The 1982 NBA draft took place on June 29, 1982, at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
The #1 selection from this year's draft, future Hall of Fame small forward James Worthy, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers despite them winning the NBA championship the previous season. Their #1 selection in 1982 came from a 1979 trade the team had made with the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which Cleveland had traded their first-round pick for journeyman power forward Don Ford. Worthy would help turn LA into the Showtime Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. Meanwhile, what proved to be reckless trades of first round draft picks by then Cavaliers' owner Ted Stepien led to the NBA creating the "Ted Stepien Rule" forbidding teams from trading first round draft picks in back-to-back years unless they had a different first-round pick that they kept during that time.
Draft PG Point guard SG Shooting guard SF Small forward PF Power forward C Center
Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Team School/club team11 ^ SF Los Angeles Lakers North Carolina 12 *~ PF San Diego Clippers DePaul 13 ^ SF Utah Jazz Georgia 14 SF Dallas Mavericks Wyoming 15 C/PF Kansas City Kings Texas 16 SG New York Knicks Minnesota 17 SG Chicago Bulls San Francisco 18 Clark Kellogg PF Indiana Pacers Ohio State 19 PF Detroit Pistons Wichita State 110 SG Atlanta Hawks Purdue 111 Fat Lever* PG Portland Trail Blazers Arizona State 112 PG Cleveland Cavaliers Boston College 113 + SG New Jersey Nets Georgetown 114 PG Golden State Warriors Oregon State 115 SF Phoenix Suns Bradley 116 SG Houston Rockets Baylor 117 SG Kansas City Kings Georgia Tech 118 + SF Detroit Pistons Rice 119 PG Denver Nuggets Houston 120 SF Milwaukee Bucks Tulsa 121 SF New Jersey Nets Alabama 122 C Philadelphia 76ers California 123 C Boston Celtics Cleveland State 224 SG San Antonio Spurs UAB 225 SG Washington Bullets Saint Joseph's 226 # SF Chicago Bulls Missouri 227 PF Milwaukee Bucks BYU 228 PF Cleveland Cavaliers Kansas 229 F/C New York Knicks Arkansas 230 C Chicago Bulls San Francisco 231 F Chicago Bulls Fresno State 232 PF San Diego Clippers UC Santa Barbara 233 SF Portland Trail Blazers James Madison 234 SF New York Knicks Duke 235 SG Golden State Warriors Louisville 236 SF Philadelphia 76ers Bradley 237 C Portland Trail Blazers Jackson State 238 Wayne Sappleton F Golden State Warriors Loyola (IL) 239 # PF Phoenix Suns UC Irvine 240 G Indiana Pacers Wake Forest 241 G Washington Bullets USC 242 SG Houston Rockets Texas Tech 243 SG Indiana Pacers Portland 244 F Washington Bullets USC Upstate 245 F/C Philadelphia 76ers Chattanooga 246 # G Boston Celtics Kansas 347GCleveland CavaliersMarquette 348 SG San Diego Clippers Long Beach State 349# F Utah Jazz BYU 350PFDallas MavericksConnecticut 351PF/CKansas City KingsWake Forest 352#FNew York KnicksWashington 353#FChicago BullsKansas State 354PGSan Diego ClippersVanderbilt 355PGUtah JazzLouisville 356PFAtlanta HawksDetroit 357#GNew York KnicksIllinois 358#FWashington BulletsUpsala 359#GNew Jersey NetsNorth Carolina 360CGolden State WarriorsWyoming 361PFPhoenix SunsMaryland 362#GDenver NuggetsPepperdine 363 C Houston Rockets NC State 364#CSan Antonio SpursSouth Florida 365SFSeattle SuperSonicsOregon 366#FPortland Trail BlazersAlabama 367#FLos Angeles LakersJacksonville 368#CPhiladelphia 76ersVirginia Tech 369PGBoston CelticsNortheastern 470#FCleveland CavaliersSouth Alabama 471#GSan Diego ClippersLoyola