The 1983 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1983, in New York City. A total of 226 players were selected over 10 rounds by the league's 23 teams.
The Houston Rockets selected 7'4" center Ralph Sampson with the first overall pick. Sampson, a three-time College Player of the Year at the University of Virginia, won the NBA Rookie of the Year award and was selected as an NBA All-Star early in his career before subsequent injuries impacted his playing career.
Sampson was joined in the Hall by University of Houston Cougars standout Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, taken number 14 by the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite there being only 23 teams at the time of the draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers were awarded the 24th pick out of courtesy. Then-owner Ted Stepien was infamous for repeatedly trading first-round picks in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which, considering Cleveland's morose records in that time period, eventually culminated in the NBA creating a rule banning teams from dealing all of their first-round picks in consecutive years.
Four players from the 1983 draft later served or now serve as coaches—Doc Rivers for the Philadelphia 76ers, Randy Wittman for the Washington Wizards, Byron Scott for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2014 to 2016, and point guard of the 1983 NCAA championship North Carolina State Wolfpack Sidney Lowe. While Scott won the Coach of the Year award in 2008, Rivers won an NBA Championship with the Celtics in that same year.
7’7” Manute Bol was selected in the 5th round by the Clippers, but the NBA rejected the pick on technicalities. Manute had never filed draft paperwork, and his passport listed him at 19 (at the time, 19 years was too young to be drafted).
Florida State star Mitchell Wiggins, father of future No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, was drafted 23rd by the Indiana Pacers.
Draft
PG Point guard SG Shooting guard SF Small forward PF Power forward C Center
Player Team 1 1 ^~ C Houston Rockets Virginia 1 2 C Indiana Pacers Missouri 13 SF Houston Rockets Louisville 14 SG San Diego Clippers Arizona State 15 PF Chicago Bulls UNLV 16 C Golden State Warriors Purdue 17 PF Utah Jazz NC State 18 PF Detroit Pistons Wichita State 19 * SG Dallas Mavericks Tennessee 110 + SG Washington Bullets Mississippi State 111 PG/SG Dallas Mavericks Illinois 112 SG New York Knicks Arkansas 113 PG Kansas City Kings Alabama 114 ^ SG Portland Trail Blazers Houston 1 15 SG Denver Nuggets LSU 116 PG Seattle SuperSonics Missouri 117 SF Philadelphia 76ers Syracuse 118 C Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota 119 PG San Antonio Spurs Notre Dame 120 C Cleveland Cavaliers Rutgers 121 C Boston Celtics BYU 122 SG Washington Bullets Indiana 123 SG Indiana Pacers Florida State 1 24 PG Cleveland Cavaliers * Villanova 225 PG Chicago Bulls NC State 226SFIndiana PacersOklahoma State 227PFCleveland CavaliersBoston College 228PGPhoenix SunsUCLA 229PFChicago BullsHouston 2 30 C Dallas Mavericks Old Dominion 2 31+PG Atlanta Hawks Marquette 232#SFWashington Bullets UDC 233PGDallas MavericksKentucky 234FWashington BulletsWashington State 235CSan Antonio SpursAuburn 236PFSeattle SuperSonicsLouisville 237#SFDenver NuggetsSt. John's 238PFKansas City KingsSan Jose State 239CPortland Trail BlazersOhio State 240SGIndiana PacersIndiana 