1973 NBA draft
The 1973 NBA draft was the 27th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA), held over two days—April 24 for the first 10 rounds and May 5 for the remaining rounds—in New York City, where the Philadelphia 76ers selected shooting guard Doug Collins from Illinois State University as the first overall pick.[1][2] The draft featured 20 rounds and 211 total selections across 17 NBA teams, with 53 draftees ultimately playing in the league.[1] The 76ers earned the top choice after posting the league's worst record of 9–73 in the 1972–73 season, marking one of the most dismal campaigns in NBA history.[3] Among the first-round selections were point guard Ernie DiGregorio, taken third overall by the Buffalo Braves and who went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors in the 1973–74 season with averages of 15.2 points and a league-leading 8.2 assists per game, as well as power forward Kermit Washington, selected fifth by the Los Angeles Lakers and known for his rebounding and defensive presence over a 10-season career.[1][4][5] Later rounds yielded several players who achieved stardom, particularly in the rival American Basketball Association (ABA) before the 1976 merger. George McGinnis, an established ABA star already playing for the Indiana Pacers since 1971, was picked 22nd overall by the 76ers and continued with the Pacers, where he earned MVP honors in 1975 and later transitioned to the NBA as a Hall of Famer with three All-Star appearances.[6] Center Swen Nater, selected 16th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, opted for the ABA's Virginia Squires and led the league in rebounding twice before entering the NBA in 1976.[7] Similarly, forward Larry Kenon, a third-round pick (50th overall) by the Detroit Pistons, began his professional career in the ABA with the New York Nets, earning All-Star nods and averaging 21.9 points and 11.3 rebounds in his first NBA season after the merger.[8] Overall, the class produced a mix of immediate contributors and ABA standouts, reflecting the competitive landscape between the leagues at the time.[1]Background
Historical Context
The 1972-73 NBA season highlighted stark disparities among teams, setting the stage for the draft by determining selection order based on reverse performance records within conferences. In the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers endured the league's worst campaign with a 9-73 record, marking the lowest winning percentage (.110) in NBA history at the time and underscoring their desperate need for rebuilding. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers compiled a 21-61 mark, the division's poorest, which positioned both struggling franchises for a pivotal coin flip to claim the No. 1 overall pick.[9][10] Amid these developments, the Baltimore Bullets—fresh off a successful 52-30 regular season and an Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance—underwent a significant franchise shift. In February 1973, owner Abe Pollin relocated the team approximately 35 miles southeast to the new Capital Centre arena in Landover, Maryland, a suburb east of Washington, D.C., and rebranded them the Capital Bullets to appeal to the broader capital region market. This move, delayed slightly by construction but completed for the 1973-74 season opener, created opportunities and challenges for roster planning, as the team aimed to leverage its established core while integrating new talent to sustain fan engagement and competitiveness in the expanded D.C. area.[11][12] The NBA's intensifying rivalry with the American Basketball Association (ABA) further shaped the 1973 draft landscape, as the upstart league—now in its seventh year—poached high-profile talent and forced bidding wars that limited player availability. With the ABA posting a 15-10 edge in inter-league exhibition games during the 1972-73 season and offering lucrative contracts plus stylistic innovations like the three-point line, NBA teams adopted more aggressive draft approaches to lock in prospects before ABA free-agent signings or their parallel draft could intervene.[13][14] Compounding this competition, the NBA's 1971 hardship rule—pioneered by Spencer Haywood's legal challenge to the four-year eligibility mandate—enabled underclassmen to declare early upon proving financial hardship, broadening the draft pool amid ABA pressures. In 1973, this provision saw 11 underclassmen apply successfully, including notable juniors like Dwight Jones and Larry Kenon, allowing teams access to younger, high-potential athletes previously restricted until graduation.[15][16]Eligibility and Rules
The eligibility rules for the 1973 NBA Draft followed the league's longstanding policy requiring players to be college seniors or graduates who had completed at least four years since high school graduation.[17] This standard ensured a pool primarily of experienced college athletes, reflecting the NBA's emphasis on maturity and development prior to professional entry.[18] Underclassmen could seek exceptions through the hardship rule, which allowed early entry upon demonstrating financial need via application to the league; approvals were granted after review of submitted evidence.[19] In 1973, the NBA approved 11 such applications, making these players eligible alongside the standard pool: Dwight Jones (junior, Houston), Larry Kenon (junior, Memphis State), Raymond Lewis (sophomore, Los Angeles State), selected 18th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers but who never played in the NBA; he later became a renowned streetball player in Los Angeles.