G  United States Golden State Warriors Wyoming (Sr.)
6 124 Dion Brown# F  United States San Antonio Spurs Southwestern Louisiana (Sr.)
6 125 Willie Burton# F  United States Denver Nuggets Tennessee (Sr.)
6 126 Bruce Vanley# C  United States Kansas City Kings Tulsa (Sr.)
6 127 Jim Master# G  United States Atlanta Hawks Kentucky (Sr.)
6 128 Herman Veal# F  United States Phoenix Suns Maryland (Sr.)
6 129 Graylin Warner# F  United States Seattle SuperSonics Southwestern Louisiana (Sr.)
6 130 LaVerne Evans# G  United States Dallas Mavericks Marshall (Sr.)
6 131 Oscar Schmidt^# G/F  Brazil New Jersey Nets S.E. Palmeiras (Brazil)
6 132 Chris Harrison# F  United States Utah Jazz West Virginia Wesleyan (Sr.)
6 133 Eddie Lee Wilkins F/C  United States New York Knicks Gardner–Webb (Sr.)
6 134 Lance Ball# C  United States Portland Trail Blazers Western Oregon (Sr.)
6 135 Rennie Bailey# G  United States Detroit Pistons Louisiana Tech (Sr.)
6 136 Mike Reddick# F  United States Milwaukee Bucks Stetson (Sr.)
6 137 Gary Springer# F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Iona (Sr.)
6 138 Keith Jones# G  United States Los Angeles Lakers Stanford (Sr.)
6 139 Steve Carfino# G  United States Boston Celtics Iowa (Sr.)
7 140 Kenton Edelin F  United States Indiana Pacers Virginia (Sr.)
7 141 Butch Hays# G  United States Chicago Bulls California (Sr.)
7 142 Joe Jakubick# G  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Akron (Sr.)
7 143 Joedy Gardner# G  United States Houston Rockets Long Beach State (Sr.)
7 144 David Brantley# F  United States Los Angeles Clippers Oregon (Sr.)
7 145 Tim Garrett# F  United States Washington Bullets New Mexico (Sr.)
7 146 Michael Pitts# C  United States San Antonio Spurs California (Sr.)
7 147 Cliff Higgins# F  United States Golden State Warriors Cal State Northridge (Sr.)
7 148 Chipper Harris# G  United States Kansas City Kings Robert Morris (Sr.)
7 149 Mark Simpson# F  United States Denver Nuggets Catawba (Sr.)
7 150 Vince Martello# F  United States Atlanta Hawks Florida State (Sr.)
7 151 Raymond Crenshaw# F  United States Phoenix Suns Oklahoma State (Sr.)
7 152 Gary Gatewood# G  United States Seattle SuperSonics Oregon (Sr.)
7 153 George Turner# G  United States Dallas Mavericks UC Irvine (Sr.)
7 154 Bob Evans# C  United States Utah Jazz Southern Utah (Sr.)
7 155 Sean Kerins# F  United States New Jersey Nets Syracuse (Sr.)
7 156 Ken Bannister F/C  United States New York Knicks St. Augustine's (Sr.)
7 157 Victor Anger# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers Pepperdine (Sr.)
7 158 Barry Francisco# G  United States Detroit Pistons Bloomsburg (Sr.)
7 159 Tony William# G  United States Milwaukee Bucks Florida State (Sr.)
7 160 Richard Congo# F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Drexel (Sr.)
7 161 Richard Haenisch# F  United States Los Angeles Lakers Chaminade (Sr.)
7 162 Mark Van Valkenburg# F  United States Boston Celtics Framingham State (Sr.)
8 163 Tom Heitz# F  United States Indiana Pacers Kentucky (Sr.)
8 164 Brett Crawford# F  United States Chicago Bulls US International (Sr.)
8 165 Elliot Beard# G  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Oberlin (Sr.)
8 166 Greg Wolff# F  United States Houston Rockets Angelo State (Sr.)
8 167 Jim McLoughlin# G  United States Los Angeles Clippers Temple (Sr.)
8 168 Darryl Odom# G  United States Washington Bullets West Virginia Wesleyan (Sr.)
8 169 Paul Brozovich# C  United States Golden State Warriors UNLV (Sr.)
8 170 Dan Tarkanian# G  United States San Antonio Spurs UNLV (Sr.)
8 171 Bill Wendlandt# F  United States Denver Nuggets Texas (Sr.)
8 172 Nate Rollins# F  United States Kansas City Kings Fort Hays State (Sr.)
8 173 Robert Brown# G  United States Atlanta Hawks LIU Brooklyn (Sr.)
8 174 Mark Fothergill# F  United States Phoenix Suns Maryland (Sr.)
8 175 Jerry McMillan# G  United States Seattle SuperSonics DePaul (Sr.)
