1997 NBA Draft

The 1997 NBA Draft is remembered primarily for Tim Duncan, but the class also produced future stars Chauncey Billups and Tracy McGrady. Duncan became the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty, Billups eventually became an NBA Finals MVP, and McGrady developed into one of the league's premier scorers.

The class also included Antonio Daniels, Tony Battie, Tim Thomas, Adonal Foyle, Derek Anderson, Maurice Taylor, Brevin Knight, Bobby Jackson, Anthony Parker, Stephen Jackson and several other players who enjoyed lengthy professional careers.

Teams listed below are the teams credited with making each original draft selection. Washington forfeited a first-round selection, leaving 28 actual first-round selections. The second round therefore begins with the 30th overall pick.

Tim Duncan: San Antonio selected Duncan first overall after four seasons at Wake Forest. He immediately won the 1997-98 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and became the centerpiece of one of the most successful eras in Spurs history.

Duncan's career: Duncan spent all 19 of his NBA seasons with San Antonio, winning five championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards and two regular-season MVP awards. He was selected to 15 All-Star teams and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Three All-Stars: The 1997 draft produced three eventual NBA All-Stars: Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups and Tracy McGrady.

Chauncey Billups: Boston selected Billups third overall out of Colorado. His early NBA career included several team changes before he developed into one of the league's leading point guards. Billups led Detroit to the 2004 NBA championship, earned Finals MVP honors and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Tracy McGrady: Toronto selected McGrady ninth overall directly from Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina. He became a seven-time All-Star, won two NBA scoring titles and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

Washington's forfeited pick: Washington forfeited a first-round selection, leaving the 1997 draft with only 28 actual first-round selections. As a result, there is no player listed at No. 29 and the second round begins with the 30th overall selection. The draft contained 57 actual player selections.

Olivier Saint-Jean: Sacramento selected Olivier Saint-Jean 11th overall out of San Jose State. He later changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad and became the first French-born player to appear in an NBA game.

Second-round contributors: The second round produced several players who developed into significant NBA contributors, including Marc Jackson, Anthony Johnson, Stephen Jackson, Alvin Williams and Mark Blount.

Stephen Jackson: Phoenix selected Jackson with the 43rd overall pick, although he did not immediately enter the NBA. He eventually played 14 NBA seasons and was a member of San Antonio's 2003 championship team.

Anthony Parker: New Jersey selected Parker 21st overall out of Bradley. After an early NBA stint, Parker became a major star in European basketball before returning to the NBA and playing six more seasons with Toronto and Cleveland.

International selections: The draft included Australia's Chris Anstey and Ben Pepper, Slovenia's Marko Milić, Yugoslavia's Predrag Drobnjak, France's Alain Digbeu and Spain's Roberto Dueñas, illustrating the NBA's expanding international scouting reach during the late 1990s.