1979 NBA draft

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
SportBasketball
Date(s)June 25, 1979
LocationPlaza Hotel (New York City, New York)
Overview
202 total selections in 10 rounds
LeagueNBA
First selectionMagic 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
Magic Johnson was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Magic 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 GM 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]

Key
Pos.GFC
PositionGuardForwardCenter
^ 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

Draft
Bill Cartwright was selected 3rd overall by the New York Knicks.
Sidney Moncrief was selected 5th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kyle Macy was selected 22nd overall by the Phoenix Suns.
Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Team School/club team
1 1 Magic Johnson^ G/F  United States Los Angeles Lakers (from Utah)[a] Michigan State (So.)
1 2 David Greenwood F/C  United States Chicago Bulls UCLA (Sr.)
1 3 Bill Cartwright+ C  United States New York Knicks (from Boston)[b] San Francisco (Sr.)
1 4 Greg Kelser F  United States Detroit Pistons Michigan State (Sr.)
1 5 Sidney Moncrief^ G  United States Milwaukee Bucks (from Cleveland) Arkansas (Sr.)
1 6 James Bailey F/C  United States Seattle SuperSonics (from New York)[d] Rutgers (Sr.)
1 7 Vinnie Johnson G  United States Seattle SuperSonics (from New Jersey via New York)[e] Baylor (Sr.)
1 8 Calvin Natt+ F  United States New Jersey Nets (from Indiana via Milwaukee)[f] Northeast Louisiana (Sr.)
1 9 Larry Demic F/C  United States New York Knicks (from Golden State via Boston)[b] Arizona (Sr.)
1 10 Roy Hamilton G  United States Detroit Pistons (from Milwaukee via San Diego)[g] UCLA (Sr.)
1 11 Cliff Robinson F  United States New Jersey Nets (from San Diego)[h] USC (So.)
1 12 Jim Paxson* G/F  United States Portland Trail Blazers Dayton (Sr.)
1 13 Dudley Bradley G/F  United States Indiana Pacers (from Atlanta)[i] North Carolina (Sr.)
1 14 Brad Holland G  United States Los Angeles Lakers UCLA (Sr.)
1 15 Phil Hubbard F/C  United States Detroit Pistons (from Denver)[j] Michigan (Sr.)
1 16 Jim Spanarkel G/F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Duke (Sr.)
1 17 Lee Johnson F  United States Houston Rockets East Texas State (Sr.)
1 18 Reggie King F  United States Kansas City Kings Alabama (Sr.)
1 19 Wiley Peck G  United States San Antonio Spurs Mississippi State (Sr.)
1 20 Larry Knight# F  United States Utah Jazz (from Phoenix)[k] Loyola (IL) (Sr.)
1 21 Sly Williams G/F  United States New York Knicks (from Seattle via Boston)[b] Rhode Island (Jr.)
1 22 Kyle Macy G  United States Phoenix Suns (from Washington)[l] Kentucky (Sr.)
2 23 Tico Brown# G  United States Utah Jazz Georgia Tech (Sr.)
2 24 Johnny High G  United States Phoenix Suns (from Boston)[m] Nevada (Sr.)
2 25 Oliver Mack G  United States Los Angeles Lakers (from Detroit via Denver) East Carolina (Sr.)
2 26 Bruce Flowers F  United States Cleveland Cavaliers Notre Dame (Sr.)
2 27 Reggie Carter G  United States New York Knicks St. John's (Sr.)
2 28 Danny Salisbury# F  United States Golden State Warriors (from Chicago) Pan American (Sr.)
2 29 Tony Price G  United States Detroit Pistons (from New Jersey) Pennsylvania (Sr.)
2 30 Gary Garland G  United States Denver Nuggets (from Golden State via San Diego) DePaul (Sr.)
2 31 Edgar Jones F/C  United States Milwaukee Bucks Nevada (Sr.)
2 32 Tony Zeno F  United States Indiana Pacers Arizona State (Sr.)
2 33 Lawrence Butler# G  United States Chicago Bulls (from San Diego via Denver) Idaho State (Sr.)
2 34 Kim Goetz# F  United States New York Knicks (from Portland) San Diego State (Sr.)
2 35 James Bradley# F  United States Atlanta Hawks Memphis State (Sr.)
2 36 Clint Richardson G  United States Philadelphia 76ers (from Denver via New Jersey) Seattle (Sr.)
2 37 Bernard Toone F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Marquette (Sr.)
2 38 Larry Wilson# F  United States Atlanta Hawks (from Houston) Nicholls State (Sr.)
2 39 Victor King# F  United States Los Angeles Lakers Louisiana Tech (Sr.)
2 40 Andrew Fields# F  United States Portland Trail Blazers (from San Antonio via Seattle) Cheyney State (Sr.)
2 41 Mark Young# F  United States Los Angeles Lakers (from Kansas City via Denver) Fairfield (Sr.)
2 42 Paul Mokeski F/C  United States Houston Rockets (from Phoenix via Seattle) Kansas (Sr.)
2 43 Johnny Moore G  United States Seattle SuperSonics Texas (Sr.)
2 44 Joe DeSantis# G  United States Washington Bullets Fairfield (Sr.)

