1963 NBA Draft

The 1963 NBA Draft was conducted in two stages. The first seven rounds were held on April 30, while Rounds 8 through 15 were completed on May 7. Nine NBA franchises participated in the draft.

Before the regular draft began, the Cincinnati Royals used a territorial selection on University of Cincinnati guard Tom Thacker. New York then opened the numbered portion of the draft by selecting Duke star Art Heyman first overall.

Although only 18 members of the entire draft class eventually appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game, the class produced two Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers in Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson. It also included NBA All-Stars Eddie Miles and Jim King.

The draft also included several players who became prominent outside the NBA, including future ABA stars Larry Brown and Jerry Harkness, as well as Bill Raftery, who went on to a long coaching and broadcasting career.

84 total selections: The 1963 NBA Draft consisted of one territorial selection and 83 numbered selections over 15 rounds. Only 18 members of the class eventually appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.

Two-day draft: The first seven rounds were held on April 30, 1963. The NBA reconvened on May 7 to conduct Rounds 8 through 15.

Tom Thacker: Cincinnati used its territorial selection on University of Cincinnati guard Tom Thacker. Thacker later became the first player to win both an NBA championship and an ABA championship, winning with the Boston Celtics in 1968 and Indiana Pacers in 1970.

Art Heyman: New York selected Duke star Art Heyman with the first overall pick. Heyman had won national Player of the Year honors at Duke and averaged 15.4 points per game as an NBA rookie.

Nate Thurmond: San Francisco selected Bowling Green center Nate Thurmond third overall. Thurmond became a seven-time NBA All-Star, one of the league's premier defensive centers and the first player officially credited with a quadruple-double. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Gus Johnson: Baltimore selected Idaho forward Gus Johnson with the 10th numbered pick in the second round. Johnson became a five-time NBA All-Star and one of the league's most explosive forwards of the 1960s. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Two Hall of Famers: Nate Thurmond and Gus Johnson became the two Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame players selected in the 1963 draft.

Eddie Miles: Detroit selected Seattle University guard-forward Eddie Miles fourth overall. Known as "The Man with the Golden Arm," Miles became an NBA All-Star with the Pistons in 1966.

Jim King: The Los Angeles Lakers selected Tulsa guard Jim King 13th overall. King later became an NBA All-Star with the San Francisco Warriors in 1968.

Rod Thorn: Baltimore selected West Virginia guard Rod Thorn second overall. Thorn played eight NBA seasons before building a distinguished career as a coach and basketball executive. He later served as the NBA's Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations.

Larry Brown: Baltimore selected North Carolina guard Larry Brown 55th overall in the seventh round. Brown did not play in the NBA, but became a three-time ABA All-Star before beginning one of the most notable coaching careers in basketball history. He later won the 2004 NBA championship as head coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Jerry Harkness: New York selected Loyola Chicago guard Jerry Harkness ninth overall. Harkness had just captained Loyola to the 1963 NCAA championship and later became an ABA All-Star with the Indiana Pacers.

Reggie Harding: Detroit selected 7-foot center Reggie Harding in the sixth round. Harding was an unusual selection because he had not played college basketball and had previously been drafted while still a high school student. He eventually became the first player drafted directly from high school to appear in an NBA game.

Herb Magee: Boston selected Philadelphia Textile guard Herb Magee in the seventh round. Rather than pursue an NBA career, Magee became a legendary college coach at his alma mater and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.

Bill Raftery: New York used its lone 14th-round selection on La Salle guard Bill Raftery. Raftery later coached at Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall before becoming one of college basketball's best-known television analysts.

Baltimore's first draft: The former Chicago Zephyrs relocated to Baltimore before the 1963 draft and participated as the Baltimore Bullets. The franchise is the ancestor of today's Washington Wizards.

Syracuse's final draft: The Syracuse Nationals participated under their original name in the 1963 draft. The franchise moved to Philadelphia later that year and became the Philadelphia 76ers.

Historical franchise names: The Warriors had moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco one year earlier and were known as the San Francisco Warriors. The Hawks were still based in St. Louis.

Late-round passing: The draft rapidly thinned after the seventh round as teams began passing. Only New York and St. Louis made selections in Rounds 11 through 13, and New York was the only team to make a selection in Rounds 14 and 15.

Final selection: New York made the final selection of the draft, taking Eastern Kentucky forward Ron Pickett with the 83rd numbered pick in Round 15.