1959 NBA draft


The 1959 NBA draft was the 13th annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on March 31, 1959, before the 1959–60 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The draft consisted of 14 rounds comprising 85 players selected.

Draft selections and draftee career notes

from Kansas State University was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Royals. Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Ferry were selected before the draft as Philadelphia Warriors' and St. Louis Hawks' territorial picks respectively. Although Chamberlain played at the University of Kansas, outside the territory of any NBA team, he was selected as the Warriors' territorial pick because the Warriors argued that Chamberlain had grown up in Philadelphia and played high school basketball at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. The NBA agreed with the argument, hence making him the first territorial pick based solely on his pre-college roots. Chamberlain went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award in his first season. Two players from this draft, Wilt Chamberlain and Bailey Howell, have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Key

Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamCollege
T^CUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsKansas
TF/CUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksSaint Louis
11^FUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsKansas State
12^FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsMississippi State
13FUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersNotre Dame
14+G/FUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsTennessee State
15+F/CUnited StatesNew York KnicksMichigan State
16FUnited StatesBoston CelticsNC State
27#F/CUnited StatesDetroit Pistons Rice
28#FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsLouisville
29F/CUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsNorthwestern
210+F/CUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersDartmouth
211F/CUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsTennessee
212#GUnited StatesSt. Louis Hawks St. John's
213FUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksNYU
214FUnited StatesBoston CelticsGeorge Washington
315GUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsCincinnati
316CUnited StatesDetroit PistonsFresno State
317FUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsMemphis
318GUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersWest Virginia
319FUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsSyracuse
320G/FUnited StatesNew York KnicksMichigan State
321GUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksXavier
322CUnited StatesBoston CelticsWestern Kentucky
423GUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsMarshall
424G/FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsMichigan
425FUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsTCU
426FUnited StatesMinneapolis LakersPurdue
427GUnited StatesSyracuse NationalsStanford
428GUnited StatesNew York KnicksKentucky
429GUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksOregon State
430FUnited StatesBoston CelticsScranton
531G/FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsTCU
532GUnited StatesDetroit PistonsWyoming
537GUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksNorthwestern
856FUnited StatesPhiladelphia WarriorsIowa
858#GUnited StatesNew York KnicksUCLA
859FUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksPurdue
1177GUnited StatesSt. Louis HawksTennessee State
1483G/FUnited StatesNew York KnicksMissouri State

Trades