1962 NBA Draft

The 1962 NBA Draft featured nine teams and produced one of the most accomplished draft classes of the NBA's early years. Before the regular draft began, the Detroit Pistons selected Dave DeBusschere and the Cincinnati Royals selected Jerry Lucas as territorial choices.

Chicago opened the regular draft by selecting Utah center Bill McGill. New York followed with Cincinnati center Paul Hogue, while St. Louis selected Prairie View A&M star Zelmo Beaty with the third regular selection.

The class produced five Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers: Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, Zelmo Beaty, John Havlicek and Chet Walker. Havlicek became the most accomplished player in the class, winning eight NBA championships during his career with the Boston Celtics.

Other notable selections included Terry Dischinger, Kevin Loughery, Don Nelson, Wayne Hightower, Leroy Ellis and Cornell Green. Thirty-two members of the class eventually appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.

102 total selections: The 1962 NBA Draft consisted of two territorial selections and 100 regular selections over 16 rounds. Thirty-two members of the class eventually appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.

Territorial selections: Detroit selected University of Detroit star Dave DeBusschere, while Cincinnati selected Ohio State star Jerry Lucas. Both became Hall of Famers and members of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Bill McGill: The Chicago Zephyrs opened the regular draft by selecting Utah center Bill McGill. The 6-foot-9 McGill was one of college basketball's most prolific scorers and was known for his use of the jump hook.

John Havlicek: Boston selected Ohio State star John Havlicek with the seventh regular selection. Havlicek spent his entire 16-year NBA career with the Celtics, became a 13-time All-Star and won eight NBA championships.

Five Hall of Famers: Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, Zelmo Beaty, John Havlicek and Chet Walker eventually became members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jerry Lucas: Cincinnati used its territorial selection on Ohio State's Jerry Lucas. Lucas became the 1964 NBA Rookie of the Year, a seven-time All-Star and one of the greatest rebounders of his era. He later won the 1973 NBA championship with the New York Knicks.

Dave DeBusschere: Detroit claimed hometown star Dave DeBusschere as a territorial selection. DeBusschere became an eight-time NBA All-Star and helped the New York Knicks win the 1970 and 1973 championships.

Zelmo Beaty: St. Louis selected Prairie View A&M center Zelmo Beaty with the third regular selection. Beaty became a two-time NBA All-Star and later starred in the ABA, winning the 1971 championship with the Utah Stars.

Chet Walker: Syracuse selected Bradley forward Chet Walker with the 12th regular selection. Walker became a seven-time NBA All-Star and helped the Philadelphia 76ers win the 1967 NBA championship.

Terry Dischinger: Chicago selected Purdue star Terry Dischinger with the eighth regular selection. Dischinger won the 1963 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and became a three-time NBA All-Star.

Don Nelson: Chicago selected Iowa forward Don Nelson in the third round. Nelson became an important reserve on five Boston Celtics championship teams and later became one of the winningest head coaches in NBA history.

Kevin Loughery: Detroit selected St. John's guard Kevin Loughery in the second round. Loughery played 11 NBA seasons before becoming a longtime NBA head coach, including leading the New York Nets to ABA championships in 1974 and 1976.

Cornell Green: Chicago selected Utah State's Cornell Green in the fifth round. Green never played in the NBA, choosing professional football instead. He became a five-time Pro Bowl defensive back during a 13-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.

Reggie Harding: Detroit selected Reggie Harding in the fourth round even though he had not played college basketball. Harding eventually became the first player drafted directly from high school to appear in an NBA game.

Donnie Walsh: Philadelphia selected North Carolina guard Donnie Walsh in the 11th round. Walsh did not play in the NBA but later became one of the league's longest-serving coaches and executives, most notably with the Indiana Pacers.

Chicago Zephyrs: This was the franchise's only draft under the Chicago Zephyrs name. The team had entered the NBA as the Chicago Packers in 1961, changed its name to the Zephyrs for 1962-63 and moved to Baltimore in 1963 to become the Bullets.

Philadelphia Warriors: This was the Warriors' final draft while based in Philadelphia. The franchise moved to California before the 1962-63 season and became the San Francisco Warriors.

Late-round passing: As was common in early NBA drafts, teams gradually stopped selecting players. Only Chicago and St. Louis continued through the final four rounds.

Final selection: St. Louis made the final selection of the 1962 draft, taking Wally Roundsville of California Tech with the 100th regular selection in Round 16.