The 1979 NBA draft was the 33rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on Monday, June 25.[1][2] In this draft, the 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players; it went ten rounds and selected 202 players.
| 1979 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date(s) | June 25, 1979 |
| Location | Plaza Hotel (New York City, New York) |
| Overview | |
| 202 total selections in 10 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| First selection | Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) |
The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a coin flip.[3] The Los Angeles Lakers, who obtained the New Orleans Jazz' first-round pick in a trade, won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Chicago Bulls 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 the previous season. 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. Larry Bird would have been eligible to join this draft class because his "junior eligible" draft status from being taken by Boston in 1978 would expire the minute the 1979 draft began, but Bird and the Celtics agreed on a five-year contract on June 8 to avoid that.[4] Before the draft, five college underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule.[5] These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted them the right to start earning their living by starting their professional careers earlier.[6] Prior to the draft, the Jazz relocated from New Orleans to Salt Lake City and became the Utah Jazz.[7]
Draft selections and draftee career notes
editMagic Johnson from NCAA champion Michigan State University, one of the "hardship" players, was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.[2] Johnson, who had just finished his sophomore season in college, became the first underclassman to be drafted first overall.[8] He went on to win the NBA championship with the Lakers in his rookie season. He also won the Finals Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the first rookie ever to win the award. He spent his entire 13-year career with the Lakers and won five NBA championships. He also won three Most Valuable Player Awards, three Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, ten consecutive All-NBA Team selections and twelve All-Star Game selections.[9] For his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.[10] He was also named to the list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.[11] After retiring as a player, Johnson went on to have a brief coaching career as an interim head coach of the Lakers in 1994.[12]
Sidney Moncrief, the fifth pick, won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and was selected to five consecutive All-NBA Teams, five consecutive All-Defensive Teams and five consecutive All-Star Games. In "The Book of Basketball", Bill Simmons noted that then-Lakers head coach Jerry West had actually wanted to trade down from the #1 pick and use it to get Moncrief along with more players and picks, but Jerry Buss vetoed West's plans because Buss wanted Magic to be the new face of the team he was just finishing his full purchase of.[13] Jim Paxson, the twelfth pick, was selected to one All-NBA Team and two All-Star Games.[14] Bill Cartwright, the third pick, won three consecutive NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 through 1993. He also had one All-Star Game selection, which occurred in his rookie season.[15] He then became the Bulls' head coach for three seasons.[16] Bill Laimbeer, the 65th pick, won two NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons in 1989 and 1990 and was selected to four All-Star Games.[17] After retiring, he coached the Detroit Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for eight seasons, leading them to three WNBA championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008.[18] Mark Eaton, who had only completed one year of college basketball, was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 107th pick.[19] He opted to return to college basketball and later joined the NBA in 1982, after he was drafted again by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 draft. During his eleven-year career with the Jazz, he won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards and was selected to five consecutive All-Defensive Team and one All-Star Game.[20] Two other players from this draft, eighth pick Calvin Natt and 73rd pick James Donaldson, were also selected to one All-Star Game each.[21][22]
In the fourth round, the Boston Celtics selected Nick Galis from Seton Hall University with the 68th pick. However, he suffered a serious injury in the training camp and was waived by the Celtics before the season started. Galis, who was born in the United States to Greek parents, opted to play in Greece. He never played in the NBA and spent all of his professional career in Greece, where he helped the country emerge as an international basketball power. He won a Eurobasket title, 8 Greek championships, 7 Greek cups as well as numerous personal honors and awards. He has been inducted into both the FIBA Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[23][24]
Draft
edit| Pos. | G | F | C |
| Position | Guard | Forward | Center |
| ^ | 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 |
| Rnd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality[n 1] | Team | School / club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Magic Johnson^ | G/F | Los Angeles Lakers (from Utah)[a] | Michigan State (So.) | |
