The 1992 NBA Draft was headlined by three highly regarded prospects
at the top of the board: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and
Christian Laettner. O'Neal and Mourning eventually entered the
Basketball Hall of Fame, while Laettner became an NBA All-Star and
was also a member of the 1992 United States Olympic "Dream Team."
Five players from the draft became NBA All-Stars: O'Neal, Mourning,
Laettner, Tom Gugliotta and Latrell Sprewell. The class also
produced a long list of productive NBA players, including Jim
Jackson, Robert Horry, Doug Christie, P.J. Brown, Anthony Peeler,
Clarence Weatherspoon, Hubert Davis, Popeye Jones and Matt Geiger.
Teams below represent the franchises that held and exercised each
selection at the time of the draft. Picks that had previously been
acquired in trades are therefore listed with the team that actually
made the selection.
Shaquille O'Neal: Orlando selected O'Neal first
overall after three seasons at LSU. He immediately transformed the
Magic, winning the 1992-93 NBA Rookie of the Year Award after
averaging 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.
Hall of Fame career: O'Neal became one of the most
dominant centers in NBA history. He won four NBA championships,
three NBA Finals MVP awards, the 1999-2000 NBA MVP Award and earned
15 All-Star selections. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of
Fame in 2016.
Alonzo Mourning: Charlotte selected Mourning second
overall out of Georgetown. He became a seven-time NBA All-Star,
two-time Defensive Player of the Year and later won the 2006 NBA
championship with Miami. Mourning was inducted into the Basketball
Hall of Fame in 2014.
Christian Laettner: Minnesota selected Laettner
third overall after a legendary college career at Duke. He entered
the NBA shortly after playing on the 1992 United States Olympic
"Dream Team" and later earned an NBA All-Star selection with
Atlanta in 1997.
Top-three connection: O'Neal, Mourning and Laettner
eventually became teammates with the Miami Heat during the 2004-05
season, more than a decade after being selected with the first three
picks of the same draft.
Five All-Stars: The draft produced five eventual
NBA All-Stars: Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian
Laettner, Tom Gugliotta and Latrell Sprewell.
Tom Gugliotta: Washington selected Gugliotta sixth
overall out of NC State. He developed into a versatile forward and
earned an All-Star selection with Minnesota during the 1996-97
season.
Latrell Sprewell: Golden State selected Sprewell
24th overall out of Alabama. He became one of the best values of
the first round, earning four NBA All-Star selections and helping
the New York Knicks reach the 1999 NBA Finals.
Robert Horry: Houston selected Horry 11th overall.
Although never an All-Star, Horry became one of the most successful
postseason role players of his era, winning seven NBA championships
with Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio.
Doug Christie: Seattle selected Christie 17th
overall out of Pepperdine. He went on to play 15 NBA seasons and
became known for his defense, earning four NBA All-Defensive Team
selections.
Harold Miner: Miami selected Miner 12th overall.
Nicknamed "Baby Jordan" because of his explosive athleticism, Miner
won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1993 and 1995.
P.J. Brown: New Jersey selected Brown with the
29th overall pick. Brown developed into one of the strongest
second-round selections in the class, playing 15 NBA seasons and
earning three NBA All-Defensive Second Team selections. He later
won an NBA championship with Boston in 2008.
Popeye Jones: Houston selected Jones 41st overall
out of Murray State. He played 11 NBA seasons and developed into
a productive rebounder despite being selected well into the second
round.
Matt Geiger: Miami selected Geiger 42nd overall
out of Georgia Tech. The 7-foot center played 10 NBA seasons and
later became a starter for Philadelphia.
Predrag Danilović: Golden State selected Yugoslav
guard Predrag Danilović with the 43rd pick. He remained in Europe
for several years before playing two NBA seasons with Miami and
Dallas. Danilović was already one of Europe's prominent guards
before entering the NBA.
Pick No. 13: Denver used a first-round pick
previously acquired from New Jersey to select Virginia guard
Bryant Stith. The older version of this page listed Denver, and
that historical pick ownership has been retained.
Lee Mayberry: Milwaukee acquired the No. 23 pick
from Utah on draft day as part of the trade that sent Jay Humphries
and Larry Krystkowiak to the Jazz for Blue Edwards, Eric Murdock
and the first-round selection. Milwaukee used the pick on Arkansas
guard Lee Mayberry.
Second-round pick movement: Several second-round
selections had also changed hands before the draft. Portland held
No. 31, Chicago held Nos. 33, 39 and 52, Minnesota held Nos. 34
and 51, Miami held No. 42, Phoenix held No. 48, and Sacramento
ultimately held the final pick at No. 54.
International growth: The selection of Predrag
Danilović and other internationally experienced prospects was
another sign of the NBA's growing interest in talent outside the
traditional American college system during the early 1990s.