8 176 Leroy Sutton# F  United States Dallas Mavericks Arkansas (Sr.)
8 177 Chris Winans# C  United States New Jersey Nets Utah (Sr.)
8 178 Eric Booker# G  United States Utah Jazz UNLV (Sr.)
8 179 Ricky Tunstall# C  United States New York Knicks Youngstown State (Sr.)
8 180 Steve Flint# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers UC San Diego (Sr.)
8 181 Dale Roberts# C  United States Detroit Pistons Appalachian State (Sr.)
8 182 Brad Jergenson# F  United States Milwaukee Bucks South Carolina (Sr.)
8 183 Frank Dobbs# G  United States Philadelphia 76ers Villanova (Sr.)
8 184 Champ Godbolt# G  United States Boston Celtics Holy Cross (Sr.)
9 185 Brian Martin F  United States Indiana Pacers Kansas (Sr.)
9 186 Calvin Pierce# F  United States Chicago Bulls Oklahoma (Sr.)
9 187 John Shimko# G  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Xavier (Sr.)
9 188 Bill Coon# F  United States Houston Rockets Presbyterian (Sr.)
9 189 Dave Schultz# G  United States Los Angeles Clippers Westmont (Sr.)
9 190 Mike Emanuel# G  United States Washington Bullets UNC Pembroke (Sr.)
9 191 Melvin Roseboro# G  United States San Antonio Spurs Saint Mary's (Sr.)
9 192 Mitch Arnold# G  United States Golden State Warriors Fresno State (Sr.)
9 193 Greg Turner# F  United States Kansas City Kings Auburn (Sr.)
9 194 Cecil Exum# F  United States
 Australia
Denver Nuggets North Carolina (Sr.)
9 195 Fred Brown# G  United States Atlanta Hawks Georgetown (Sr.)
9 196 Buddy Cox# F  United States Phoenix Suns Bellarmine (Sr.)
9 197 Mike Williams# C  United States Seattle SuperSonics Idaho State (Sr.)
9 198 John Tudor# G  United States Dallas Mavericks LSU (Sr.)
9 199 Kelly Knight# F  United States Utah Jazz Kansas (Sr.)
9 200 Bill Ryan# G  United States New Jersey Nets Princeton (Sr.)
9 201 Marc Marotta# F  United States New York Knicks Marquette (Sr.)
9 202 Dennis Black# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers Portland (Sr.)
9 203 Ben Tower# F  United States Detroit Pistons Michigan State (Sr.)
9 204 Edwin Green# C  United States Milwaukee Bucks UMass (Sr.)
9 205 Michael Mitchell# C  United States Philadelphia 76ers Drexel (Sr.)
9 206 Joe Dickson# F  United States Boston Celtics Merrimack (Sr.)
10 207 Gary Carver# F  United States Indiana Pacers Western Kentucky (Sr.)
10 208 Carl Lewis#  United States Chicago Bulls Houston (Sr.)
10 209 Darrell Space# F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Northeastern Illinois (Sr.)
10 210 Robert Turner# G  United States Houston Rockets Canisius (Sr.)
10 211 Dick Mumma# C  United States Los Angeles Clippers Penn State (Sr.)
10 212 Glynn Myrick# G  United States Washington Bullets Stetson (Sr.)
10 213 Tim Bell# F  United States Golden State Warriors UC Riverside (Sr.)
10 214 Frank Rodriguez# F  United States San Antonio Spurs New Mexico State (Sr.)
10 215 Dexter Bailey# F  United States Denver Nuggets Xavier (Sr.)
10 216 Victor Coleman# G  United States Kansas City Kings Northwest Missouri State (Sr.)
10 217 Doug Mills# G  United States Atlanta Hawks Hofstra (Sr.)
10 218 Ezra Hill# G  United States Phoenix Suns Liberty (Sr.)
10 219 Greg Brandon# F  United States Seattle SuperSonics Creighton (Sr.)
10 220 Napoleon Johnson# F  United States Dallas Mavericks Grambling State (Sr.)
10 221 Phil Jamison# G  United States New Jersey Nets Saint Peter's (Sr.)
10 222 Mike Curran# G  United States Utah Jazz Niagara (Sr.)
10 223 Mike Henderson# F  Jamaica New York Knicks LIU Post (Sr.)
10 224 Randy Dunn# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers George Fox (Sr.)
10 225 Dan Pelekoudas# G  United States Detroit Pistons Michigan (Sr.)
10 226 Mike Toomer# C  United States Milwaukee Bucks Florida A&M (Sr.)
10 227 Martin Clark# F  United Kingdom Philadelphia 76ers Boston College (Sr.)
10 228 Dan Trant# G  United States Boston Celtics Clark (Sr.)
  1. 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.