| 1 | 2 | David Greenwood | F/C | Chicago Bulls | UCLA (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 3 | Bill Cartwright+ | C | New York Knicks (from Boston)[b] | San Francisco (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 4 | Greg Kelser | F | Detroit Pistons | Michigan State (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 5 | Sidney Moncrief^ | G | Milwaukee Bucks (from Cleveland) | Arkansas (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 6 | James Bailey | F/C | Seattle SuperSonics (from New York)[d] | Rutgers (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 7 | Vinnie Johnson | G | Seattle SuperSonics (from New Jersey via New York)[e] | Baylor (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 8 | Calvin Natt+ | F | New Jersey Nets (from Indiana via Milwaukee)[f] | Northeast Louisiana (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 9 | Larry Demic | F/C | New York Knicks (from Golden State via Boston)[b] | Arizona (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 10 | Roy Hamilton | G | Detroit Pistons (from Milwaukee via San Diego)[g] | UCLA (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 11 | Cliff Robinson | F | New Jersey Nets (from San Diego)[h] | USC (So.) | |
| 1 | 12 | Jim Paxson* | G/F | Portland Trail Blazers | Dayton (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 13 | Dudley Bradley | G/F | Indiana Pacers (from Atlanta)[i] | North Carolina (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 14 | Brad Holland | G | Los Angeles Lakers | UCLA (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 15 | Phil Hubbard | F/C | Detroit Pistons (from Denver)[j] | Michigan (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 16 | Jim Spanarkel | G/F | Philadelphia 76ers | Duke (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 17 | Lee Johnson | F | Houston Rockets | East Texas State (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 18 | Reggie King | F | Kansas City Kings | Alabama (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 19 | Wiley Peck | G | San Antonio Spurs | Mississippi State (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 20 | Larry Knight# | F | Utah Jazz (from Phoenix)[k] | Loyola (IL) (Sr.) | |
| 1 | 21 | Sly Williams | G/F | New York Knicks (from Seattle via Boston)[b] | Rhode Island (Jr.) | |
| 1 | 22 | Kyle Macy | G | Phoenix Suns (from Washington)[l] | Kentucky (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 23 | Tico Brown# | G | Utah Jazz | Georgia Tech (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 24 | Johnny High | G | Phoenix Suns (from Boston)[m] | Nevada (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 25 | Oliver Mack | G | Los Angeles Lakers (from Detroit via Denver) | East Carolina (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 26 | Bruce Flowers | F | Cleveland Cavaliers | Notre Dame (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 27 | Reggie Carter | G | New York Knicks | St. John's (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 28 | Danny Salisbury# | F | Golden State Warriors (from Chicago) | Pan American (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 29 | Tony Price | G | Detroit Pistons (from New Jersey) | Pennsylvania (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 30 | Gary Garland | G | Denver Nuggets (from Golden State via San Diego) | DePaul (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 31 | Edgar Jones | F/C | Milwaukee Bucks | Nevada (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 32 | Tony Zeno | F | Indiana Pacers | Arizona State (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 33 | Lawrence Butler# | G | Chicago Bulls (from San Diego via Denver) | Idaho State (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 34 | Kim Goetz# | F | New York Knicks (from Portland) | San Diego State (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 35 | James Bradley# | F | Atlanta Hawks | Memphis State (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 36 | Clint Richardson | G | Philadelphia 76ers (from Denver via New Jersey) | Seattle (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 37 | Bernard Toone | F | Philadelphia 76ers | Marquette (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 38 | Larry Wilson# | F | Atlanta Hawks (from Houston) | Nicholls State (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 39 | Victor King# | F | Los Angeles Lakers | Louisiana Tech (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 40 | Andrew Fields# | F | Portland Trail Blazers (from San Antonio via Seattle) | Cheyney State (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 41 | Mark Young# | F | Los Angeles Lakers (from Kansas City via Denver) | Fairfield (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 42 | Paul Mokeski | F/C | Houston Rockets (from Phoenix via Seattle) | Kansas (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 43 | Johnny Moore | G | Seattle SuperSonics | Texas (Sr.) | |
