1969 NBA draft


The 1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 7, 1969, and May 7, 1969, before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, 14 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 a coin flip. The Milwaukee Bucks won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Phoenix Suns 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. The Los Angeles Lakers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as settlement of the Rudy LaRusso trade to the San Francisco Warriors. The draft consisted of 20 rounds comprising the selection of 218 players.

Draft selections and draftee career notes

from UCLA was selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and was selected to both All-NBA Second Team and All-Star Game in his first season. The following season, the Bucks acquired former first overall pick Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals. They led the Bucks to a league-best 66 wins in the regular season. The Bucks then beat the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals to win their first NBA championship, in only their third season. In that season, Alcindor also won the Most Valuable Player Award and Finals Most Valuable Player Award. He went on to win five more NBA championships in the 1980s with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he teamed up with Magic Johnson, the first pick in 1979. He also won another Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 1985. 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 most All-Star Game selections with 19 and the most All-NBA Team selections with 15. Furthermore, he was selected to eleven All-Defensive Teams, the second most selections. He retired as all–time league scoring leader with 38,387 points and the all–time league leader in total blocked shots with 3,189 blocks. For his achievements, he has been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.
Jo Jo White, the ninth pick, won two NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976. 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. 45th pick Bob Dandridge won two NBA championships with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971 and with the Washington Bullets in the 1978. He was selected to one All-NBA Team and four All-Star Games. 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. Two other players from this draft, 10th pick Butch Beard and 61st pick Steve Mix, was also selected to an All-Star Game. Beard became a head coach after his playing career, he coached the New Jersey Nets for two seasons in the 1990s. Three other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career: 43rd pick Fred Carter, 68th pick Gene Littles and 187th pick Mack Calvin.
In the 13th round, the San Francisco Warriors selected Denise Long, a girl's high school player from Whitten, Iowa. Long, who averaged 62.8 points per game in her senior year, became the first female ever to be drafted by an NBA team. However, the selection was later voided by the commissioner as a publicity stunt. In the 15th round, the Phoenix Suns selected track and field athlete Bob Beamon from the University of Texas at El Paso with the 189th pick. He had just broken the world record for long jump and won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games. Although he had played basketball before his athletics career, he stayed with it and never played in the NBA.

Key

RoundPickPlayerPos.NationalityTeamSchool/club team
11^CUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksUCLA
12CUnited StatesPhoenix SunsFlorida
13GUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsUCLA
14FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsBoston College
15GUnited StatesChicago BullsLa Salle
16G/FUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsTulsa
17FUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsCreighton
18G/FUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsPurdue
19^GUnited StatesBoston CelticsKansas
110+GUnited StatesAtlanta HawksLouisville
111G/FUnited StatesNew York KnicksSt. John's
112GUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersDrake
113FUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersSanta Clara
114GUnited StatesBaltimore BulletsVirginia Union
115F/CUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersCincinnati
216#FUnited StatesChicago Bulls West Texas State
217FUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksRutgers
218#CUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsUSC
219FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsAlcorn A&M
220#CUnited StatesChicago BullsHouston
221GUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsLa Salle
222#FUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsHoly Cross
223FUnited StatesChicago Bulls Temple
224#FUnited StatesPhoenix Suns Kansas State
225F/CUnited StatesAtlanta HawksCreighton
226#F/CUnited StatesNew York KnicksNorth Carolina
227GUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersSouthern Illinois
228#F/CUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersLeMoyne–Owen
229#FUnited StatesBaltimore BulletsAlabama State
330#n/aUnited StatesPhoenix SunsColorado State
331#GUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksEast Tennessee State
332GUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsNorth Texas State
333F/CUnited StatesPhoenix Suns Morehead State
334*GUnited StatesChicago BullsSaint Francis
335#GUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsNorfolk State
336#GUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsVanderbilt
337CUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsXavier
338#F-CUnited StatesBoston CelticsAlcorn State
339#n/aUnited StatesPhoenix SunsColorado State
340F/CUnited StatesNew York KnicksTemple
341FUnited StatesCincinnati Royals Long Island
342#CUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersLouisville
343G/FUnited StatesBaltimore BulletsMount St. Mary's
444FUnited StatesPhoenix SunsMichigan
445*G/FUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksNorfolk State
452F/CUnited StatesBoston CelticsBradley
456FUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersIllinois
558F/CUnited StatesPhoenix SunsMemphis State
561+FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsToledo
564FUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsDrake
565GUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsMaryland State
566GUnited StatesBoston CelticsMarquette
569FUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersAlbany State
673GUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksTulane
8103FUnited StatesDetroit PistonsNotre Dame
8109CUnited StatesAtlanta HawksGrambling
9117GUnited StatesDetroit PistonsHouston
11147GUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsWeber State
12167GUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersLa Salle
13172#n/aUnited StatesChicago BullsNorfolk State
14187GUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersUSC
19214FUnited StatesAtlanta HawksManhattan
19215GCanadaBaltimore BulletsAcadia

Trades