| 1963 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Dates | April 30, 1963 (Rounds 1–7) May 7, 1963 (Rounds 8–15) |
| Location | Plaza Hotel (New York City, New York)[1] |
| Overview | |
| 84 total selections in15 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| Territorial picks | Tom Thacker,Cincinnati Royals |
| First selection | Art Heyman,New York Knicks |
| Hall of Famers | |
The1963 NBA draft was the 17th annualdraft of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 30 and May 7, 1963, before the1963–64 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 select in reverse order of their win–loss record in theprevious season. Before the draft, a team could forfeit its first-round draft pick and then select any player from within a 50-mile radius of its home arena as theirterritorial pick.[2][3] TheChicago Zephyrs relocated toBaltimore and became theBaltimore Bullets prior to the draft.[4] TheSyracuse Nationals participated in the draft, but relocated toPhiladelphia and became thePhiladelphia 76ers prior to the start of the season.[5] The draft consisted of 15 rounds comprising 84 players selected.
This draft holds the record for the fewest non-territorial picks who later debuted in the NBA, with 17 (18 if the territorial pick Tom Thacker is included).
Tom Thacker from theUniversity of Cincinnati was selected before the draft asCincinnati Royals' territorial pick.Art Heyman fromDuke University was selectedfirst overall by theNew York Knicks. Two players from this draft,Nate Thurmond andGus Johnson, have been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame.[6] Thurmond was also named in the50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[7] Thurmond's achievements include sevenAll-Star Game selections and fiveAll-Defensive Team selections.[8] Johnson's achievement include fourAll-NBA Team selections and five All-Star Game selections.[9] Two players from this draft, 4th pickEddie Miles and 13th pickJim King, have also been selected to an All-Star Game.[10][11]
Reggie Harding, who was the firstplayer drafted out of high school when he was draftedthe previous year, was drafted again by theDetroit Pistons with the 48th pick. He finally enter the league after spending a year in theMidwest Professional Basketball League (MPBL) due to the rules that prevent a high school player to play in the league until one year after his high school class graduated.[12][13]Larry Brown from theUniversity of North Carolina was selected with the 55th pick. However, he never played in the NBA. He spent his playing career within theAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) before joining the newly formedAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967.[14] He played there for five seasons, earning one All-ABA Team selection and three ABA All-Star Game selections.[15] After his playing career, he became a head coach. He coached nine NBA teams, most recently with theCharlotte Bobcats (nowCharlotte Hornets). He won the NBA championship with theDetroit Pistons in2004 and went to theNBA Finals two other times; with thePhiladelphia 76ers in2001 and with the Pistons in2005.[16] In between his NBA coaching career, he also coached theKansas Jayhawks of theUniversity of Kansas for five seasons, winning theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)championship in1988. He is the only coach to win both an NCAA title and an NBA championship. As a player, he won thegold medal with theUnited States national basketball team at the1964 Olympic Games. He then coached the U.S. national team to abronze medal at the2004 Olympic Games, becoming the only U.S. male basketball participant to both play and coach in the Olympics.[17]Rod Thorn, the 2nd pick, also had a coaching career. He was the interim head coach of theChicago Bulls in1982.[18]
| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least oneAll-Star Game |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game |
The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.[20][21]
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 24 | Jerry Greenspan | F |  United States | Syracuse Nationals | Maryland |
| 5 | 43 | Larry Jones | G/F | United States | Los Angeles Lakers | Toledo |
| 6 | 48 | Reggie Harding | C | United States | Detroit Pistons | Holland Oilers(MPBL)[22] |
| 7 | 59 | Ken Rohloff | G | United States | St. Louis Hawks | NC State |
| 8 | 63 | Freddie Crawford | G/F | United States | New York Knicks | St. Bonaventure |
These players were not selected in the 1963 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Lehmann | G | United States | Sunbury Mercuries(EPBL) |
| Bob Warlick | G | United States | Pepperdine |
| Art Williams | G | United States | Cal Poly Pomona |