Trades involving draft picks

Draft-day trades

The following trades involving drafted players were made on the day of the draft.[1]

Pre-draft trades

Prior to the day of the draft, the following trades were made and resulted in exchanges of picks between the teams.

  • d On June 5, 1981, Portland acquired a first-round pick from Indiana in exchange for Tom Owens.[11] Portland used the pick to draft Sam Bowie.
  • e On September 16, 1980, Dallas acquired a first-round pick from Cleveland in exchange for Mike Bratz.[12] Dallas used the pick to draft Sam Perkins.
  • f On October 12, 1978, Philadelphia acquired a first-round pick from the L.A. Clippers (as San Diego) in exchange for World B. Free.[13][14] Philadelphia used the pick to draft Charles Barkley.
  • g On August 28, 1980, the L.A. Clippers (as San Diego) acquired Phil Smith and a first-round pick from Golden State in exchange for World B. Free.[13][14] The L.A. Clippers used the pick to draft Lancaster Gordon.
  • h On August 16, 1978, Philadelphia acquired Bobby Jones, Ralph Simpson and a first-round pick from Denver in exchange for George McGinnis and a 1978 first-round pick.[15] Philadelphia used the pick to draft Leon Wood.
  • i On August 18, 1983, the L.A. Clippers (as San Diego) acquired James Donaldson, Greg Kelser, Mark Radford, a first-round pick and a 1985 second-round pick from Seattle in exchange for Tom Chambers, Al Wood, a third-round pick and a 1987 second-round pick.[13][16] The L.A. Clippers used the pick to draft Michael Cage.
  • j On September 17, 1983, Indiana acquired Vince Taylor and a first-round pick from New York in a three-team trade with New York and Kansas City.[17] Indiana used the pick to draft Vern Fleming.
  • k On August 18, 1983, Portland acquired a second-round pick from Indiana in exchange for Granville Waiters.[18] Previously, Indiana acquired the draft rights to Sidney Lowe and the pick on June 28, 1983 from Chicago in exchange for the draft rights to Mitchell Wiggins.[19] Portland used the pick to draft Victor Fleming.
  • l On October 5, 1982, Seattle acquired a second-round pick from Houston in exchange for Wally Walker.[20] Seattle used the pick to draft Cory Blackwell.
  • m On February 15, 1983, Indiana acquired Russ Schoene a second-round pick and a 1983 first-round pick from Philadelphia in exchange for Clemon Johnson and a third-round pick.[21] Previously, Philadelphia acquired the pick and a 1983 fourth-round pick on October 27, 1982, from the L.A. Clippers (as San Diego) in exchange for Lionel Hollins.[13][22] Indiana used the pick to draft Stuart Gray.
  • n On October 19, 1981, Golden State acquired 1982 and 1984 second-round picks from Washington in exchange for John Lucas.[23] Golden State used the pick to draft Steve Burtt.
  • o On February 10, 1983, Detroit a second-round pick and a 1985 third-round pick from San Antonio in exchange for Edgar Jones.[24][25] Detroit used the pick to draft Eric Turner.
  • p On August 15, 1980, Portland acquired a second-round pick and a 1983 first-round pick from Denver in exchange for T. R. Dunn and a 1983 first-round pick.[26] Portland used the pick to draft Steve Colter.