Other picks

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.[25][26]

Bill Laimbeer was selected 65th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James Donaldson was selected 73rd overall by the Seattle SuperSonics.
Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Team School/club team
3 45 Arvid Kramer C  United States Utah Jazz Augustana (SD) (Sr.)
3 47 Calvin Garrett F  United States Chicago Bulls (from Cleveland) Oral Roberts (Sr.)
3 48 Terry Duerod G  United States Detroit Pistons Detroit (Sr.)
3 49 Cedrick Hordges F/C  United States Chicago Bulls South Carolina (Sr.)
3 50 Geoff Huston G  United States New York Knicks Texas Tech (Sr.)
3 53 Wayne Kreklow G  United States Boston Celtics (from Indiana) Drake (Sr.)
3 54 Lynbert Johnson G/F  United States Golden State Warriors Wichita State (Sr.)
3 58 Earl Cureton F/C  United States Philadelphia 76ers Detroit (Sr.)
3 59 Ricardo Brown PG  Philippines/ United States Houston Rockets Pepperdine (Sr.)
3 62 Terry Crosby G  United States Kansas City Kings Tennessee (Sr.)
3 63 Sylvester Norris C  United States San Antonio Spurs Jackson State (Sr.)
3 65 Bill Laimbeer+ C  United States Cleveland Cavaliers (from Seattle) Notre Dame (Sr.)
4 67 Greg Deane G  United States Utah Jazz Utah (Sr.)
4 73 James Donaldson+ C  Great Britain/ United States Seattle SuperSonics (from New Jersey) Washington State (Sr.)
4 82 Jerry Sichting G  United States Golden State Warriors (from Denver) Purdue (Sr.)
4 83 Mike Niles F  United States Philadelphia 76ers Cal State Fullerton (Sr.)
4 85 John McCullough G  United States Kansas City Kings Oklahoma (Sr.)
5 98 Billy Reid G  United States Indiana Pacers San Francisco (Jr.)
5 104 Allen Leavell G  United States Houston Rockets Oklahoma City (Sr.)
5 107 Mark Eaton+ C  United States Phoenix Suns Cypress JC (Fr.)[1]
8 165 Charles Jones F/C  United States Phoenix Suns Albany State (Sr.)
10 185 Paul Dawkins F  United States Utah Jazz Northern Illinois (Sr.)
10 198 Keith McCord G  United States Philadelphia 76ers UAB (Sr.)

Trades
  • 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.[27] 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.[28] Previously, the Celtics acquired a first-round pick on January 30, 1979, from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jo Jo White.[29] The Celtics also acquired a first-round pick on January 17, 1979, from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Dennis Awtrey.[30] 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.[31] Previously, the Bucks acquired the pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 1, 1978, in exchange for a 1978 first-round pick.[32] 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.[33] 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.[34] 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.[35][36] 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.[37] 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.[38] 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.[39] Previously, the Clippers acquired the pick on September 2, 1977, from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for John Gianelli.[37] 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.[40] 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.[41] 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.[42] 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.[43] 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.[44] 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.[30] The Suns used the pick to draft Johnny High.

Notes

^ 1: 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]

References
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 10 September 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  • "1977–1981 NBA Drafts". The Association for Professional Basketball Research. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
Specific
  1. "Who will go second in NBA draft?". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 24, 1979. p. 4F.
  2. "L.A. picks "Magic"". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 25, 1979. p. 21.
  3. "Evolution of the Draft and Lottery". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  4. Braude, Dick (June 8, 1979). "For $3.25 million, Celtics land Bird". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. p. 33.
  5. "Early Entry Candidate History". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on September 14, 2009. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  6. "Spencer Haywood Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  7. "This Date in History–June". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  8. "Olajuwon should go first in today's draft". Gainesville Sun. (Florida). Associated Press. June 19, 1984. p. 1C. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  9. "Magic Johnson Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  10. "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  11. "The NBA's 50 Greatest Players". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  12. "Magic Johnson Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  13. "Sidney Moncrief Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  14. "Jim Paxson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  15. "Bill Cartwright Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  16. "Bill Cartwright Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  17. "Bill Laimbeer Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  18. "Bill Laimbeer Bio". WNBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 2011-10-12. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  19. Hersch, Hank (May 1, 1989). "Big Man On The Block". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  20. "Mark Eaton Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  21. "Calvin Natt Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  22. "James Donaldson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 10 September 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  23. "Greece – Nick Galis". FIBA. July 20, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-07. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  24. http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/19052994/tracy-mcgrady-bill-self-rebecca-lobo-headline-2017-basketball-hall-fame-class
  25. https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1979.html
  26. http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/past_drafts/1979
  27. "Kenny Carr Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  28. "Bob McAdoo Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  29. "Jo Jo White Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  30. "Dennis Awtrey Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  31. "Greg Kelser Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  32. "Mike Mitchell Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  33. "Spencer Haywood Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  34. "Lonnie Shelton Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  35. "Phil Jackson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  36. 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.
  37. "John Gianelli Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  38. "Alex English Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  39. "Marvin Barnes Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  40. "Tiny Archibald Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  41. "Dan Roundfield Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  42. "Ralph Simpson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  43. "Truck Robinson Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  44. "Steve Malovic Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
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