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1968 NBA draft

{{short description|Basketball player selection}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox sports draft

| name = 1968 NBA draft

| image =

| caption =

| logo =

| logosize =

| sport = Basketball

| date = April 3, 1968 (first round)
May 8 and 10, 1968 (Other rounds)

| location = New York City, New York

| network =

| league = NBA

| teams =

| overall = 214

| rounds = 21

| first = Elvin Hayes, San Diego Rockets

| hofnum = {{Collapsible list

| title = 2

|1 = F Elvin Hayes

|2 = F Wes Unseld}}

| prev = 1967

| next = 1969

}}

The 1968 NBA draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 3, 1968, and May 8 and 10, 1968, before the 1968–69 season.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_wYkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZgUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2905,2907187|title=Atlanta Gets Cage Hawks|newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner|date=May 5, 1968|access-date=March 16, 2010}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/draft_evolution.html|title=Evolution of the Draft and Lottery|access-date=March 16, 2010|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100321141751/http://www.nba.com/history/draft_evolution.html|archive-date=21 March 2010|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/hawks/history/00400483.html|title=Hawks: Franchise History|work=NBA.com/Hawks|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 16, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100319152343/http://www.nba.com/hawks/history/00400483.html| archive-date= 19 March 2010 | url-status= live}} The draft consisted of 21 rounds comprising 214 players selected. It would also be a catalyst for the upstart rivaling American Basketball Association to either force an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA due to a leaked document that was sent to the ABA by a disgruntled ex-employee revealing the NBA's plans to show how much each team was to contribute to get the college star players to sign with the NBA teams over the ABA teams or engage in a merger between the two leagues, which eventually resulted in the NBA–ABA merger happening years later.Pluto, Terry, Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association (Simon & Schuster, 1990), {{ISBN|978-1-4165-4061-8}}, p. 426

Draft selections and draftee career notes

Elvin Hayes 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,{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/awards_rookieofyear.html|title=Rookie of the Year|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307081705/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_rookieofyear.html|archive-date=7 March 2009|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/awards_mvp.html|title=Most Valuable Player|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 16, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090318083605/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_mvp.html| archive-date= 18 March 2009 | url-status= live}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/hof.html|title=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=March 16, 2010}} They were also named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/50greatest.html|title=The NBA's 50 Greatest Players|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405004357/http://www.nba.com/history/50greatest.html|archive-date=5 April 2010|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/unseld_bio.html|title=Wes Unseld Bio|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 17, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090306232811/http://www.nba.com/history/players/unseld_bio.html| archive-date= 6 March 2009 | url-status= live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/hayes_bio.html|title=Elvin Hayes Bio|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 17, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090309100132/http://www.nba.com/history/players/hayes_bio.html| archive-date= 9 March 2009 | url-status= live}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kauffbo01.html|title=Bob Kauffman Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=March 17, 2010}}

Unseld became a head coach after ending his playing career. He coached the Washington Bullets for seven seasons.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/unselwe01c.html|title=Wes Unseld Coaching Record|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=April 11, 2010}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/chanedo01c.html|title=Don Chaney Coaching Record|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=April 11, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100523002804/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/chanedo01c.html| archive-date= 23 May 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/awards_coachofyear.html|title=Coach of the Year|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=April 11, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429034857/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_coachofyear.html|archive-date=29 April 2009|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/adelmri01c.html|title=Rick Adelman Coaching Record|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=April 11, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100407061659/http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/adelmri01c.html| archive-date= 7 April 2010 | url-status= live}}

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.Michael Warren (actor)

Key

class="wikitable"

|width="50"|Pos.

width="50"|Gwidth="50"|Fwidth="50"|C
PositionGuardForwardCenter

{{NBA Draft legend|1=y|3=y|5=y}}

Draft

File:Elvin Hayes.jpg was selected first overall by the San Diego Rockets.]]

File:Wes Unseld 1975.jpeg was selected second overall by the Baltimore Bullets.]]

File:Bob Kauffman 1969.JPG was selected third overall by the Seattle SuperSonics.]]

class="wikitable sortable"

! width="1%"| Round

! width="1%"| Pick

! width="19%"| Player

! width="1%"| Pos.

! width="16%"| Nationality

! width="35%"| Team

! width="20%"| School/club team

align=center|1

| align=center|1

| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| {{sortname|Elvin|Hayes}}^

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Diego Rockets

| Houston

align=center|1

| align=center|2

| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| {{sortname|Wes|Unseld}}^

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Baltimore Bullets

| Louisville

align=center|1

| align=center|3

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| {{sortname|Bob|Kauffman}}+