  • q On July 5, 1983, Washington acquired Tom McMillen and a second-round pick from Atlanta in exchange for Randy Wittman.[27] Previously, Atlanta acquired the pick and a 1985 second-round pick on February 13, 1983, from Detroit in a three-team trade with Detroit and Seattle.[24][28] Previously, Detroit acquired the pick and a 1982 second-round pick on August 26, 1981, from Kansas City in exchange for Larry Drew.[24][29] Washington used the pick to draft Tony Costner.
  • r On February 15, 1983, Golden State acquired a second-round pick from Atlanta in exchange for Rickey Brown.[30] Golden State used the pick to draft Othell Wilson.
  • s On June 28, 1983, Chicago acquired the draft rights to Ennis Whatley, the draft rights to Chris McNealy and a second-round pick from Kansas City in exchange for Mark Olberding and the draft rights to Larry Micheaux.[31] Previously, Kansas City acquired the pick on June 30, 1982, from Atlanta in exchange for the draft rights to Jim Johnstone.[32] Previously, Atlanta acquired the pick and a 1983 second-round pick on December 2, 1980, from Seattle in exchange for Armond Hill.[33] Chicago used the pick to draft Ben Coleman.
  • t On November 25, 1981, Seattle acquired Ray Tolbert and a second-round pick from New Jersey in exchange for James Bailey.[34] Seattle used the pick to draft Danny Young.
  • u On September 11, 1980, Dallas acquired a second-round pick and a 1983 second-round pick from Utah in exchange for Billy McKinney.[35] Dallas used the pick to draft Anthony Teachey.
  • v On August 12, 1983, Dallas acquired Foots Walker, a second-round pick and a 1985 first-round pick from New Jersey in exchange for Kelvin Ransey.[36] Previously, New Jersey acquired the second-round pick on June 22, 1983 from New York in exchange for Len Elmore.[37] Dallas used the pick to draft Tom Sluby.
  • w On June 7, 1984, Denver acquired Wayne Cooper, Lafayette Lever, Calvin Natt, a second-round pick and a 1985 first-round pick from Portland in exchange for Kiki Vandeweghe.[38] Denver used the pick to draft Willie White.
  • x On February 15, 1984, Chicago acquired Steve Johnson, a second-round pick and two 1985 second-round picks from Kansas City in exchange for Reggie Theus.[39] Previously, Kansas City acquired Billy Knight and the pick on September 17, 1983 from Indiana in a three-team trade with Indiana and New York.[40][41] Previously, Indiana acquired the pick on September 22, 1982 from Detroit in exchange for Tom Owens.[11] Chicago used the pick to draft Greg Wiltjer.
  • y On September 30, 1983, Washington acquired a second-round pick from Milwaukee in exchange for Kevin Grevey.[42] Washington used the pick to draft Fred Reynolds.
  • z On November 12, 1983, Golden State acquired a second-round pick from Philadelphia in exchange for Sam Williams.[43] Golden State used the pick to draft Gary Plummer.
  • aa On October 8, 1980, Portland acquired a second-round pick from the L.A. Lakers in exchange for Jim Brewer.[44] Portland used the pick to draft Jerome Kersey.
  • ab On January 21, 1984, San Antonio acquired a third-round pick from Denver in exchange for Keith Edmonson.[45] San Antonio used the pick to draft Joe Binion.
  • ac On March 8, 1984, San Antonio acquired a fourth-round pick from Milwaukee as compensation for the signing of Mike Dunleavy as a free agent.[46] San Antonio used the pick to draft Ozell Jones.
  • ad On October 5, 1983, Milwaukee acquired a sixth-round pick from Houston as compensation for the signing of Phil Ford as a free agent.[47] Milwaukee used the pick to draft McKinley Singleton.