| 2 | 44 | Joe DeSantis# | G | Washington Bullets | Fairfield (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 45 | Arvid Kramer | C | Utah Jazz | Augustana (SD) (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 46 | Andrew Parker# | G | Washington Bullets | Iowa State (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 47 | Calvin Garrett | F | Chicago Bulls (from Cleveland) | Oral Roberts (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 48 | Terry Duerod | G | Detroit Pistons | Detroit (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 49 | Cedrick Hordges | F/C | Chicago Bulls | South Carolina (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 50 | Geoff Huston | G | New York Knicks | Texas Tech (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 51 | John Gerdy# | G | New Jersey Nets | Davidson (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 52 | Larry Gibson# | C | Milwaukee Bucks | Maryland (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 53 | Wayne Kreklow | G | Boston Celtics (from Indiana) | Drake (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 54 | Lynbert Johnson | G/F | Golden State Warriors | Wichita State (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 55 | Tom Channel# | G | San Diego Clippers | Boston University (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 56 | Mickey Fox# | G | Portland Trail Blazers | Saint Mary's University (Canada) (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 57 | Don Marsh# | G | Atlanta Hawks | Franklin & Marshall (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 58 | Earl Cureton | F/C | Philadelphia 76ers | Detroit (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 59 | Ricardo Brown# | G | Houston Rockets | Pepperdine (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 60 | Walter Daniels# | G | Los Angeles Lakers | Georgia (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 61 | Ernesto Malcolm# | G | Boston Celtics | Briar Cliff (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 62 | Terry Crosby | G | Kansas City Kings | Tennessee (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 63 | Sylvester Norris | C | San Antonio Spurs | Jackson State (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 64 | Al Green# | G | Phoenix Suns | LSU (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 65 | Bill Laimbeer+ | C | Cleveland Cavaliers (from Seattle) | Notre Dame (Sr.) | |
| 3 | 66 | Charles Floyd# | F | Washington Bullets | High Point (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 67 | Greg Deane | G | Utah Jazz | Utah (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 68 | Nikos Galis^# | G | Boston Celtics | Seton Hall (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 69 | Eugene Robinson# | C | Milwaukee Bucks | Louisiana–Monroe (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 70 | Rick Swing# | G | Cleveland Cavaliers | The Citadel (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 71 | Larry Rogers# | F | New York Knicks | U.S. Armed Forces (AAU) | |
| 4 | 72 | George Maynor# | G | Chicago Bulls | East Carolina (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 73 | James Donaldson+ | C | Seattle SuperSonics (from New Jersey) | Washington State (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 74 | Don Newman# | G | Indiana Pacers | Idaho (Jr.) | |
| 4 | 75 | Ron Ripley# | F | Golden State Warriors | Green Bay (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 76 | Sammy Drummer# | G | Houston Rockets | Georgia Tech (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 77 | Lionel Garrett# | F | San Diego Clippers | Southern (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 78 | Darryl Robinson# | G | Portland Trail Blazers | Appalachian State (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 79 | Ray White# | G | Los Angeles Lakers | Mississippi State (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 80 | Lionel Green# | F | Houston Rockets | LSU (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 81 | Ricky Reed# | G | Los Angeles Lakers | Temple (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 82 | Jerry Sichting | G | Golden State Warriors (from Denver) | Purdue (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 83 | Mike Niles | F | Philadelphia 76ers | Cal State Fullerton (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 84 | Al Daniel# | G | San Antonio Spurs | Furman (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 85 | John McCullough | G | Kansas City Kings | Oklahoma (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 86 | Malcolm Cesare# | F | Phoenix Suns | Florida (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 87 | Richie Allen# | F | Seattle SuperSonics | Cal State Dominguez Hills (Sr.) | |
| 4 | 88 | Lamont Reid# | G | Washington Bullets | Oral Roberts (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 89 | Wolfe Perry# | G | Utah Jazz | Stanford (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 90 | Jimmy Allen# | G | Boston Celtics | New Haven (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 91 | Matt Simpkins# | F | Cleveland Cavaliers | Georgia Southern (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 92 | Flintie Ray Williams# | G | Detroit Pistons | UNLV (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 93 | Larry Washington# | G | Chicago Bulls | Drury (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 94 | Johnny Green# | F | New York Knicks | UC Riverside (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 95 | Jim Abromaitis# | F | New Jersey Nets | UConn (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 96 | George Lett# | F | Golden State Warriors | Centenary (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 97 | Jim Tillman# | G | Milwaukee Bucks | Eastern Kentucky (Jr.) | |
| 5 | 98 | Billy Reid | G | Indiana Pacers | San Francisco (Jr.) | |
| 5 | 99 | Greg Joyner# | F | San Diego Clippers | Middle Tennessee (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 100 | Matthew White# | C | Portland Trail Blazers | Penn (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 101 | Kendal Pinder# | F | Atlanta Hawks | NC State (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 102 | Larry Williams# | F | Denver Nuggets | Louisville (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 103 | Carl McPipe# | F | Philadelphia 76ers | Nebraska (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 104 | Allen Leavell | G | Houston Rockets | Oklahoma City (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 105 | Curtis Watkins# | F | Kansas City Kings | DePaul (Sr.) | |
