1954 NBA Draft

The 1954 NBA Draft produced one of the greatest power forwards in basketball history. Milwaukee selected LSU star Bob Pettit with the second overall pick. Pettit became an 11-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, 1958 NBA champion and one of the earliest superstars of the shot-clock era.

Baltimore used the first overall selection on Furman's Frank Selvy, who had completed one of the greatest scoring seasons in college basketball history. Selvy averaged 41.7 points per game as a senior and famously scored 100 points against Newberry College on February 13, 1954.

The class was unusually productive for its era. Eight players selected in 1954 became NBA All-Stars: Frank Selvy, Bob Pettit, Gene Shue, Larry Costello, Red Kerr, Richie Guerin, Chuck Noble and Dick Garmaker.

Fort Wayne, Boston and Minneapolis used territorial selections on Dick Rosenthal, Togo Palazzi and Ed Kalafat respectively. Those players are listed separately below rather than being assigned ordinary first-round pick numbers.

100 total selections: The 1954 NBA Draft consisted of 97 numbered selections plus three territorial selections. The draft continued for 13 rounds, although most teams stopped selecting before the final round.

Frank Selvy: Baltimore selected Furman guard Frank Selvy first overall. Selvy entered the NBA after one of the most remarkable scoring seasons in NCAA history, averaging 41.7 points per game during his senior season.

100-point college game: Selvy scored exactly 100 points for Furman against Newberry College on February 13, 1954. He made 41 field goals and 18 free throws in the historic performance.

Bob Pettit: Milwaukee selected LSU star Bob Pettit with the second overall pick. Pettit became the most accomplished player from the draft and one of the foundational stars of the NBA's early years.

Two-time MVP: Pettit won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1956 and 1959. He was an NBA All-Star in each of his 11 seasons and was named All-Star Game MVP four times.

1958 NBA champion: Pettit led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship over the Boston Celtics. He scored 50 points in the championship-clinching Game 6.

Hall of Fame: Bob Pettit and Richie Guerin became Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame players. Slick Leonard, selected by Baltimore in the second round, was later inducted into the Hall of Fame as a coach.

Gene Shue: Philadelphia selected Maryland guard Gene Shue third overall. Shue became a five-time NBA All-Star and later had a long NBA coaching career.

Larry Costello: Philadelphia selected Niagara guard Larry Costello with the ninth numbered pick. Costello became a six-time NBA All-Star and later coached the Milwaukee Bucks to the 1971 NBA championship.

Richie Guerin: New York selected Iona guard Richie Guerin with the 14th numbered selection. Guerin became a six-time NBA All-Star with the Knicks and later served as both a player and coach with the Hawks.

Red Kerr: Syracuse selected Illinois center Johnny "Red" Kerr with the fourth numbered pick. Kerr played 12 NBA seasons, helped Syracuse win the 1955 NBA championship and later became one of basketball's best-known broadcasters.

Eight All-Stars: Frank Selvy, Bob Pettit, Gene Shue, Larry Costello, Red Kerr, Richie Guerin, Chuck Noble and Dick Garmaker all became NBA All-Stars.

Territorial selections: Fort Wayne selected Notre Dame's Dick Rosenthal, Boston selected Holy Cross forward Togo Palazzi and Minneapolis selected Minnesota center Ed Kalafat as territorial choices. These selections are shown separately from the numbered draft order.

Dick Garmaker: Minneapolis later selected another University of Minnesota standout, Dick Garmaker, with the 77th numbered pick in the ninth round. Garmaker greatly exceeded his draft position and became a four-time NBA All-Star.

Slick Leonard: Baltimore's second-round selection William "Slick" Leonard played seven NBA seasons before becoming one of the most important coaches in Indiana Pacers history. He coached the Pacers to three ABA championships.

Jim Tucker: Syracuse selected Duquesne forward Jim Tucker in the third round. Tucker was a member of the Nationals' 1955 championship team and later became notable for recording one of the fastest triple-doubles in NBA history.

Baltimore's final draft: This was the original Baltimore Bullets franchise's final NBA Draft. The team folded during the 1954-55 season after playing only 14 games.

Late-round drafting: As was common in the 1950s, teams continued drafting until they chose to pass. Boston did not select in the ninth round, several more teams dropped out after the 10th round, and Philadelphia made the only selection of Round 13.

Final selection: Philadelphia selected George Washington forward John Holup with the 97th and final numbered selection. Including the three territorial selections, he completed a 100-player draft class.