Legacy

The Houston Rockets used their first pick to draft Akeem Olajuwon,[48] a junior center from the University of Houston. The Nigerian-born Olajuwon became the second foreign-born player to be drafted first overall, after Mychal Thompson from the Bahamas in 1978.[49] The Portland Trail Blazers used the second overall pick to draft Sam Bowie from the University of Kentucky. The Chicago Bulls used the third pick to draft Naismith and Wooden College Player of the Year Michael Jordan from the University of North Carolina.[1][50] Jordan went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and was also selected to the All-NBA Second Team in his rookie season.[51] Jordan's teammate at North Carolina, Sam Perkins, was drafted fourth by the Dallas Mavericks. Charles Barkley, a junior forward from Auburn University, was drafted fifth by the Philadelphia 76ers. Olajuwon, Jordan and Barkley, along with the 16th pick John Stockton and the 131st pick Oscar Schmidt, have been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[52] The first four mentioned players were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[53]

Olajuwon's achievements include two NBA championships, two Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, twelve All-NBA Team selections, twelve All-Star Game selections and nine All-Defensive Team selections. Olajuwon retired as the all–time league leader in total blocked shots with 3,830 blocks.[54]

The third pick, Jordan, achieved even greater success than Olajuwon. He won six NBA championships, six Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, five Most Valuable Player Awards, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, eleven All-NBA Team selections, fourteen All-Star Game selections, three NBA All Star Game MVP Awards, and nine All-Defensive Team selections.[51]

Barkley and Stockton never won an NBA championship, but both players received numerous awards and honors. Barkley won the Most Valuable Player in 1993 and was selected to eleven All-NBA Teams, eleven All-Star Games, and was the MVP of the 1991 All Star Game.[55] Stockton was selected to eleven All-NBA Teams, ten All-Star Games and five All-Defensive Teams before retiring as the all–time league leader in assists and steals and was co-MVP of the 1993 All Star Game along with his Utah Jazz teammate Karl Malone.[56] Jordan, Barkley and Stockton would later play as teammates for the 1992 "Dream Team".

Alvin Robertson, the seventh pick, is the only other player from this draft who has won annual NBA awards as a player; he won both the Defensive Player of the Year Award and the Most Improved Player Award in 1986. He was also selected to one All-NBA Team, four All-Star Games, six consecutive All-Defensive Teams.[57] Both Robertson and Olajuwon are among only four players in NBA history who have ever achieved the extremely rare feat of recording a quadruple double.

Two other players from this draft, ninth pick Otis Thorpe and eleventh pick Kevin Willis, were also selected to one All-Star Game each.[58] Willis also had one selection to the All-NBA Team.[59] Rick Carlisle, the 70th pick, became a coach after ending his playing career and won the Coach of the Year Award in 2002 while coaching the Detroit Pistons. In 2011, he coached the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Championship.[60]

The Trail Blazers selection of Sam Bowie (left) over future Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (right) would become a noteworthy moment in NBA draft history.

