The HistoryThe 1984 NBA draft was the 37th annual draft of the (NBA). The draft was broadcast in the United States on the USA Network. This was the last draft to be held prior to forming the NBA Draft Lottery for the following season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and international players. The picks were assigned in reverse order of how the teams had finished the previous season. The draft was actually ten rounds long, as opposed to the two rounds total now.
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The 1984 draft class is considered to be one of the best in NBA history as it produced five Hall of Famers and seven All-Stars. However, it was also marked by the Blazers' selection of Sam Bowie, considered one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. It is believed that the Blazers picked Bowie over Michael Jordan because they already had an All Star shooting guard in Jim Paxson and a young shooting guard in Clyde Drexler, whom they drafted in the 1983 Draft. Although Drexler went on to have a successful career, Bowie's career was cut short by injuries; he had missed two of the past three seasons in his college career as well. Despite having a 10-year career in the NBA and averaging 10.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, Bowie's career was interrupted by five leg surgeries, which limited him to 139 games in 5 years with the Blazers. 1984 DRAFT WIKIPEDIA |
Still the Best Ever
"IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE WE MET THEM, AND GIVEN THEIR ON-COURT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, MANY HAVE PROCLAIMED THE '84 NBA DRAFT CLASS AS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME. BUT IS IT? WELL, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE NUMBERS, IT'S PRETTY HARD TO ARGUE OTHERWISE" - ROLLINGSTONE
Why Was the 1984 NBA Draft so Great?
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Besides producing four Hall of Famers who played in the NBA (and one International great), the class also included seven NBA All Stars. Additionally, Jordan, Barkley, Stockton, and Olajuwon were named as being in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History during the league’s 50th Anniversary Celebration that took place in 1996. The 1984 draft was held at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on June 19, 1984 before the 1984–85 season.