1965 NBA draft
The 1965 NBA Draft was the 19th annual player selection meeting of the National Basketball Association (NBA), conducted on May 6, 1965, in New York, New York.[1] It featured 17 rounds comprising 112 total picks, primarily from NCAA colleges, with selections made by the league's nine teams to build their rosters for the 1965–66 season.[1] The event included both standard draft picks and territorial selections, allowing teams to claim local college stars without competing in the regular order.[2] The San Francisco Warriors held the first overall pick in the regular draft and selected forward Fred Hetzel from Davidson College, a 6-foot-8 All-American who averaged 26.5 points and 14.8 rebounds in his senior year.[1] Territorial picks prior to the main rounds included Bill Bradley (New York Knicks, Princeton), Bill Buntin (Detroit Pistons, Michigan), and Gail Goodrich (Los Angeles Lakers, UCLA), while the regular draft continued with Rick Barry (second overall, Warriors, Miami (FL)), setting the stage for a remarkably talented class.[2] This draft is renowned for its depth and impact—one of only five draft classes to produce 10 or more NBA All-Stars (Barry, Bradley, Cunningham, Goodrich, Bob Love, Jon McGlocklin, Flynn Robinson, Jerry Sloan, Dick Van Arsdale, and Tom Van Arsdale)—yielding five Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers—Rick Barry, Bill Bradley, Billy Cunningham (fifth pick, Philadelphia 76ers, North Carolina), Gail Goodrich, and Jerry Sloan (fourth pick, Baltimore Bullets, Evansville)—along with multiple All-Stars like the Van Arsdale twins and other contributors.[1][3] These players helped shape NBA competition in the late 1960s and 1970s, with Barry earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1966 and leading the Warriors to the 1967 NBA Finals.[4] The class's success underscored the growing importance of college basketball talent pipelines to professional success during the league's expansion era.[5]Background
Historical Context
The National Basketball Association (NBA) traces its origins to the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which was established on June 6, 1946, by owners of ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, initially comprising 11 teams divided into Eastern and Western divisions.[6] The BAA's inaugural 1946-47 season featured competitive play, but financial challenges led to fluctuations, with the league contracting to eight teams by the 1947-48 season before expanding to 12 in 1948-49. In August 1949, the BAA merged with the rival National Basketball League (NBL), forming the NBA with 17 teams for the 1949-50 season, marking a pivotal consolidation that stabilized professional basketball amid post-World War II economic recovery.[6] Subsequent years saw further contractions due to ongoing financial instability and relocations; by the mid-1950s, the league had dwindled to eight teams, including stalwarts like the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. This period established the NBA's resilience, with the 1950s drafts introducing mechanisms like territorial picks—first utilized in the 1949 BAA draft and formalized in the NBA starting in 1950—to allow teams to select local college stars within a 50-mile radius of their home city, forgoing their first-round pick to boost fan interest and attendance.[7] Key drafts from the 1950s to early 1960s, such as the 1950 NBA draft in Chicago and the 1960 selection of Oscar Robertson, set precedents for talent acquisition strategies, emphasizing college pipelines while navigating the territorial rule to balance competitive equity.[8] Expansion efforts resumed in 1961 with the addition of the Chicago Packers, bringing the total to 10 teams, though Chicago folded after one season, leaving nine teams for the 1962-63 through 1964-65 campaigns.[6] The 1964-65 season, the league's 19th, underscored the NBA's competitive landscape with nine franchises split between Eastern and Western divisions, where poor performances directly influenced draft positioning. The San Francisco Warriors finished last in the Western Division with a 17-63 record, securing the worst overall mark, while the New York Knicks ended at 31-49 in the East, tying for the division's bottom spot and shaping the reverse-order selection process.[9] This context led to the 1965 NBA draft, held on May 6, 1965, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, where teams sought to rebuild amid the league's gradual growth toward broader national appeal.[1][10]League and Team Situation
In the 1964–65 season, the NBA comprised nine teams divided into the Eastern and Western Divisions, with the Eastern having four teams and the Western five. These teams were the Baltimore Bullets, Boston Celtics, Cincinnati Royals, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, St. Louis Hawks, and San Francisco Warriors.[9] The league's final standings from that season dictated the reverse-order draft positioning, highlighting the disparities among franchises. The San Francisco Warriors endured the league's worst campaign at 17–63, earning them priority access to top prospects, while the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons both finished 31–49, underscoring their urgent needs for roster upgrades. At the opposite end, the Boston Celtics dominated with a 62–18 record, reflecting their ongoing dynasty under Bill Russell. The full standings are summarized below:| Team | Division | Wins-Losses | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Eastern | 62–18 | 1st |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Western | 49–31 | 1st |