The 1984 draft class is considered to be one of the best in NBA history as it produced five Hall of Famers and seven All-Stars.[61][62][63] However, it was also marked by the Blazers' selection of Sam Bowie, considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history.[64][65][66][67][68] It is believed that the Blazers picked Bowie over Michael Jordan because they already had an All Star shooting guard in Jim Paxson and a young shooting guard in Clyde Drexler, whom they drafted in the 1983 draft.[51][69] Although Drexler went on to have a successful career, Bowie's career was cut short by injuries; he had missed two of the past three seasons in his college career as well.[50] Despite having a 10-year career in the NBA and averaging 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, Bowie's career was interrupted by five leg surgeries, which limited him to 139 games in five years with the Blazers.[70][71]

Other notable selections

Brazilian Oscar Schmidt was drafted with the 131st pick in the sixth round by the New Jersey Nets. However, Schmidt turned down the offers to play in the NBA and stayed to play in Italy and later in Brazil. He played in five Olympics and was the top scorer in three of them. He finished his career with 49,703 points with various clubs and the Brazilian national team, more than the NBA's career scoring leader, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 38,387 points in his NBA career.[72] In 2010, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) honored Schmidt with an induction to the FIBA Hall of Fame,[73] and Schmidt was inducted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.[74]

University of Houston track and field Olympic Champion Carl Lewis, who had never played college basketball, was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 208th pick in the 10th round. Lewis would dominate the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in the summer of 1984.[1][75] Lewis, who had also been drafted in the NFL draft of the same year by the Dallas Cowboys, stayed with his athletics career and went on to win nine Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals.[76]

In the fifth round, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted Mike Whitmarsh, who starred for the University of San Diego in both basketball and volleyball, with the 111th pick. Whitmarsh played professional basketball in Germany for three years, but never played in the NBA. He then left basketball to play beach volleyball, where he achieved greater success, including a silver medal in the Olympics.[77]

The final pick in the 1984 Draft, number 228 by the Boston Celtics, was Dan Trant of Clark University. Trant never played in a regular season game for the Celtics. Trant was working in his office at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and was killed in the terrorist attacks that day.[78]

This draft would be the last of the NBA that would be without any undrafted players entering the NBA. Starting from 1985 onward, multiple undrafted players from each year would enter the NBA, with more of them coming after the league decreased the number of rounds from the draft from 10 to the current two.

Early entrants

College underclassmen

The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.[79]

Notes

^ 1: When Hakeem Olajuwon first arrived to the United States in 1981, his first name was incorrectly spelled as "Akeem". He used that spelling until March 9, 1991, when he announced that he would add an H and changed it to "Hakeem", the original Arabic spelling of his name.[48]
^ 2: Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 1993. He has represented the United States national team.[54]
^ 3: As compensation for the first-round draft picks traded away by the previous owner, Ted Stepien, the Cleveland Cavaliers were awarded extra first-round draft picks in the 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 drafts in exchange for cash.[7][80]
^ 4: Even though Tim McCormick was a senior, he had one year of college eligibility remaining and thus had to apply for early entry.[8]
^ 5: Stuart Gray was born in the Panama Canal Zone which was controlled by the United States. He has represented Panama national team.[81]