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Seattle SuperSonics

| Guilford

align=center|1

| align=center|4

| {{sortname|Tom|Boerwinkle}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Bulls

| Tennessee

align=center|1

| align=center|5

| {{sortname|Don|Smith|Zaid Abdul-Aziz}}{{Cref|1}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Iowa State

align=center|1

| align=center|6

| {{sortname|Otto|Moore}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Pan American

align=center|1

| align=center|7

| {{sortname|Charlie|Paulk}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Milwaukee Bucks

| Northeastern State

align=center|1

| align=center|8

| {{sortname|Gary|Gregor}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Phoenix Suns

| South Carolina

align=center|1

| align=center|9

| {{sortname|Ron|Williams|Ron Williams (basketball)}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Francisco Warriors

| West Virginia

align=center|1

| align=center|10

| {{sortname|Bill|Hosket|Bill Hosket, Jr.}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Ohio State

align=center|1

| align=center|11

| {{sortname|Bill|Hewitt|Bill Hewitt (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Los Angeles Lakers

| USC

align=center|1

| align=center|12

| {{sortname|Don|Chaney}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Boston Celtics

| Houston

align=center|1

| align=center|13

| {{sortname|Skip|Harlicka}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Atlanta Hawks

| South Carolina

align=center|1

| align=center|14

| {{sortname|Shaler|Halimon}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Philadelphia 76ers

| Utah State

align=center|2

| align=center|15

| {{sortname|John|Trapp|dab=basketball}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Diego Rockets

| Nevada Southern

align=center|2

| align=center|16

| {{sortname|Art|Harris}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Seattle SuperSonics

| Stanford

align=center|2

| align=center|17

| {{sortname|Loy|Petersen}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Bulls

| Oregon State

align=center|2

| align=center|18

| {{sortname|Bob|Quick|dab=basketball}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Baltimore Bullets

| Xavier (OH)

align=center|2

| align=center|19

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Ron|Dunlap}}#

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Bulls (from Cincinnati){{ref label|Note1|a|a}}

| Illinois

align=center|2

| align=center|20

| {{sortname|Manny|Leaks}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Niagara

align=center|2

| align=center|21

| {{sortname|Dick|Cunningham}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Phoenix Suns

| Murray State

align=center|2

| align=center|22

| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| {{sortname|Gene|Moore|dab=basketball}}#

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Milwaukee Bucks

| Saint Louis

Other picks

The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1968.html|title = 1968 NBA draft}}{{Cite web|url=http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/past_drafts/1968|title = NBA Past Drafts - RealGM}}

class="wikitable sortable"

! width="1%"| Round

! width="1%"| Pick

! width="19%"| Player

! width="1%"| Pos.

! width="16%"| Nationality

! width="35%"| Team

! width="20%"| School/club team

align=center|3

| align=center|23

| {{sortname|Stu|Lantz}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Diego Rockets

| Nebraska

align=center|3

| align=center|27

| {{sortname|Pat|Frink}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals

| Colorado

align=center|3

| align=center|28

| {{sortname|Fred|Foster|Fred Foster (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Cincinnati Royals (from Detroit){{ref label|Note2|b|b}}

| Miami (OH)

align=center|3

| align=center|30

| {{sortname|Don|May|Don May (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Dayton

align=center|3

| align=center|31

| {{sortname|Dave|Newmark}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Bulls (from Los Angeles){{ref label|Note3|c|c}}

| Columbia

align=center|3

| align=center|32

| {{sortname|Garfield|Smith}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Boston Celtics

| Eastern Kentucky

align=center|3

| align=center|35

| {{sortname|Sam|Williams|Sam Williams (basketball, born 1945)}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Milwaukee Bucks

| Iowa

align=center|4

| align=center|37

| {{sortname|Harry|Barnes|Harry Barnes (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Diego Rockets

| Northeastern

align=center|4

| align=center|39

| {{sortname|Mike|Lynn|Mike Lynn (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Bulls

| UCLA

align=center|4

| align=center|42

| {{sortname|Rich|Niemann}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Saint Louis

align=center|4

| align=center|45

| {{sortname|Ed|Biedenbach}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Los Angeles Lakers

| North Carolina State

align=center|4

| align=center|46

| {{sortname|Rich|Johnson|Rich Johnson (basketball)}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Boston Celtics

| Grambling

align=center|4

| align=center|49

| {{sortname|Rich|Jones|Rich Jones (basketball)}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Phoenix Suns

| Memphis State

align=center|4

| align=center|50

| {{sortname|Greg|Smith|Greg Smith (basketball, born 1947)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Milwaukee Bucks

| Western Kentucky

align=center|5

| align=center|52

| {{sortname|Al|Hairston}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Seattle SuperSonics

| Bowling Green

align=center|5

| align=center|57

| {{sortname|Jim|Eakins}}

| C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Francisco Warriors

| Brigham Young

align=center|6

| align=center|70

| {{sortname|Wally|Anderzunas}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Detroit Pistons

| Creighton

align=center|6

| align=center|71

| {{sortname|Bob|Allen|Bob Allen (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Francisco Warriors

| Marshall

align=center|6

| align=center|76

| {{sortname|Chuck|Williams|Chuck Williams (basketball)}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Philadelphia 76ers

