| 1962 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date(s) | March 26, 1962 |
| Location | Plaza Hotel (New York City, New York)[1] |
| Overview | |
| 102 total selections in16 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| Territorial pick(s) | Dave DeBusschere,Detroit Pistons Jerry Lucas,Cincinnati Royals |
| First selection | Bill McGill,Chicago Zephyrs |
The1962 NBA draft was the 16th annualdraft of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on March 26, 1962, before the1962–63 season. In thisdraft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S.college basketball players. 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. In each round, the teams selected in reverse order of their won–loss record in theprevious season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick, then select any player from within a 50-mile radius of its home arena as theirterritorial pick.[2][3] TheChicago Packers, who finished last in the previous season, were renamed theChicago Zephyrs.[4] ThePhiladelphia Warriors relocated to San Francisco and became theSan Francisco Warriors prior to the start of the season.[5] The draft consisted of 16 rounds, comprising 102 players selected.
Dave DeBusschere andJerry Lucas were selected before the draft as the 'Detroit Pistons' and 'Cincinnati Royals' territorial picks, respectively.Bill McGill from theUniversity of Utah was selectedfirst overall by theChicago Zephyrs.Terry Dischinger fromPurdue University, who went on to win theRookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected eight overall by the Chicago Zephyrs.[6] Four players from this draft, DeBusschere, Lucas, seventh pickJohn Havlicek and twelfth pickChet Walker, have been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame.[7] They were also named in the50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[8] Lucas initially opted to sign for theCleveland Pipers of theAmerican Basketball League (ABL). However, the Pipers folded before the start of the season and Lucas opted to sit out a year to complete his education.[9] He eventually entered the NBA and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the1963–64 season. Lucas' achievements include anNBA championship with theNew York Knicks in1973, 5All-NBA Team selections and 7All-Star Game selections.[10] DeBusschere's achievements include 2 NBA championships with the Knicks in1970 and1973, 1 All-NBA Team selection, 8 All-Star Game selections and 6All-Defensive Team selections. In the1964–65 season, he was named as aplayer-coach for the Pistons, becoming the youngest head coach in the NBA at the age of 24. He coached the Pistons for almost three years before returning to a full-time player. He also had a briefprofessional baseball career with theChicago White Sox. He played two seasons in theMajor League Baseball in1962 and1963, and another season in the minor-league before he gave up his dual-sport career to focus on basketball.[11] He is one of only 12 athletes who have played in both NBA and MLB.[12][13][14] Havlicek spent all of his 16-year playing career with theBoston Celtics. His achievements include 8 NBA championships with the Celtics, 1Finals MVP, 11 All-NBA Team selection, 13 All-Star Game selections and 8 All-Defensive Team selections.[15] Walker, the 12th pick, won the NBA championship with thePhiladelphia 76ers in1967 and was selected to 7 All-Star Games.[16]
Zelmo Beaty, the 3rd pick, played in both NBA andAmerican Basketball Association (ABA). He was selected to 2 NBA All-Star Games, 3 ABA All-Star Games and 3 All-ABA Teams.[17] Dischinger and 4th pickLen Chappell are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an All-Star Game.[18][19] During his stint with theDetroit Pistons, Dischinger served as an interim player-coach for two games in1971.[20]Wayne Hightower, the 5th pick, had left college after his junior year in 1961. He wasn't eligible to be drafted until his college class had graduated, therefore he spent a year playing in theSpanish League withReal Madrid.[21] In his only season there, he helped Real Madrid to a Spanish League title and to theEuropean Champions Cup final.[22]Reggie Harding, the 29th pick, became the firstplayer drafted out of high school when the Detroit Pistons selected him in the fourth round. However, he did not enter the league until the 1963–64 season due to the rules that prevent a high school player to play in the league until one year after his high school class graduated.[23][24] He was drafted again in the1963 draft by the Pistons with the 48th pick in the sixth round.
Kevin Loughery, the 11th pick, had a stint as a player-coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973. At the end of the season, he retired from playing and moved to the ABA to coach theNew York Nets. He won 2 ABA championships with the Nets in 1974 and 1976. He then moved to the NBA with the Nets after theABA–NBA merger. He coached 6 NBA teams, most recently with theMiami Heat.[25]Don Nelson, the 17th pick, played 14 seasons in the NBA, winning 5 NBA championships with the Celtics. He became a head coach soon after retiring as a player in 1976. He coached 4 NBA teams, most recently with theGolden State Warriors.[26] He held the record for most wins as a head coach, surpassingLenny Wilkens' previous record of 1,332 wins.[27] He won theCoach of the Year Award for a record three times, tied withPat Riley.[28] He was also named among theTop 10 Coaches in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[29]
| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | Denotesplayer who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| + | Denotesplayer who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.[30][31]
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 17 | Don Nelson | F |  United States | Chicago Zephyrs | Iowa |
| 3 | 19 | Charles Hardnett | F/C | United States | St. Louis Hawks | Grambling |
| 3 | 21 | Porter Meriwether | G | United States | Syracuse Nationals | Tennessee State |
| 3 | 23 | Dave Fedor | F | United States | Philadelphia Warriors | Florida State |
| 4 | 26 | Chico Vaughn | G | United States | St. Louis Hawks(fromChicago) | Southern Illinois |
| 4 | 28 | Jerry Grote | G | United States | St. Louis Hawks | Loyola (CA) |
| 4 | 29 | Reggie Harding | C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Nashville Christian Institute(Nashville, Tennessee)[1] |
| 4 | 34 | Roger Strickland | F | United States | Boston Celtics | Jacksonville |
| 5 | 39 | John Windsor | F | United States | Syracuse Nationals | Stanford |
| 6 | 46 | Jay Carty | G | United States | St. Louis Hawks | Oregon State |
| 7 | 59 | Howie Montgomery | F | United States | Philadelphia Warriors | Pan American |
| 8 | 65 | Jerry Harkness | G | United States | Syracuse Nationals | Loyola (IL) |
| 11 | 85 | Jeff Slade | F | United States | Chicago Zephyrs | Kenyon |
| 12 | 90 | Mel Nowell | G | United States | Chicago Zephyrs | Ohio State |
These players were not selected in the 1962 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Tieman | G | United States | Thomas More |
| Ralph Wells | G | United States | Northwestern |
^ 1: Reggie Harding played and graduated from Detroit Eastern High School in January but he played high school basketball inNashville, Tennessee, prior to the draft.[23][32]