| 5 | 106 | Steve Schall# | F | San Antonio Spurs | Arkansas (Jr.) | |
| 5 | 107 | Mark Eaton+ | C | Phoenix Suns | Cypress JC (Fr.)[n 6] | |
| 5 | 108 | Marshall Ashford# | G | Washington Bullets | Virginia Tech (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 109 | Ernie Cobb# | G | Utah Jazz | Boston College (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 110 | Marvin Delph# | G | Boston Celtics | Athletes in Action | |
| 6 | 111 | Truman Claytor# | G | Detroit Pistons | Kentucky (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 112 | Jon Manning# | G | Cleveland Cavaliers | North Texas (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 113 | Phil Abney# | G | New York Knicks | New Mexico (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 114 | Steve Smith# | G | Chicago Bulls | USC (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 115 | Tony Smith# | G | New Jersey Nets | UNLV (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 116 | Derrick Mayes# | G | Milwaukee Bucks | Illinois State (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 117 | Greg Guye# | F | Indiana Pacers | Stetson (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 118 | Jim Mitchem# | C | Golden State Warriors | DePaul (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 119 | Bob Bender# | G | San Diego Clippers | Duke (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 120 | Ray Ellis# | C | Portland Trail Blazers | Pepperdine (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 121 | Dwight Williams# | G | Atlanta Hawks | Gardner–Webb (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 122 | Odell Ball# | F | Denver Nuggets | Marquette (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 123 | Dan Hartshorne# | C | Philadelphia 76ers | Oregon (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 124 | Collie Davis# | F | Houston Rockets | Southern (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 125 | Terry Knight# | G | San Antonio Spurs | Pittsburgh (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 126 | Bob Roma# | F | Kansas City Kings | Princeton (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 127 | Dale Shackleford# | F | Phoenix Suns | Syracuse (Sr.) | |
| 6 | 128 | Garcia Hopkins# | F | Washington Bullets | Morgan State (So.) | |
| 7 | 129 | Paul Poe# | F | Utah Jazz | Louisiana College (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 130 | Steve Castellan# | F | Boston Celtics | Virginia (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 131 | Steve Skaggs# | G | Cleveland Cavaliers | Ohio (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 132 | Ken Jones# | G | Detroit Pistons | Saint Mary's (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 133 | Mike Eversley# | F | Chicago Bulls | Chicago State (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 134 | Marc Coleman# | G | New York Knicks | Seton Hall (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 135 | Jim Strickland# | C | New Jersey Nets | South Carolina (Jr.) | |
| 7 | 136 | Dirk Ewing# | G | Indiana Pacers | Stetson (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 137 | Ren Watson# | F | Golden State Warriors | VCU (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 138 | Stan Ray# | C | Milwaukee Bucks | Cal State Fullerton (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 139 | Jene Grey# | F | San Diego Clippers | Le Moyne (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 140 | Jeff Tropf# | F | Portland Trail Blazers | Central Michigan (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 141 | Tim Waterman# | F | Atlanta Hawks | St. Bonaventure (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 142 | Bobby Willis# | G | Philadelphia 76ers | Penn (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 143 | Rich Valavicius# | F | Houston Rockets | Auburn (Jr.) | |
| 7 | 144 | John Johnson# | G | Denver Nuggets | Creighton (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 145 | Nick Daniels# | F | Kansas City Kings | Xavier (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 146 | Tyrone Branyan# | F | San Antonio Spurs | Texas (Sr.) | |
| 7 | 147 | Ollie Matson Jr.# | F | Phoenix Suns | Pepperdine (Sr.) | |
| 7 | Washington Bullets (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player)[n 7] | |||||
| 8 | 148 | Keith McDonald# | G | Utah Jazz | Utah State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 149 | Glenn Sudhop# | C | Boston Celtics | NC State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 150 | Rodney Lee# | F | Detroit Pistons | Memphis (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 151 | Mark Haymore# | F | Cleveland Cavaliers | UMass (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 152 | Billy Tucker# | G | New York Knicks | Tennessee State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 153 | Tony Warren# | G | Chicago Bulls | NC State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 154 | Henry Hollingsworth# | G | New Jersey Nets | Hofstra (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 155 | Mario Butler# | F | Golden State Warriors | Briar Cliff (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 156 | Larry Spicer# | F | Milwaukee Bucks | UAB (Jr.) | |