| Cincinnati Royals | Eastern | 48–32 | 2nd |
| St. Louis Hawks | Western | 45–35 | 2nd |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Eastern | 40–40 | 3rd |
| Baltimore Bullets | Western | 37–43 | 3rd |
| New York Knicks | Eastern | 31–49 | 4th |
| Detroit Pistons | Western | 31–49 | 4th |
| San Francisco Warriors | Western | 17–63 | 5th |
Draft Process
Territorial Pick Rules
The territorial pick rule, introduced in the 1950 NBA Draft, permitted teams to claim exclusive rights to a college player from a local institution prior to the commencement of the regular draft selections.[7] This mechanism allowed franchises to forgo their first-round pick in exchange for selecting a player who had attended a college within approximately 50 miles of the team's home arena, thereby prioritizing regional talent to foster community engagement.[13] The rule emerged during the NBA's formative years, when the league sought to bolster attendance and fan loyalty in an era of limited national visibility for professional basketball.[7] Eligibility under the territorial pick hinged on geographic proximity and the player's collegiate affiliation, with "local ties" broadly interpreted to include strong connections to the area beyond mere distance, such as attendance at nearby universities or high schools.[14] For instance, a team could target a standout from a state school or urban college serving its market, ensuring the selection aligned with efforts to draw crowds familiar with the prospect's college performances.[13] This criterion was not rigidly enforced through precise measurements but relied on league consensus to avoid disputes over boundaries, reflecting the NBA's small size at the time with fewer than 10 teams.[15] The process unfolded before the regular draft, typically held in a centralized location like New York City; teams intending to exercise the territorial option would announce their selection in advance, securing the player outright without competition from other franchises.[16] By surrendering their top draft slot, teams accepted a strategic trade-off, often justified by the potential for immediate fan appeal over a higher lottery position in the inverse-order selection.[7] This pre-draft phase streamlined operations but occasionally sparked debates on equity, as stronger teams in populous areas gained an edge in accessing elite local talent. The rule's rationale centered on stabilizing franchises in competitive urban markets, where drafting a homegrown star could translate college popularity into professional ticket sales and media coverage.[13] Over its lifespan, it produced notable successes, such as the Philadelphia Warriors' 1950 selection of Paul Arizin from Villanova University, which helped solidify their presence in the region.[13] Another example occurred in 1964, when the Cincinnati Royals used the territorial pick on George Wilson from the University of Cincinnati, capitalizing on his local All-American status to enhance team drawing power.[17] By 1965, the territorial pick represented the rule's final application, as growing concerns over competitive balance and the league's impending expansion to new markets prompted its abolition ahead of the 1966 draft.[18] Expansion diluted territorial advantages and highlighted inequities, leading the NBA to revamp the system toward a more uniform reverse-order format to promote parity across franchises.[19]Regular Draft Mechanics
The regular draft for the 1965 NBA season followed the territorial picks and consisted of 17 rounds, resulting in a total of 112 selections distributed among the league's nine teams. Unlike later drafts, the number of picks per round varied, as teams could pass on selections in later rounds if they chose not to exercise their option. This structure allowed for a broader pool of prospects to be considered, though only a fraction ultimately signed professional contracts. The order of selection was established in reverse of each team's win-loss record from the preceding 1964-65 season, giving priority to the worst-performing teams to promote competitive balance. For instance, the San Francisco Warriors, who finished with the league's poorest record at 17-63, held the first pick in the regular draft portion after territorial selections. In cases of tied records, the draft position was determined by the teams' performance in prior seasons, ensuring a methodical resolution without random elements like lotteries, which were not introduced until later decades. Player eligibility was strictly limited to United States college athletes who had completed their senior year or accumulated four years of higher