| 1969 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date(s) | April 7, 1969 (Rounds 1 & 2) May 7, 1969 (Other rounds) |
| Location | New York City, New York |
| Overview | |
| 218 total selections in20 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| First selection | Lew Alcindor,[1]Milwaukee Bucks |
The1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annualdraft of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 7 and May 7, 1969, before the1969–70 season. In thisdraft, fourteen 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.[1] TheMilwaukee Bucks won the coin flip in thecommissioner'sNew York office on March 19 and were awarded thefirst overall pick, while thePhoenix Suns went second.[2][3][4] The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in theprevious season. TheLos Angeles Lakers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as settlement of theRudy LaRusso trade to theSan Francisco Warriors.[5] The draft consisted of twenty rounds and selected 218 players.[6][7]
Lew Alcindor (later known asKareem Abdul-Jabbar) fromUCLA was selectedfirst overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to win theRookie of the Year Award and was selected to bothAll-NBA Second Team andAll-Star Game in his first season.[8][9] Thefollowing season, the Bucks acquired 31-year old point guardOscar Robertson from theCincinnati Royals.[10] They led the Bucks to a league-best 66 wins in the regular season. The Bucks then beat theBaltimore Bullets in theFinals to win their firstNBA championship, in only their third season. In that season, Alcindor also won theMost Valuable Player Award andFinals Most Valuable Player Award. He went on to win five more NBA championships in the 1980s with theLos Angeles Lakers, where he teamed up withMagic Johnson, the first pick in1979. He also won another Finals Most Valuable Player Award in1985. He won a total of six Most Valuable Player Award, the most in the history of the NBA. He also held the record for the mostAll-Star Game selections with 19 and the most All-NBA Team selections with 15. Furthermore, he was selected to elevenAll-Defensive Teams, the second most selections. He retired asall–time league scoring leader with 38,387 points and theall–time league leader in total blocked shots with 3,189 blocks.[11] For his achievements, he has been inducted to theBasketball Hall of Fame.[12] He was also named in the50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[13]
Jo Jo White, the ninth pick, won two NBA championships with theBoston Celtics in1974 and1976. He was named as the Finals Most Valuable Player in the latter. He was selected to two All-NBA Teams and seven All-Star Games.[14] 45th pickBob Dandridge won two NBA championships with the Milwaukee Bucks in1971 and with theWashington Bullets in the1978. He was selected to one All-NBA Team and four All-Star Games.[15]Norm Van Lier, the 34th pick, was selected to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Star Game. He was also selected to eight All-Defensive Teams.[16] Two other players from this draft, 10th pickButch Beard and 61st pickSteve Mix, was also selected to an All-Star Game.[17][18] Beard became a head coach after his playing career, he coached theNew Jersey Nets for two seasons in the 1990s.[19] Three other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career: 43rd pickFred Carter, 68th pickGene Littles and 187th pickMack Calvin.[20][21][22]
In the 13th round, theSan Francisco Warriors selectedDenise Long, a girl's high school player fromWhitten, Iowa.[23] Long, who averaged 62.8 points per game in her senior year, became the first female ever to be drafted by an NBA team.[24] However, the selection was later voided by commissionerJ. Walter Kennedy as apublicity stunt.[25] In the 15th round, thePhoenix Suns selectedtrack and field athleteBob Beamon from theUniversity of Texas at El Paso with the 189th pick. He had just broken theworld record forlong jump and won thegold medal at the1968 Olympic Games.[26] Although he had played basketball before his athletics career, he stayed with it and never played in the NBA.[27][28]
| 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 andAll-NBA Team |
| + | Denotesplayer 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 |
These players were not selected in the 1969 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moe Barr | G |  United States | Duquesne(Sr.) |
| A. W. Holt | F | United States | Jackson State(Sr.) |
| Gary Suiter | C/F | United States | Midwestern State(Sr.) |
^ 1: Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.[11]
^ 2: The Los Angeles Lakers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as settlement of theRudy LaRusso trade to theSan Francisco Warriors on August 31, 1967.[5][36]