| 8 | 157 | Brian Magid# | G | Indiana Pacers | George Washington (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 158 | Renaldo Lawrence# | G | San Diego Clippers | Appalachian State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 159 | Willie Pounds# | F | Portland Trail Blazers | Chaminade (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 160 | John Goedeke# | F | Atlanta Hawks | UMBC (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 161 | Delbert Watson# | G | Houston Rockets | East Tennessee State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 162 | Matt Teahan# | F | Denver Nuggets | Denver (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 163 | Rick Raivio# | G | Philadelphia 76ers | Portland (Jr.) | |
| 8 | San Antonio Spurs (forfeited due to selection of ineligible player)[n 8] | |||||
| 8 | 164 | Tony Vann# | F | Kansas City Kings | Alabama–Huntsville (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 165 | Charles Jones | F/C | Phoenix Suns | Albany State (Sr.) | |
| 8 | 166 | Jo Jo Walters# | G | Washington Bullets | Manhattan (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 167 | Milt Huggins# | G | Utah Jazz | Southern Illinois (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 168 | Kevin Sinnett# | F | Boston Celtics | Navy (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 169 | Tim Joyce# | F | Cleveland Cavaliers | Ohio (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 170 | Val Bracey# | G | Detroit Pistons | Central Michigan (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 171 | James Jackson# | G | Chicago Bulls | Minnesota (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 172 | Brett Wyatt# | G | New York Knicks | New Jersey City (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 173 | Ricky Free# | G | New Jersey Nets | Columbia (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 174 | Roger Lapham# | F | Milwaukee Bucks | Maine (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 175 | Gene Ransom# | G | Golden State Warriors | California (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 176 | Mike Dodd# | G | San Diego Clippers | San Diego State (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 177 | Stan Eckwood# | G | Portland Trail Blazers | Harding (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 178 | Cedric Oliver# | G | Atlanta Hawks | Hamilton (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 179 | Emmett Lewis# | G | Denver Nuggets | Colorado (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 180 | Coby Leavitt# | F | Philadelphia 76ers | Utah (Jr.) | |
| 9 | 181 | Gary Wilson# | F | Kansas City Kings | Southern Illinois (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 182 | Eddie McLeod# | F | San Antonio Spurs | UNLV (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 183 | Hosea Champine# | G | Phoenix Suns | Robert Morris (Sr.) | |
| 9 | 184 | Gary Ray Hooker# | F | Washington Bullets | Murray State (Jr.) | |
| 10 | 185 | Paul Dawkins | F | Utah Jazz | Northern Illinois (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 186 | Alton Byrd# | G | Boston Celtics | Columbia (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 187 | Willie Polk# | G | Detroit Pistons | Grand Canyon (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 188 | Terry Peavy# | G | Cleveland Cavaliers | Point Park (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 189 | Gordon Thomas# | G | New York Knicks | St. John's (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 190 | Marvin Thomas# | G | Chicago Bulls | UCLA (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 191 | Eric Fleisher# | G | New Jersey Nets | Tulane (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 192 | Kevin Heenan# | G | Golden State Warriors | Cal State Fullerton (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 193 | Chris Fahrbach# | F | Milwaukee Bucks | North Dakota (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 194 | Greg Hunter# | F | San Diego Clippers | Loyola Marymount (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 195 | Kelvin Small# | F | Portland Trail Blazers | Oregon (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 196 | Chad Nelson# | C | Atlanta Hawks | Drake (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 197 | Cortez Collins# | F | Chicago Bulls | Southern Indiana (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 198 | Keith McCord | G | Philadelphia 76ers | UAB (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 199 | Glenn Fine# | G | San Antonio Spurs | Harvard (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 200 | Russell Saunders# | G | Kansas City Kings | New Mexico (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 201 | Korky Nelson# | F | Phoenix Suns | Santa Clara (Sr.) | |
| 10 | 202 | Steve Martin# | G | Washington Bullets | Georgetown (Sr.) | |
Notable undrafted players
editThese players were not selected in the 1979 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Pos. | Nationality | School/club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman Black | G/F | Saint Joseph's (Sr.) | |
| Alan Hardy | G | Michigan (Sr.) | |
| Bill Mayfield | F | Iowa (Sr.) |
Trades
edit- a On August 5, 1976, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired 1977, 1978 and 1979 first-round picks, and a 1980 second-round pick from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for a 1978 first-round pick and a 1977 second-round pick. This trade was arranged as compensation when the Jazz signed Gail Goodrich on July 19, 1976.[28] The Lakers used the pick to draft Magic Johnson.
