1985 NBA Draft

The 1985 NBA Draft marked the beginning of the NBA Draft Lottery era. Seven non-playoff teams participated in the first lottery, with each receiving an equal chance at the top selection. The New York Knicks won the lottery and used the first pick on Georgetown star Patrick Ewing.

The class produced 10 NBA All-Stars: Michael Adams, Joe Dumars, Patrick Ewing, A.C. Green, Karl Malone, Xavier McDaniel, Chris Mullin, Charles Oakley, Terry Porter and Detlef Schrempf. Ewing, Mullin, Malone and Dumars became Basketball Hall of Famers.

The draft also contained remarkable value well beyond the first round, including Manute Bol, Gerald Wilkins, Michael Adams, Sam Mitchell, Spud Webb and Mario Elie. All 162 selections are preserved below.

The first NBA Draft Lottery: The 1985 draft was the first to use the NBA Draft Lottery. Seven teams that had missed the playoffs entered the drawing with equal chances of receiving the first overall selection. New York won the lottery and the opportunity to draft Patrick Ewing.

Patrick Ewing: Ewing arrived in the NBA after a celebrated four-year career at Georgetown. He won the 1985-86 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and became the centerpiece of the Knicks, earning 11 All-Star selections during his Hall of Fame career.

Karl Malone: Utah selected Louisiana Tech power forward Karl Malone 13th overall. Malone became a two-time NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star and one of the highest-scoring players in league history while forming a legendary partnership with John Stockton.

Chris Mullin: Golden State selected St. John's star Chris Mullin seventh overall. Mullin became a five-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA selection and a central member of Golden State's famous Run TMC teams.

Joe Dumars: Detroit selected McNeese State guard Joe Dumars 18th overall. Dumars became a six-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion and the 1989 NBA Finals MVP before entering the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ten NBA All-Stars: Patrick Ewing, Xavier McDaniel, Chris Mullin, Detlef Schrempf, Charles Oakley, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, A.C. Green, Terry Porter and Michael Adams all became NBA All-Stars.

Charles Oakley: Cleveland selected Oakley ninth overall before his rights were traded to Chicago. Oakley became one of the NBA's most durable and physical forwards and later became a fan favorite with the New York Knicks.

Detlef Schrempf: Dallas selected German forward Detlef Schrempf eighth overall. He became a three-time All-Star and twice won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

A.C. Green: The Lakers selected Green 23rd overall. He won three NBA championships and became famous for his durability, playing an NBA-record 1,192 consecutive regular-season games.

Terry Porter: Portland selected Porter with the final pick of the first round at No. 24. He became a two-time All-Star and helped the Trail Blazers reach the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992.

Manute Bol: Washington selected 7-foot-7 Manute Bol 31st overall. Bol became one of the tallest players in NBA history and led the league in blocked shots during his rookie season.

Gerald Wilkins: The Knicks selected Wilkins 47th overall. He became one of the most productive second-round players in the class and spent 13 seasons in the NBA.

Michael Adams: Sacramento selected Boston College guard Michael Adams 66th overall in the third round. Adams became an NBA All-Star in 1992 and developed into one of the league's notable high-volume three-point shooters during the early years of the three-point era.

Sam Mitchell: Houston selected Mercer forward Sam Mitchell 54th overall. Mitchell later became a longtime member of the Minnesota Timberwolves and subsequently won NBA Coach of the Year with Toronto in 2007.

Spud Webb: Detroit selected 5-foot-7 guard Spud Webb 87th overall in the fourth round. Webb became one of the most famous late-round selections in NBA history and won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest.

Arvydas Sabonis: Atlanta attempted to select Soviet center Arvydas Sabonis with the 77th pick in the fourth round. However, the selection was voided because Sabonis was not yet 21 and therefore was not eligible under the rules then governing international players. Portland legally drafted him the following year.

Georgi Glouchkov: Phoenix selected Bulgarian forward Georgi Glouchkov 148th overall. He joined the Suns for the 1985-86 season and became the first Bulgarian to play in the NBA.

Mario Elie: Milwaukee selected Mario Elie 160th overall, only two selections before the end of the draft. Elie eventually played 11 NBA seasons and won three championships: two with Houston and one with San Antonio.

Late-round value: The extended seven-round format produced NBA players far beyond the first two rounds. Michael Adams went 66th, Spud Webb 87th and Mario Elie 160th, while several other late selections reached the league.

162 selections: Twenty-three NBA teams made 162 selections over seven rounds. Basketball-Reference records 66 members of the draft class as eventually appearing in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.