241#SFMilwaukee BucksIndiana 242#SGMilwaukee BucksAlabama 243SFGolden State WarriorsUtah 244#SGNew Jersey NetsRhode Island 245#SFPhoenix SunsArizona State 246PGSan Antonio SpursSt. John's 247#PFPhiladelphia 76ersNorth Texas State 348 SG Houston Rockets Washington State 349#GIndiana PacersWest Virginia 350SFCleveland CavaliersTulane 351#GPhoenix SunsNC State 352#GIndiana PacersEast Tennessee State 353SGGolden State WarriorsUCLA 354SG Utah Jazz Iowa 355#GDetroit PistonsSyracuse 356# SG Cleveland Cavaliers UNLV 357SFWashington BulletsUCLA 358SFAtlanta HawksVillanova 359PFNew Jersey NetsConnecticut 360#FKansas City KingsWashington State 361#FDenver NuggetsOklahoma 362CPortland Trail BlazersLa Salle 363#GSeattle SuperSonicsStetson 364#FPhiladelphia 76ersTexas A&M 365#GMilwaukee BucksSt. John's 366#CCleveland CavaliersKansas State 367#GCleveland CavaliersKentucky 368#FBoston CelticsVirginia 369#FLos Angeles LakersPepperdine 370#FPhiladelphia 76ersJames Madison 471#GHouston RocketsTCU 472#CIndiana PacersGeorgia 473#FCleveland CavaliersCincinnati 474#FPhiladelphia 76ersMississippi State 475CChicago BullsBoston College 476#FUtah JazzTCU 477SFGolden State WarriorsSaint Mary's 478#FDetroit PistonsIndiana 479#FDallas MavericksNorthwestern State 480#FWashington BulletsSouthwestern Louisiana 481#FAtlanta HawksTexas Southern 482PGNew York KnicksSt. Bonaventure 483#GDenver NuggetsUC Santa Barbara 484#GKansas City KingsWyoming 485#GPortland Trail BlazersChaminade 486#CSeattle SuperSonicsFairfield 487#GNew Jersey NetsBradley 488#GMilwaukee BucksAmerican 489#FPhoenix SunsNevada 490PFSan Antonio SpursWilliam & Mary 491SGBoston CelticsOle Miss 492#GLos Angeles LakersMississippi State 493#FPhiladelphia 76ersPrinceton 594#GHouston RocketsOklahoma 595#FIndiana PacersOle Miss 596#FCleveland CavaliersHoly Cross 597 C San Diego Clippers 598#CChicago BullsNotre Dame 599#FGolden State WarriorsHampton 5100#GUtah JazzOklahoma State 5101PFDetroit PistonsRice 5102CDallas MavericksArkansas–Little Rock 5103#GWashington BulletsNew Hampshire 5104#FAtlanta HawksOklahoma 5105#GNew York KnicksEast Tennessee State 5106#GKansas City KingsOklahoma State 5107#GDenver NuggetsNorth Carolina 5108#FPortland Trail BlazersWright State 5109#GSeattle SuperSonicsWashington 5110#GNew Jersey NetsTexas A&M 5111#FMilwaukee BucksNew Orleans 5112#FSan Antonio SpursRichmond 5113#CPhoenix SunsIllinois State 5114#GBoston CelticsStonehill 5115#GLos Angeles LakersAlabama A&M 5116#FPhiladelphia 76ersTennessee State 6117#FHouston RocketsNorthwestern 6118#FIndiana PacersUAB 6119#GCleveland CavaliersCentral Michigan 6120#FMilwaukee BucksWest Virginia 6121#GChicago BullsNew Mexico State 6122#FUtah JazzClemson 6123#CGolden State WarriorsWeber State 6124#FDetroit PistonsMichigan State 6125#GDallas MavericksNevada 6126#FWashington BulletsSt. Augustine's 6127#GAtlanta HawksRichmond 6128#GNew York KnicksBoston University 6129#FDenver NuggetsMurray State 6130#FKansas City KingsWake Forest 6131#FPortland Trail BlazersMontana 6132#FSeattle SuperSonicsWestern Kentucky 6133#FNew Jersey NetsNew Orleans 6134#FMilwaukee BucksKentucky 6135#FPhoenix SunsFordham 6136#GSan Antonio SpursSt. Mary's (Texas) 6137#FBoston CelticsDallas Baptist 6138#FLos Angeles LakersColorado State 6139 SG Philadelphia 76ers West Virginia Tech 7140#GHouston RocketsIdaho 7141#GIndiana PacersIndiana 7142#GCleveland CavaliersJohn Carroll 7143#FSan Diego ClippersOregon State 7144#GChicago BullsUSC 