[20][21], Arnold Mast (freshman, Oklahoma City Southwestern J.C.), Larry McNeill (junior, Marquette), David Thompson (sophomore, North Carolina State), John Shumate (junior, Notre Dame), Ernie DiGregorio (junior, Providence), Rich Kelley (junior, Utah State), Swen Nater (sophomore, UCLA), and George Trapp (junior, Washington State).[19] These exceptions, pioneered in response to cases like Spencer Haywood's earlier legal challenge, marked an evolving flexibility in player access amid competition from the ABA.[17] The draft structure involved 17 teams selecting in up to 20 rounds, yielding a total of 211 picks across variable team participation per round.[1] This format represented the final instance of such extended, non-fixed rounds in NBA history, with the league standardizing to 10 rounds beginning in 1974 to streamline the process. Territorial picks, which had allowed teams to claim local college stars outside the standard order, were abolished prior to the 1966 draft, ensuring the 1973 selection prioritized reverse standings order among non-playoff teams for fairness.[22]Draft Process
Order Determination
The draft order for the 1973 NBA draft was established through the league's pre-lottery system, which assigned the first nine picks to the non-playoff teams from the 1972-73 season in inverse order of their regular-season records, ensuring the worst-performing teams selected earliest to promote competitive balance.[23] The eight playoff teams then filled picks 10 through 17 in reverse order of their regular-season finishes.[23] To resolve the top selection, a coin flip tiebreaker was conducted between the two teams with the worst records in their respective conferences: the Philadelphia 76ers (Eastern Conference, 9-73 record) and the Portland Trail Blazers (Western Conference, 21–61 record), the worst in their conference.[9][24] The 76ers won the flip, securing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting guard Doug Collins from Illinois State University, a choice that provided the franchise with its first cornerstone player amid a historically poor season.[10] Portland received the No. 2 pick as the loser but traded it before the draft.[24] This deterministic process, lacking randomization, contrasted with the NBA draft lottery introduced in 1985, which gave all non-playoff teams varying probabilities for the top four picks to discourage intentional losses and distribute talent more equitably.[25]Event Logistics
The 1973 NBA draft occurred on April 24, 1973, in New York City, involving representatives from the league's 17 teams.[1] The event was conducted via a conference call connecting the teams across various cities, enabling sequential submission of picks without the timeouts or extended deliberations common in modern drafts.[24] A 65-minute delay occurred early due to technical issues with the telephone connection, but the proceedings moved efficiently thereafter, completing selections for 165 players in approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes.[24] National media outlets provided coverage of the draft, with particular emphasis on top prospect Doug Collins of Illinois State University, whose selection as the first overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers highlighted the event's focus on high-profile college talents.[24] Attendance was limited to league personnel and select media, reflecting the era's low-key approach to the proceedings before the advent of televised drafts.[26]Selections
First Round Picks
The first round of the 1973 NBA draft, held on April 24 in New York City, featured 18 selections by the league's 17 teams, with the Philadelphia 76ers securing the top choice after winning a coin flip against the Portland Trail Blazers, the worst teams from each conference in the previous season.[1] This round emphasized versatile guards and forwards, as teams sought immediate contributors to bolster rebuilding rosters amid the NBA's expansion era. The selections reflected a focus on college standouts with scoring prowess and defensive potential, drawn primarily from major programs. The following table lists the first 10 picks, highlighting player positions, drafting teams, and colleges:| Pick | Player | Team | College | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doug Collins | Philadelphia 76ers | Illinois State | Guard |
| 2 | Jim Brewer | Cleveland Cavaliers | Minnesota | Forward |
| 3 | Ernie DiGregorio | Buffalo Braves | Providence | Guard |
| 4 | Mike Green | Seattle SuperSonics | Louisiana Tech | Center |
| 5 | Kermit Washington | [Los Angeles Lakers](/page/Los Angeles_Lakers) | American University | Forward |
| 6 | Ed Ratleff | Houston Rockets | Long Beach State | Guard |
| 7 | Ron Behagen | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | Minnesota | Center |
| 8 | Mike Bantom | Phoenix Suns | Saint Joseph's | Forward |
| 9 | Dwight Jones | Atlanta Hawks | Houston | Forward |
| 10 | John Brown | Atlanta Hawks | Missouri | Forward |
Later Round Highlights