| Colorado

align=center|6

| align=center|77

| {{sortname|Rod|Knowles}}

| F/C

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Phoenix Suns

| Davidson

align=center|7

| align=center|79

| {{sortname|Rick|Adelman}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| San Diego Rockets

| Loyola (CA)

align=center|8

| align=center|96

| {{sortname|Barry|Orms}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Baltimore Bullets

| Saint Louis

align=center|10

| align=center|122

| {{sortname|Joe|Kennedy|Joe Kennedy (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Seattle SuperSonics

| Duke

align=center|10

| align=center|131

| {{sortname|Dwight|Waller}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Atlanta Hawks

| Tennessee State

align=center|11

| align=center|136

| {{sortname|Jim|Marsh|Jim Marsh (basketball)}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Seattle SuperSonics

| USC

align=center|11

| align=center|147

| {{sortname|Ron|Boone}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Phoenix Suns

| Idaho State

align=center|13

| align=center|162

| {{sortname|Bud|Ogden}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Seattle SuperSonics

| Santa Clara

align=center|13

| align=center|163

| {{sortname|Herm|Gilliam}}

| G/F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Chicago Bulls

| Purdue

align=center|15

| align=center|187

| {{sortname|Johnny|Baum}}

| F

| {{flagu|United States}}

| Los Angeles Lakers

| Temple

align=center|17

| align=center|202

| {{sortname|Milt|Williams}}

| G

| {{flagu|United States}}

| New York Knicks

| Lincoln (MO)

Notable undrafted players

{{further|List of undrafted NBA players}}

These players were not selected in the 1968 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.

class="wikitable sortable sortable"
style="width:19%;"| Player

!style="width:1%;"| Pos.

!style="width:16%;"| Nationality

!style="width:20%;"| School/club team

{{sortname|Cliff|Williams|dab=basketball}}

|SG

|{{flagu|United States}}

|Bowling Green {{small|(Sr.)}}

Trades

  • {{note label|Note1|a|a}} On October 20, 1967, the Chicago Bulls acquired Flynn Robinson, 1968 and 1969 second-round picks from the Cincinnati Royals in exchange for Guy Rodgers.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rodgegu01.html|title=Guy Rodgers Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=March 16, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/bulls/history/alltime_transactions.html|title=Chicago Bulls All-Time Transactions|work=NBA.com/Bulls|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 16, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100317142333/http://www.nba.com/bulls/history/alltime_transactions.html| archive-date= 17 March 2010 | url-status= live}} The Bulls used the pick to draft Ron Dunlap.
  • {{note label|Note2|b|b}} On November 27, 1967, the Cincinnati Royals acquired a third-round pick from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Len Chappell.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chapple01.html|title=Len Chappell Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=March 16, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/pistons/history/transactions_alltime.html|title=Pistons: All-Time Transactions|work=NBA.com/Pistons|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 16, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100320040345/http://www.nba.com/pistons/history/transactions_alltime.html| archive-date= 20 March 2010 | url-status= live}} The Royals used the pick to draft Fred Foster.
  • {{note label|Note3|c|c}} On January 9, 1968, the Chicago Bulls acquired Jim Barnes and a third-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Erwin Mueller.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barneji01.html|title=Jim Barnes Statistics|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=March 16, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100304232722/http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barneji01.html| archive-date= 4 March 2010 | url-status= live}} The Bulls used the pick to draft Dave Newmark.

Notes

{{Cnote|1|Don Smith changed his name to Zaid Abdul-Aziz in 1976.{{cite book|title=Darkness to Sunlight|last=Abdul-Aziz|first=Zaid|author-link=Zaid Abdul-Aziz|year=2006|publisher=Sunlight Publishing Inc|isbn=978-0-9778861-0-4|url=http://www.darknesstosunlight.com/| access-date= 16 March 2010 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100406104752/http://www.darknesstosunlight.com/| archive-date= 6 April 2010| url-status= live}}}}

See also

References

;General

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/history/draft_round1_1960s.html|title=Complete First Round Results 1960–69|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=March 15, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100321192355/http://www.nba.com/history/draft_round1_1960s.html| archive-date= 21 March 2010 | url-status= live}}
  • {{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1968.html|title=1968 NBA Draft|work=basketball-reference.com|access-date=March 15, 2010}}
  • {{cite web|url=http://www.apbr.org/6771drft.html|title=1967–1971 NBA Drafts|publisher=The Association for Professional Basketball Research|access-date=March 15, 2010}}
  • {{cite web|url=http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2592&Itemid=103|title=1968 NBA Draft|work=The Draft Review|access-date=March 15, 2010}}

{{refend}}

;Specific

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

  • [http://www.nba.com/ NBA.com]
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20090315112610/http://www.nba.com/history/draft_index.html NBA.com: NBA Draft History]

{{NBA Drafts}}

{{NBA Draft history by team}}

{{1968 NBA draft}}

{{1968–69 NBA season by team}}

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