Dave DeBusschere and
Jerry Lucas were selected before the draft as the '
Detroit Pistons' and '
Cincinnati Royals' territorial picks, respectively.
Bill McGill from the
University of Utah was selected
first overall by the
Chicago Zephyrs.
Terry Dischinger from
Purdue University, who went on to win the
Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected eight overall by the Chicago Zephyrs. Four players from this draft, DeBusschere, Lucas, seventh pick
John Havlicek and twelfth pick
Chet Walker, have been inducted to the
Basketball Hall of Fame. They were also named in the
50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. Lucas initially opted to sign for the
Cleveland Pipers of the
American 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. He eventually entered the NBA and went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the
1963–64 season. Lucas' achievements include an
NBA championship with the
New York Knicks in
1973, 5
All-NBA Team selections and 7
All-Star Game selections. DeBusschere's achievements include 2 NBA championships with the Knicks in
1970 and
1973, 1 All-NBA Team selection, 8 All-Star Game selections and 6
All-Defensive Team selections. In the
1964–65 season, he was named as a
player-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 brief
professional baseball career with the
Chicago White Sox. He played two seasons in the
Major League Baseball in
1962 and
1963, and another season in the minor-league before he gave up his dual-sport career to focus on basketball. He is one of only 12 athletes who have played in both NBA and MLB. Havlicek spent all of his 16-year playing career with the
Boston Celtics. His achievements include 8 NBA championships with the Celtics, 1
Finals MVP, 11 All-NBA Team selection, 13 All-Star Game selections and 8 All-Defensive Team selections. Walker, the 12th pick, won the NBA championship with the
Philadelphia 76ers in
1967 and was selected to 7 All-Star Games.
Zelmo Beaty, the 3rd pick, played in both NBA and
American Basketball Association (ABA). He was selected to 2 NBA All-Star Games, 3 ABA All-Star Games and 3 All-ABA Teams. Dischinger and 4th pick
Len Chappell are the only other players from this draft who have been selected to an All-Star Game. During his stint with the
Detroit Pistons, Dischinger served as an interim player-coach for two games in
1971.
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 the
Spanish League with
Real Madrid. In his only season there, he helped Real Madrid to a Spanish League title and to the
European Champions Cup final.
Reggie Harding, the 29th pick, became the first
player 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. He was drafted again in the
1963 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 the
New York Nets. He won 2 ABA championships with the Nets in 1974 and 1976. He then moved to the NBA with the Nets after the
ABA–NBA merger. He coached 6 NBA teams, most recently with the
Miami Heat.
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 the
Golden State Warriors. He held the record for most wins as a head coach, surpassing
Lenny Wilkens' previous record of 1,332 wins. He won the
Coach of the Year Award for a record three times, tied with
Pat Riley. He was also named among the
Top 10 Coaches in NBA History announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. ==Key==