The 1973 NBA draft consisted of 20 rounds, resulting in 211 total selections, though talent depth typically waned after the first round, with only occasional standout players emerging from later picks.[1] Of these draftees, just 53 ultimately appeared in at least one NBA game, highlighting the high risk and low success rate associated with mid-to-late round selections during this era.[1] One of the most notable value picks came in the second round, when the Philadelphia 76ers selected George McGinnis with the 22nd overall pick; although McGinnis initially played in the ABA with the Indiana Pacers—who had drafted him in the ABA's 1971 territorial pick—his NBA rights belonged to the 76ers, and he later joined them in 1975, earning three All-Star selections and two All-NBA honors while averaging 17.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists over 528 games.[1][6] In the third round, the Detroit Pistons chose Larry Kenon 50th overall out of the University of Memphis; after beginning his professional career in the ABA with the Memphis Tams and later the Spirits of St. Louis, Kenon transitioned to the NBA post-merger in 1976 with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, where he made two All-Star appearances (1978 and 1980) and posted career averages of 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 503 games.[1][8] Further examples of draft depth include the 76ers' selection of Caldwell Jones in the second round (32nd overall), who enjoyed a durable 13-year NBA career primarily as a defensive specialist and rebounder, appearing in 1,068 games with averages of 6.3 points and 7.1 rebounds.[1] Similarly, the Kansas City-Omaha Kings picked M.L. Carr in the fifth round (76th overall), a forward who developed into a key contributor on the 1981 champion Boston Celtics, logging 604 games with 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while also serving as an NBA coach later in his career.[1] These selections underscore how later rounds occasionally yielded players with solid, impactful contributions despite the overall scarcity of NBA success from the draft's latter stages.Additional Players and Entries
Notable Undrafted Players
One of the most prominent undrafted players from the 1973 NBA draft class was Donald "Slick" Watts, a point guard out of Xavier University of Louisiana. Despite leading his college team in scoring and assists during his senior year, Watts went unselected in the 20-round draft, likely overlooked due to playing at a small, historically Black institution in a era when NBA scouts heavily favored major programs.[48][49] Watts secured an NBA opportunity through a personal connection: his former college coach, Bob Hopkins, was cousins with Seattle SuperSonics head coach Bill Russell, who invited him to a tryout shortly after the draft. Watts impressed enough to sign as a free agent with the SuperSonics in October 1973, filling a need for backcourt depth on a team rebuilding after a poor previous season.[48] In his rookie season of 1973-74, Watts appeared in 58 games off the bench, averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 assists per game while providing defensive energy. His role expanded rapidly; by 1975-76, he became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both assists (8.1 per game) and steals (2.7 per game), earning All-Defensive Second Team honors and helping the SuperSonics reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Over six NBA seasons primarily with Seattle and later the New Orleans Jazz, Watts compiled career averages of 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 437 games, demonstrating how undrafted talent could address roster gaps left by inconsistent draftees from the class. Watts died on March 15, 2025, at the age of 73.[49][48] Other undrafted players from the 1973 class who reached the NBA included Henry Dickerson, a guard from Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston), who signed as a free agent and appeared in 25 games across two seasons with the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks, averaging 2.0 points per game. However, Watts' achievements stand out as the most significant, underscoring the potential for overlooked prospects to thrive via free agency routes amid the competitive landscape of post-draft signings.[50]Early Entrants
In 1973, the NBA permitted underclassmen to enter the draft under its hardship rule, a provision established following the 1970 antitrust lawsuit victory by Spencer Haywood that challenged the league's four-year eligibility requirement. This rule allowed college players who could demonstrate financial hardship—such as dire economic conditions, family support obligations, or related personal circumstances—to apply for early eligibility, subject to approval by the NBA commissioner based on evidence of need, academic standing, and family situation.[51][52] The process marked an exception to the standard rule requiring players to exhaust four years post-high school graduation, aiming to provide relief for those unable to continue collegiate play without immediate professional income.[17] A total of 11 underclassmen received hardship approval for the 1973 draft, announced on April 10, 1973, ahead of the event on April 24. These players, representing a mix of juniors, sophomores, and freshmen from various institutions, included:| Player | Class | School |
|---|---|---|
| William Averitt | JR | Pepperdine |
| David Brent | SO | Jacksonville |
| Larry Harris | SO | Genesee CC |
| Dwight Jones | JR | Houston |
| Larry Kenon | JR | Memphis State |
| Raymond Lewis | SO | Los Angeles State |
| Arnold Mast | FR | Oklahoma City Southwestern JC |
| Larry McNeill | JR | Marquette |
| Mallory Mitchell | SO | Southern California CC |
| Ed Searcy | JR | St. John's |
| John Williamson | JR | New Mexico State |