1966 NBA draft

1966 NBA draft
General information
SportBasketball
Date(s)May 11, 1966 (Rounds 1–8)
May 12, 1966 (Rounds 9–19)
LocationPlaza Hotel (New York City, New York)[1]
Overview
112 total selections in 19 rounds
LeagueNBA
First selectionCazzie Russell, New York Knicks
← 1965
1967 →

The 1966 NBA draft was the 20th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 11 and 12, 1966 before the 1966–67 season. In this draft, ten 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.[2] The New York Knicks won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Detroit Pistons were awarded the second pick. This draft was the first to use the coin flip method, which replaced the territorial pick rule.[3] 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. An expansion franchise, the Chicago Bulls, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the last pick of each round. The draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising 112 players selected.

With the elimination of territorial picks and incorporation of a coin flip for the No. 1 overall pick, 1966 is considered the first modern NBA draft.[4]

  1. ^ Bradley, Robert D. (2013). The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810890695., pg. 101
  2. ^ "Evolution of the Draft and Lottery". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  3. ^ Dengate, Jeff (May 16, 2007). "Let the Ping-Pong Balls Fall". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2010. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  4. ^ Bradley, Robert D. (2013). The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts. Scarecrow Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780810890695. Retrieved January 29, 2022.