See also

References

General
  • "Complete First Round Results 1980–89". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  • "1984 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  • "1982–1986 NBA Drafts". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 Goldaper, Sam (June 20, 1984). "Olajuwon Is No.1 Pick in College Draft". The New York Times Company. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20110528111144/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0903/nba.best.draft.classes/content.1.html
  3. NBA.com, Joe Boozell, special to. "The List: Top five draft classes in NBA history". NBA.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "25 of the best NBA Draft picks ever". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  5. Simmons, Bill (July 12, 2002). "Let's go to the tape". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  6. DuPree, David (June 25, 2007). "25 drafts, dozens of stars, one Michael". USA Today. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Ted Stepien, N.B.A. Owner, Is Dead at 82". The New York Times Company. September 15, 2007. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  8. 1 2 "Early Entry Candidate History". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  9. "Clippers move into LA Sports Arena". Times Daily. Florence, Alabama: Tennessee Valley Printing Co., Inc. May 16, 1984. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  10. "Evolution of the Draft and Lottery". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  11. 1 2 "Tom Owens Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  12. "Mike Bratz Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Clippers: All-Time Transactions". NBA.com/Clippers. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  14. 1 2 "World B. Free Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  15. "Bobby Jones Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  16. "Tom Chambers Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  17. "Vince Taylor Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  18. "Granville Waiters Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  19. "Mitchell Wiggins Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  20. "Wally Walker Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  21. "Clemon Johnson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  22. "Lionel Hollins Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  23. "John Lucas Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  24. 1 2 3 "Pistons: All-Time Transactions". NBA.com/Pistons. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  25. "Edgar Jones Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  26. "T.R. Dunn Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  27. "Randy Wittman Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  28. "Steve Hawes Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  29. "Larry Drew Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  30. "Rickey Brown Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  31. "Ennis Wheatley Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  32. "Jim Johnstone Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  33. "Armond Hill Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  34. "James Bailey Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  35. "Billy McKinney Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  36. "Kelvin Ransey Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  37. "Len Elmore Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  38. "Kiki Vandeweghe Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  39. "Reggie Theus Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  40. "Billy Knight Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  41. "Brook Steppe Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  42. "Kevin Grevey Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  43. "Sam Williams Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  44. "Jim Brewer Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  45. "Keith Edmondson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  46. "Mike Dunleavy Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  47. "Phil Ford Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  48. 1 2 Dufresne, Chris (March 11, 1991). "Hakeem Still Can Be Called 'the Dream'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
  49. "Point guard trio linked to draft history". NBC Sports. NBC Universal. June 29, 2005. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  50. 1 2 Dupree, David (June 17, 1984). "NBA Draft '84: Choosing from the Choice". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  51. 1 2 3 "Michael Jordan Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  52. "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  53. "The NBA's 50 Greatest Players". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  54. 1 2 "Hakeem Olajuwon Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  55. "Charles Barkley Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  56. "John Stockton Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  57. "Alvin Robertson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  58. "Otis Thorpe Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  59. "Kevin Willis Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  60. "Rick Carlisle Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  61. "With A Little Luck..." NBA.com/Bulls. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 25, 2006. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  62. Fox, Jeff (December 11, 2009). "1984 NBA Draft Remix". Slam Online. Source Interlink Magazines, LLC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  63. Nance, Roscoe (November 5, 2006). "Stars from 2003 NBA Draft looking like legendary 1984 class". USA Today. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  64. Schoenfield, David (April 26, 2006). "The 100 worst draft picks ever". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  65. "Reader ballots tab Bowie as biggest NBA draft bust ever". USA Today. June 26, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  66. Hollinger, John (June 26, 2003). "The 10 biggest draft flops in NBA history". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
  67. "NBA Draft Bust". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  68. "NBA's Biggest Draft Busts". NY Daily News. August 28, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  69. DuPree, David (June 25, 2007). "25 drafts, dozens of stars, one Michael". USA Today. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  70. Stein, Marc (September 14, 2007). "Sam Bowie feels Greg Oden's pain". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  71. "Sam Bowie Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  72. "Brazil's Oscar is Retiring". The New York Times. May 27, 2003. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  73. "FIBA announces 2010 Hall of Fame Class". FIBA. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  74. "Five Direct-Elect Members Announced for the Class of 2013 By the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame" (Press release). Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. February 15, 2013. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  75. Kim, Randy (June 19, 2003). "Draft Oddities". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 24, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  76. Schwartz, Larry (December 29, 2006). "King Carl had long, golden reign". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  77. Perry, Tony (February 19, 2009). "Mike Whitmarsh dies at 46; Olympic medalist in beach volleyball". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  78. "Former Celtics Draft Pick & 9/11 Victim Dan Trant Remembered Today".
  79. "1984 Underclassmen". The Draft Review. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  80. "Sale of Cavs Approved". The New York Times. May 10, 1983. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  81. Ryan, Bob (June 28, 1992). "To them, it was an emotional ceremony". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2010.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.