- b 1 2 3 On February 12, 1979, the New York Knicks acquired three first-round picks from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Bob McAdoo.[29] Previously, the Celtics acquired a first-round pick on January 30, 1979, from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jo Jo White.[30] The Celtics also acquired a first-round pick on January 17, 1979, from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Dennis Awtrey.[31] The Knicks used the picks to draft Bill Cartwright, Larry Demic and Sly Williams.
- c 1 2 On the draft-day, the Detroit Pistons acquired the fifth pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for the sixth pick and cash considerations.[32] Previously, the Bucks acquired the pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 1, 1978, in exchange for a 1978 first-round pick.[33] The Pistons used the pick to draft Greg Kelser. The Bucks used the pick to draft Sidney Moncrief
- d On October 24, 1975, the Seattle SuperSonics acquired Gene Short and a first-round pick from the New York Knicks in exchange for Spencer Haywood.[34] The Sonics used the pick to draft James Bailey.
- e On October 4, 1978, the Seattle SuperSonics acquired Lonnie Shelton and a 1979 first-round pick from the New York Knicks in exchange for a 1981 first-round pick. This trade was arranged as compensation when the Knicks signed Marvin Webster on September 29, 1978.[35] Previously, the Knicks acquired the 1978 and 1979 first-round picks on June 8, 1978, from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Phil Jackson, a 1978 first-round pick and US$3.2-million settlement of their indemnification debt to the Knicks.[36][37] The Sonics used the pick to draft Vinnie Johnson.
- f On May 31, 1979, the New Jersey Nets acquired John Gianelli and the eighth pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Harvey Catchings.[38] Previously, the Bucks acquired the pick on June 8, 1978, from the Indiana Pacers as compensation for the signing of Alex English as a free agent.[39] The Nets used the pick to draft Calvin Natt.
- g On November 23, 1977, the Detroit Pistons acquired Gus Gerard, John Shumate and 1979 first-round pick from the San Diego Clippers in exchange for Marvin Barnes, a 1978 second-round pick and a 1978 fourth-round pick.[40] Previously, the Clippers acquired the pick on September 2, 1977, from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for John Gianelli.[38] The Pistons used the pick to draft Roy Hamilton.
- h On September 1, 1977, the New Jersey Nets acquired George E. Johnson, 1978 and 1979 first-round picks from the San Diego Clippers in exchange for Nate Archibald.[41] The Nets used the pick to draft Cliff Robinson.
- i On June 9, 1978, the Indiana Pacers acquired a first-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks as compensation for the signing of Dan Roundfield as a free agent.[42] The Pacers used the pick to draft Dudley Bradley.
- j On February 1, 1978, the Detroit Pistons acquired Jim Price and a first-round pick from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Ralph Simpson.[43] The Pistons used the pick to draft Phil Hubbard.
- k On January 12, 1979, the Utah Jazz acquired Marty Byrnes, Ron Lee, 1979 and 1980 first-round picks from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Truck Robinson.[44] The Jazz used the pick to draft Larry Knight.
