1968 NBA draft


The 1968 NBA draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association. The draft was held on April 3, 1968, and May 8 and 10, 1968 before the 1968–69 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 San Diego Rockets won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Baltimore Bullets 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. Six teams that had the best records in previous season were not awarded second round draft picks. Two expansion franchises, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the seventh and eighth pick in the first round, along with the last two picks of each subsequent round. The St. Louis Hawks relocated to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Hawks prior to the start of the season. The draft consisted of 21 rounds comprising 214 players selected.

Draft selections and draftee career notes

from the University of Houston was selected first overall by the San Diego Rockets. Wes Unseld from the University of Louisville was selected second by the Baltimore Bullets. He went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award in his first season, becoming only the second player to win both awards in the same season, after Wilt Chamberlain in 1960. Hayes and Unseld have been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. They were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996. Hayes and Unseld both won the NBA championship with the Washington Bullets in 1978. In the Finals, Unseld was named as the Finals Most Valuable Player. Unseld, who spent all of his 13-year playing career with the Bullets, was also selected to one All-NBA Team and five All-Star Games, while Hayes was selected to six All-NBA Teams and twelve All-Star Games. Bob Kauffman, the third pick, is the only other player from this draft who has been selected to an All-Star Game; he was selected to three All-Star Games during his career.
Unseld became a head coach after ending his playing career. He coached the Washington Bullets for seven seasons. Three other players drafted also went on to have a coaching career: 12th pick Don Chaney and 79th pick Rick Adelman. Chaney coached four NBA teams and won the Coach of the Year Award in 1991 with the Houston Rockets. Adelman coached four NBA teams, most recently with the Houston Rockets. He lost the NBA Finals twice with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1990 and 1992.
In the fourteenth round, the Seattle SuperSonics selected Mike Warren of UCLA. However, Warren never played professional basketball; he opted for an acting career in films and television instead.

Key

Draft

RoundPickPlayerPos.NationalityTeamSchool/club team
11^F/CUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsHouston
12^F/CUnited StatesBaltimore BulletsLouisville
13+F/CUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsGuilford
14CUnited StatesChicago BullsTennessee
15
F/CUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsIowa State
16F/CUnited StatesDetroit PistonsPan American
17F/CUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksNortheastern State
18F/CUnited StatesPhoenix SunsSouth Carolina
19GUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsWest Virginia
110F/CUnited StatesNew York KnicksOhio State
111FUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersUSC
112GUnited StatesBoston CelticsHouston
113GUnited StatesAtlanta HawksSouth Carolina
114G/FUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersUtah State
215FUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsNevada Southern
216GUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsStanford
217GUnited StatesChicago BullsOregon State
218G/FUnited StatesBaltimore BulletsXavier
219#CUnited StatesChicago Bulls Illinois
220F/CUnited StatesDetroit PistonsNiagara
221CUnited StatesPhoenix SunsMurray State
222#F/CUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksSaint Louis

Other picks

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.
RoundPickPlayerPos.NationalityTeamSchool/club team
323GUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsNebraska
327GUnited StatesCincinnati RoyalsColorado
328FUnited StatesCincinnati Royals Miami
330FUnited StatesNew York KnicksDayton
331CUnited StatesChicago Bulls Columbia
332F/CUnited StatesBoston CelticsEastern Kentucky
335GUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksIowa
437FUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsNortheastern
439FUnited StatesChicago BullsUCLA
442CUnited StatesDetroit PistonsSaint Louis
445GUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersNorth Carolina State
446CUnited StatesBoston CelticsGrambling
449F/CUnited StatesPhoenix SunsMemphis State
450FUnited StatesMilwaukee BucksWestern Kentucky
552GUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsBowling Green
557CUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsBrigham Young
670F/CUnited StatesDetroit PistonsCreighton
671FUnited StatesSan Francisco WarriorsMarshall
676GUnited StatesPhiladelphia 76ersColorado
677F/CUnited StatesPhoenix SunsDavidson
779GUnited StatesSan Diego RocketsLoyola
896GUnited StatesBaltimore BulletsSaint Louis
10122FUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsDuke
10131FUnited StatesAtlanta HawksTennessee State
11136FUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsUSC
11147G/FUnited StatesPhoenix SunsIdaho State
13162FUnited StatesSeattle SuperSonicsSanta Clara
13163G/FUnited StatesChicago BullsPurdue
15187FUnited StatesLos Angeles LakersTemple
17202GUnited StatesNew York KnicksLincoln

Trades