1984 NBA Draft

The 1984 NBA Draft produced one of the most celebrated collections of players in league history. Michael Jordan, Akeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton became four of the defining players of their generation, while Alvin Robertson, Otis Thorpe and Kevin Willis also became NBA All-Stars.

Five members of the class eventually entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as players: Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley, Stockton and Brazilian star Oscar Schmidt. Schmidt, selected 131st by New Jersey, never played in the NBA but became one of international basketball's greatest scorers.

The 1984 draft occurred before the NBA introduced its Draft Lottery. Houston received the first selection after winning a coin flip with Portland between the two conference teams involved in determining the top of the draft order.

All 228 player selections are preserved below. The Los Angeles Lakers also passed during the eighth, ninth and tenth rounds; those passes are listed separately and are not counted as draft selections.

A legendary draft class: The 1984 draft produced seven NBA All-Stars: Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Akeem Olajuwon, Alvin Robertson, John Stockton, Otis Thorpe and Kevin Willis. Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley and Stockton all became members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Akeem Olajuwon: Houston selected University of Houston center Akeem Olajuwon first overall. He later changed the spelling of his first name to Hakeem. Olajuwon led the Rockets to NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and was the 1994 NBA MVP.

Michael Jordan: Chicago selected North Carolina guard Michael Jordan third overall. Jordan won six NBA championships, five regular-season MVP awards, six Finals MVP awards and 10 scoring titles during one of the most celebrated careers in basketball history.

Charles Barkley: Philadelphia selected Auburn forward Charles Barkley fifth overall. Barkley became an 11-time All-Star and won the 1992-93 NBA MVP award with Phoenix.

John Stockton: Utah selected Gonzaga point guard John Stockton 16th overall. Stockton spent his entire 19-season NBA career with the Jazz and retired as the league's career leader in both assists and steals.

Sam Bowie: Portland selected Kentucky center Sam Bowie second overall, one pick before Michael Jordan. Bowie's NBA career was repeatedly interrupted by leg injuries, making the selection one of the most frequently discussed draft decisions in NBA history.

Houston won the coin flip: The 1984 draft took place one year before the NBA introduced the Draft Lottery. Houston received the No. 1 selection after winning the coin flip used to determine the top pick between the qualifying conference teams.

Melvin Turpin and Tim McCormick: Washington selected Melvin Turpin sixth overall, while Cleveland selected Tim McCormick 12th. In a draft-day series of transactions, Turpin went to Cleveland, McCormick moved through Washington to Seattle, Cliff Robinson went to Washington and Gus Williams also joined the Bullets. The table above lists Washington and Cleveland as the actual selecting teams rather than the clubs that ultimately received the players.

Tom Sewell: Philadelphia selected Tom Sewell 22nd overall and traded his rights to Washington on draft day for a 1988 first-round selection.

Jerome Kersey: Portland found one of the draft's best late selections at No. 46. Kersey played 17 NBA seasons and became an important member of the Trail Blazers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992.

Rick Carlisle: Boston selected Virginia guard Rick Carlisle 70th overall. He was a member of the Celtics' 1986 NBA championship team and later built a lengthy coaching career, including leading Dallas to the 2011 NBA championship.

Oscar Schmidt: New Jersey selected Brazilian scoring legend Oscar Schmidt 131st overall in the sixth round. Schmidt never played in the NBA, choosing to continue his career internationally, but became one of the most accomplished scorers in international basketball history and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Carl Lewis: Chicago used the 208th overall pick on Olympic track-and-field star Carl Lewis even though Lewis had not played college basketball. Lewis never played in the NBA. He was also drafted by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys despite never playing college football.

Ten rounds: The 1984 NBA Draft lasted 10 rounds and produced 228 actual player selections. The Los Angeles Lakers passed during each of the final three rounds, so those passes do not receive selection numbers.

58 reached the NBA: Basketball-Reference records 58 of the 228 selected players as eventually appearing in an NBA regular-season or playoff game.

Historic career value: Michael Jordan, John Stockton and Charles Barkley finished with the three highest NBA career win-share totals among players selected in this draft, illustrating the unusual depth of elite talent available in 1984.