7145#FGolden State WarriorsUtah 7146#FUtah JazzVictoria 7147#FDetroit PistonsColorado 7148#FDallas MavericksMarquette 7149#GWashington BulletsWinston-Salem State 7150#CAtlanta HawksUAB 7151#FNew York KnicksFresno State 7152SGKansas City KingsPepperdine 7153#CDenver NuggetsCatawba 7154#FPortland Trail BlazersPenn 7155#FSeattle SuperSonicsMercer 7156#FNew Jersey NetsSacred Heart 7157#GMilwaukee BucksXavier 7158#CSan Antonio SpursOklahoma Panhandle State 7159#GPhoenix SunsVCU 7160#GBoston CelticsProvidence 7161#GLos Angeles LakersCal State Fullerton 7162#FPhiladelphia 76ersSyracuse 8163#FHouston RocketsArkansas State 8164#GIndiana PacersBall State 8165#FCleveland CavaliersLewis 8166#FSan Diego ClippersIowa 8167#FMilwaukee BucksChicago State 8168#FUtah JazzSanta Fe (New Mexico) 8169#FGolden State WarriorsCentral Washington 8170#FDetroit PistonsAugustana College (Illinois) 8171#FDallas MavericksPepperdine 8172#GWashington BulletsHoward 8173#GAtlanta HawksGeorgia Tech 8174#FNew York KnicksPenn Staet 8175#FMilwaukee BucksDavidson 8176#GKansas City KingsUC Davis 8177#CPortland Trail BlazersArizona 8178#FSeattle SuperSonicsArmstrong Atlantic State 8179#FNew Jersey NetsDuquesne 8180#CMilwaukee BucksDePaul 8181#FPhoenix SunsVillanova 8182#GSan Antonio SpursOklahoma Christian 8183#FBoston CelticsPittsburgh 8184#GPhiladelphia 76ersAmerican 9185#GHouston RocketsOklahoma Christian 9186#FIndiana PacersButler 9187#FCleveland CavaliersGeorgia State 9188#GSan Diego ClippersFordham 9189#CChicago BullsOklahoma Christian 9190#GGolden State WarriorsLoyola Marymount 9191#FUtah JazzOklahoma Christian 9192#GDetroit PistonsEastern Michigan 9193#GDallas MavericksChicago State 9194#FWashington BulletsUMBC 9195#GAtlanta HawksWest Alabama 9196#CNew York KnicksMarshall 9197#FKansas City KingsOklahoma Panhandle State 9198#FDenver NuggetsCatawba 9199#FPortland Trail BlazersIdaho 9200#GSeattle SuperSonicsHampton 9201#FNew Jersey NetsRutgers 9202#FMilwaukee BucksNotre Dame 9203#GSan Antonio SpursSt. Mary's (Texas) 9204#FPhoenix SunsWestern Illinois 9205#GBoston CelticsUMass Boston 9206#GPhiladelphia 76ersJames Madison 10 Houston Rockets 10207#FIndiana PacersAugustana College (South Dakota) 10208#FCleveland CavaliersXavier 10209#GSan Diego ClippersSan Diego State 10210#GChicago BullsDuke 10211#GUtah JazzAuburn 10212#CGolden State WarriorsLong Beach State 10213#FDetroit PistonsMichigan 10214#FDallas MavericksFIU 10215#GWashington BulletsSaint Louis 10216#GAtlanta HawksWestern Carolina 10217#FNew York KnicksDePaul 10218#FDenver NuggetsCatawba 10219#FKansas City KingsWashington State 10220#FPortland Trail BlazersEastern Oregon 10221#FSeattle SuperSonicsNorth Carolina Central 10222#CNew Jersey NetsPrinceton 10223#GMilwaukee BucksSt. John's 10224#GPhoenix SunsOklahoma 10225#FSan Antonio SpursGeorgia 10226#GMilwaukee BucksBentley 10 Philadelphia 76ers *Compensation for draft choices previously traded away by Ted Stepien.
Early entrants College underclassmen For the fifth time in six years, no college underclassman would withdraw their entry into the NBA draft. This time, only six college underclassmen would declare their entry into the draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.
Russell Cross – F, Purdue (junior) Clyde Drexler – G/F, Houston (junior) Derek Harper – G, Illinois (junior) Doc Rivers – G, Marquette (junior) Byron Scott – G, Arizona State (junior) Ennis Whatley – G, Alabama (sophomore)
Invited attendees