| 1967 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Dates | May 3, 1967 (Rounds 1–11) May 4, 1967 (Rounds 12–20) |
| Location | Plaza Hotel (New York City, New York)[1] |
| Overview | |
| 162 total selections in20 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| First selection | Jimmy Walker,Detroit Pistons |
| Hall of Famers | |
The1967 NBA draft was the 21st annualdraft of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 3 and 4, 1967, before the1967–68 season. In thisdraft, 12 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. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each division, with the order determined by acoin flip.[2] TheDetroit Pistons won the coin flip and were awarded thefirst overall pick, while theBaltimore Bullets 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 theprevious season. Five teams that had the best records in previous season were not awarded second round draft picks. Two expansion franchises, theSeattle SuperSonics and theSan Diego Rockets, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the sixth and seventh pick in the first round, along with the last two picks of each subsequent round. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising 162 players selected.
Jimmy Walker fromProvidence College was selectedfirst overall by the Detroit Pistons.Earl Monroe fromWinston-Salem State University, who went on to win theRookie of the Year Award in his first season, was drafted second by theBaltimore Bullets.[3] Monroe, fifth pickWalt Frazier, ninth pickMel Daniels, and fourth round pickLouie Dampier have been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame.[4] Monroe, Frazier, and Daniels were also named in the50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[5] Monroe and Frazier both won theNBA championship with the Knicks in1973.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 sevenAll-NBA Teams, sixAll-Star Games and sevenAll-Defensive Teams, while Monroe was selected to one All-NBA Team and four All-Star Games.[6][7] Walker and 19th pickBob Rule are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an NBA All-Star Game.[8][9] Daniels, the 9th pick, opted to play in theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) with theMinnesota Muskies. He won the ABA Most Valuable Player Award twice and was selected to five All-ABA Teams and seven ABA All-Star Games while winning three ABA championships as the center for the Indiana Pacers. He later played one season in the NBA with theNew York Nets after theABA–NBA merger. After his playing career, he became a coach for theIndiana Pacers and served two games as their interim head coach in1988.[10] Dampier, drafted in the fourth round by Cincinnati, elected to play with the ABAKentucky Colonels, where he played for all nine seasons of its existence (including the 1975 ABA championship) while being an ABA All-Star seven times.[11]Pat Riley, the 7th pick, andPhil Jackson, the 17th pick, became successful NBA head coaches after ending their playing career. Riley won fiveNBA championships as head coach; four with theLos Angeles Lakers in the 1980s and one with theMiami Heat in2006.[12] He also won theCoach of the Year Award for a record three times, tied withDon Nelson.[13] Jackson won eleven NBA championships, the most in NBA history.[14] He led theChicago Bulls to win three straight championships twice over separate three year periods; during1991–1993 and1996–1998. He then captured his third "three-peat" with the Lakers during2000–2002, before winning two more title in2009 and2010. He also won a Coach of the Year Award in 1996 with the Bulls.[15] Both coaches have been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame as a coach.[4] They were also named among theTop 10 Coaches in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[16]
First pick Jimmy Walker was also drafted in the1967 NFL/AFL draft, despite never having playedcollege football.[17] He wasdrafted last in the 17-round draft by theNew Orleans Saints.[18] He stayed with his basketball career and became a two-timeAll-Star.[19] On the other hand, thefirst pick in the 1967 NFL/AFL draft,Bubba Smith, was drafted by an NBA team. He was selected with the 114th pick in the 11th round by theBaltimore Bullets. However, he stayed with his football career and played nine seasons in the NFL as adefensive end.[20]
FutureSt. Louis Cardinals pitcherBob Chlupsa was drafted by the Rockets in the thirteenth round out ofManhattan College.[21]
| 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.[22][23]
These players were not selected in the 1967 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrone Britt | G |  United States | Johnson C. Smith |
| Al Jackson | G | United States | Wilberforce |
| Craig Spitzer | C | United States | Tulane |
| Doug Sims | F | United States | Kent State |