education, reflecting the era's emphasis on post-secondary development before professional entry. This rule, outlined in the league's draft regulations, excluded underclassmen and high school graduates, contributing to a pool dominated by established college performers. International players were exceedingly rare, with virtually all selections drawn from American universities due to limited global scouting and logistical barriers at the time. No trades were executed during the draft proceedings themselves, as the event was conducted in a sequential, non-negotiated format at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on May 6, 1965. Subsequent transactions, including player rights swaps, were handled independently in the weeks and months following the draft.Selections
Territorial Picks
The territorial picks in the 1965 NBA draft allowed teams to select players from colleges within their geographic territory prior to the regular draft, a practice aimed at bolstering local fan interest by securing homegrown talent.[17] This mechanism, in its final year of use, resulted in three such selections on May 6, 1965. The New York Knicks chose forward Bill Bradley from Princeton University, leveraging their territorial rights to the New York metropolitan area, which encompassed Princeton's location in New Jersey. Bradley, a standout senior, led Princeton to the 1965 NCAA Final Four, where he set a tournament record with 58 points in a semifinal game against Wichita State. During his senior season, he averaged 30.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, earning consensus first-team All-American honors.[20] The Detroit Pistons selected center Bill Buntin from the University of Michigan, aligning with their territorial claim over the state. Buntin, a senior co-captain, helped Michigan reach the 1965 NCAA Final Four and was named to the All-Tournament team. In his final college year, he averaged 20.1 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while shooting 48.7% from the field.[21] The Los Angeles Lakers picked guard Gail Goodrich from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), exercising their local rights to Southern California institutions. Goodrich, a senior leader under coach John Wooden, guided UCLA to the 1965 NCAA championship with a perfect 28-2 record. He averaged 24.6 points per game that season, establishing a school record for guards at the time.[22] These picks were formalized before the regular draft began, reflecting the NBA's strategy to protect market advantages for established franchises, and are included in the overall first-round selections (Bradley 2nd overall, Buntin 3rd overall, Goodrich 10th overall).[23]First Round
The first round of the 1965 NBA Draft comprised 11 selections in total, including the three territorial picks, held on May 6, 1965, in New York City, with the order determined primarily by reverse records from the previous season, giving the San Francisco Warriors the top two regular choices after finishing last in the Western Division.[1] The regular first round consisted of eight selections. The Warriors selected center Fred Hetzel with the first overall pick; however, he was traded to the Baltimore Bullets later that summer in exchange for point guard Guy Rodgers and a future draft pick, providing the Warriors with veteran leadership while acquiring a promising big man for the Bullets.[24] With their second regular pick (4th overall), the Warriors added forward Rick Barry from the University of Miami, a scoring sensation who had averaged 37.4 points per game during his senior season, leading the NCAA in scoring and earning consensus All-American honors.[25] The New York Knicks followed with their regular pick (5th overall), selecting forward Dave Stallworth from Wichita State University, bolstering their frontcourt depth. The Bullets then chose guard Jerry Sloan from the University of Evansville at No. 6 overall, known for his tenacious defense even in college.[26] The Philadelphia 76ers picked forward Billy Cunningham from the University of North Carolina 7th overall, adding athleticism to their roster. The St. Louis Hawks selected forward Jim Washington from Villanova University at No. 8 overall, while the Cincinnati Royals closed their first-round selection by drafting center Nate Bowman from Wichita State University 9th overall. The Boston Celtics selected forward Ollie Johnson from the University of San Francisco 11th overall.[27]| Overall | Player | Position | College | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Hetzel | C/F | Davidson College | San Francisco Warriors |
| 4 | Rick Barry | F | University of Miami | San Francisco Warriors |
| 5 | Dave Stallworth | F/C | Wichita State University | New York Knicks |
| 6 | Jerry Sloan | G | University of Evansville | Baltimore Bullets |
| 7 | Billy Cunningham | F | University of North Carolina | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 8 | Jim Washington | F | Villanova University | St. Louis Hawks |
| 9 | Nate Bowman | C | Wichita State University | Cincinnati Royals |
| 11 | Ollie Johnson | F | University of San Francisco | Boston Celtics |