1969 NBA draft

1969 NBA draft. The National Basketball Association (NBA) held the 1969 NBA draft on June 12, 1969, at the New York City's Felt Forum, where teams selected players from UCLA, University of Kentucky, University of North Carolina, and other top NCAA programs, including Michigan State University and University of Houston. The draft featured talented players like Lew Alcindor from UCLA, who would go on to play for the Milwaukee Bucks and later the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as Jo Jo White from University of Kansas and Butch Beard from the University of Louisville. The 1969 NBA draft was also notable for the participation of teams like the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics.

● Introduction

The 1969 NBA draft was the 23rd annual National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, where teams selected players from UCLA, University of Kentucky, University of North Carolina, and other top NCAA programs, including Michigan State University and University of Houston. The draft was attended by teams like the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics, who were looking to strengthen their rosters with talented players like Lew Alcindor, Jo Jo White, and Butch Beard. The 1969 NBA draft was also significant for the participation of international players like Pete Cross from University of San Francisco and Norm Van Lier from St. Francis College. The draft featured a total of 218 picks, with the Milwaukee Bucks selecting Lew Alcindor as the first overall pick, followed by the Phoenix Suns selecting Neal Walk from University of Florida.

● Draft

The 1969 NBA draft consisted of 20 rounds, with 218 players selected by the 14 teams that participated in the draft, including the Seattle SuperSonics, San Diego Rockets, and Atlanta Hawks. The draft featured talented players like Lew Alcindor from UCLA, who would go on to play for the Milwaukee Bucks and later the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as Jo Jo White from University of Kansas and Butch Beard from the University of Louisville. The 1969 NBA draft was also notable for the participation of teams like the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics, who were looking to strengthen their rosters with talented players. The draft was attended by notable coaches like Red Auerbach from the Boston Celtics and Bill Sharman from the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as general managers like Frank Selvy from the Seattle SuperSonics and Jerry Colangelo from the Phoenix Suns.

● Notable picks

The 1969 NBA draft featured several notable picks, including Lew Alcindor from UCLA, who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks as the first overall pick, and Jo Jo White from University of Kansas, who was selected by the Boston Celtics as the ninth overall pick. Other notable picks included Butch Beard from the University of Louisville, who was selected by the Atlanta Hawks as the tenth overall pick, and Norm Van Lier from St. Francis College, who was selected by the Cincinnati Royals as the 34th overall pick. The draft also featured players like Pete Cross from University of San Francisco and Steve Kuberski from Bradley University, who would go on to have successful careers in the National Basketball Association. Notable players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from UCLA and Elvin Hayes from University of Houston were also part of the draft, although they were selected in previous drafts.

● Trades

The 1969 NBA draft featured several trades, including the trade between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, where the Milwaukee Bucks acquired the first overall pick, which they used to select Lew Alcindor from UCLA. The Los Angeles Lakers also made a trade with the San Diego Rockets, acquiring the 15th overall pick, which they used to select Willie McCarter from University of Drake. The Boston Celtics made a trade with the Cincinnati Royals, acquiring the 25th overall pick, which they used to select Gene Littles from Texas Tech University. Other trades involved teams like the Seattle SuperSonics, Atlanta Hawks, and Chicago Bulls, who were looking to strengthen their rosters with talented players.

● Selections by team

The 1969 NBA draft featured 14 teams, each selecting players to strengthen their rosters. The Milwaukee Bucks selected Lew Alcindor from UCLA as the first overall pick, followed by the Phoenix Suns selecting Neal Walk from University of Florida. The Los Angeles Lakers selected Willie McCarter from University of Drake as the 15th overall pick, while the Boston Celtics selected Jo Jo White from University of Kansas as the ninth overall pick. Other teams like the Seattle SuperSonics, San Diego Rockets, and Atlanta Hawks also made notable selections, including Spencer Haywood from University of Detroit and Butch Beard from the University of Louisville. The Chicago Bulls selected Norm Van Lier from St. Francis College as the 34th overall pick, while the Cincinnati Royals selected Rick Roberson from University of Cincinnati as the 13th overall pick. The Detroit Pistons selected Bob Lanier from St. Bonaventure University as the first pick in the second round, while the Baltimore Bullets selected Mike Davis from Virginia Union University as the 14th overall pick.

Category:1969 in basketball