- l On June 22, 1979, the Phoenix Suns acquired the 22nd pick and a 1980 third-round pick from the Washington Bullets in exchange for Steve Malovic.[45] The Suns used the pick to draft Kyle Macy.
- m On October 11, 1978, the Phoenix Suns acquired a second-round pick from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Dennis Awtrey.[31] The Suns used the pick to draft Johnny High.
Early entrants
editCollege underclassmen
editFor the second year in a row, no underclassmen decided to opt out of the NBA draft, with only four total players deciding to declare entry into this year's draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.[46]
Garcia Hopkins – F, Morgan State (sophomore)
Notes
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ Brown later became a Filipino citizen and played for the Philippines national team.
- ^ Green later became an Australian citizen.
- ^ Galis became a naturalized Greek citizen and played for the Greece national team.[25]
- ^ Donaldson was born in the United Kingdom.
- ^ Even though Mark Eaton was a freshman, he was eligible to be drafted because he was already four years out of high school and therefore he did not need to apply for early entry.[19]
- ^ The Washington Bullets selected Conrad Whisenton who was a graduate student at the University of Alabama and had last played basketball at Fisk University in 1978. Whisenton had graduated from high school in 1974 which would have made him automatically eligible four years later for the 1978 NBA draft where he was not selected. The NBA originally upheld the Bullets' selection of Whisenton but it was deemed ineligible several weeks later.[26]
- ^ The San Antonio Spurs attempted to select Ed "Too Tall" Jones who was a professional boxer and former football player at the time of drafting. The NBA disallowed the pick because Jones had been out of college for more than five years.[27]
- ^ Byrd gained British citizenship in 1984 and played for the England national team.
See also
editReferences
edit- General
- "Complete First Round Results 1970–79". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- "1979 NBA Draft". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- "1977–1981 NBA Drafts". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- Specific
- ^ "Who will go second in NBA draft?". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1979. p. 4F.
- ^ a b "L.A. picks "Magic"". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 25, 1979. p. 21.
- ^ "Evolution of the Draft and Lottery". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 27, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ Braude, Dick (June 8, 1979). "For $3.25 million, Celtics land Bird". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. p. 33.
- ^ "Early Entry Candidate History". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Spencer Haywood Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "This Date in History–June". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Olajuwon should go first in today's draft". Gainesville Sun. (Florida). Associated Press. June 19, 1984. p. 1C. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ "Magic Johnson Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "The NBA's 50 Greatest Players". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 18, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Magic Johnson Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ "Sidney Moncrief Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Jim Paxson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Bill Cartwright Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Bill Cartwright Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Bill Laimbeer Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Bill Laimbeer Bio". WNBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ a b Hersch, Hank (May 1, 1989). "Big Man On The Block". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
- ^ "Mark Eaton Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Calvin Natt Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "James Donaldson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
- ^ "Greece – Nick Galis". FIBA. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
- ^ "McGrady, Self, Lobo headline 2017 HOF class". April 2017.
- ^ "Greeks Pin Basketball Hopes On U.S. Talent". Indian River Press Journal. December 18, 1985. p. 22. Retrieved November 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Conrad Whisenton - Ineligible Draftees". The Draft Review. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Ed "Too Tall" Jones - Ineligible Draftees". The Draft Review. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Kenny Carr Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Bob McAdoo Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Jo Jo White Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ a b "Dennis Awtrey Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Greg Kelser Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Mike Mitchell Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Spencer Haywood Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Lonnie Shelton Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Phil Jackson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (June 9, 1978). "Nets Get Phil Jackson as Part Of a Settlement With Knicks; Nets' Other Concessions Another Indemnity Nets Sign Jackson as Part Of a Settlement With Knicks Top Choices". The New York Times. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ a b "John Gianelli Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Alex English Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Marvin Barnes Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Tiny Archibald Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Dan Roundfield Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Ralph Simpson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Truck Robinson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "Steve Malovic Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
- ^ "1979 Underclassmen". The Draft Review. August 4, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
External links
edit- NBA.com
- NBA.com: NBA Draft History
- "The NBA decided the 1980s with a coin flip". SB Nation. July 5, 2018. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 – via YouTube.