Chicago 472 + C Utah Jazz UCLA 473#CDallas MavericksTexas A&M 474SGKansas City KingsUCLA 475#CNew York KnicksUAB 476CChicago BullsConnecticut 477#GIndiana PacersVirginia 478SGDetroit PistonsWestern Michigan 479#FPortland Trail BlazersGeorgetown 480#FNew Jersey NetsIllinois 481#FWashington BulletsLong Beach State 482SF/SGNew Jersey NetsArkansas 483#FGolden State WarriorsVCU 484#GDenver NuggetsSouthwestern Louisiana 485#CHouston RocketsGeorge Mason 486PFPhoenix SunsSouth Alabama 487#GSan Antonio SpursSouth Florida 488#GSeattle SuperSonicsIdaho 489#FMilwaukee BucksMiddle Tennessee 490#CLos Angeles LakersWestern Kentucky 491#FPhiladelphia 76ersDuquesne 492#FBoston CelticsTulsa 593#FCleveland CavaliersUTEP 594#GSan Diego ClippersTennessee 595#FUtah JazzConnecticut 596#GDallas MavericksIowa 597#GKansas City KingsGrambling State 598#FNew York KnicksVillanova 599#GChicago BullsOklahoma City 5100#FIndiana PacersWisconsin–Eau Claire 5101#FDetroit PistonsFlorida Southern 5102#GAtlanta HawksMinnesota 5103#FPortland Trail BlazersCentenary 5104#GWashington BulletsHawaii 5105#FNew Jersey NetsUAB 5106#FGolden State WarriorsAlcorn State 5107#GHouston RocketsVirginia Tech 5108#GPhoenix SunsMissouri 5109#GDenver NuggetsSanta Clara 5110#FSan Antonio SpursTexas Tech 5111#CSeattle SuperSonicsSouthern Illinois 5112#FWashington BulletsDetroit Mercy 5113#FLos Angeles LakersSeton Hall 5114#GPhiladelphia 76ersFresno State 5115#GBoston CelticsSaint Peter's 6116#FCleveland CavaliersSouth Florida 6117#GSan Diego ClippersGeorgia 6118#GUtah JazzSouthern 6119#GDallas MavericksNorthwestern State 6120#FKansas City KingsLouisville 6121#CNew York KnicksDayton 6122#GChicago BullsNevada 6123#GIndiana PacersSaint Joseph's 6124#FDetroit PistonsMinnesota 6125#CPortland Trail BlazersUtah State 6126#GAtlanta HawksMount St. Mary's 6127#FWashington BulletsIdaho State 6128#GNew Jersey NetsFurman 6129#GGolden State WarriorsSaint Mary's 6130#CPhoenix SunsHardin–Simmons 6131#FDenver NuggetsNorth Carolina 6132#FHouston RocketsLouisiana–Monroe 6133#FSan Antonio SpursNew Mexico State 6134#FSeattle SuperSonicsCharlotte 6135#GMilwaukee BucksWisconsin–Eau Claire 6136#GLos Angeles LakersHouston 6137#FPhiladelphia 76ersIowa 6138SGBoston CelticsRichmond 7139#FCleveland CavaliersKansas State 7140PGSan Diego ClippersColorado State 8141#FUtah JazzMichigan 7142#FDallas MavericksNorthwestern 7143#GKansas City KingsIllinois 7144#GNew York KnicksCanisius 7145#FChicago BullsKentucky 7146#FIndiana PacersEvansville 7147#CDetroit PistonsMarquette 7148#FAtlanta HawksClemson 7149#GPortland Trail BlazersLamar 7150#FWashington BulletsUSC Upstate 7151#FNew Jersey NetsUCLA 7152#FGolden State WarriorsPacific 7153#FDenver NuggetsNorth Carolina 7154#GHouston RocketsWake Forest 7155#GPhoenix SunsCharlotte 7156#GSan Antonio SpursNorth Texas 7157#CSeattle SuperSonicsNorthern Illinois 7158#GMilwaukee BucksCincinnati 7159#FLos Angeles LakersUSC 7160#GPhiladelphia 76ersMissouri State 7161#CBoston CelticsWest Virginia 8162#GCleveland CavaliersVCU 8163#FSan Diego ClippersColorado 8164#GUtah JazzMiddle Tennessee 8165#FDallas MavericksArkansas 8166PFKansas City KingsKansas State 8167#FNew York KnicksSiena 8168#GChicago BullsUNLV 8169#CIndiana PacersBradley 8170#FDetroit PistonsMarquette 8171#FPortland Trail BlazersWestern Oregon 8172#FAtlanta HawksHoward 8173#GWashington BulletsDelaware 8174#GNew Jersey NetsMemphis 8175#FGolden State WarriorsFlorida Southern 8176#GHouston RocketsSeton Hall 8177#GPhoenix SunsGeorgetown (Kentucky) 8178#FDenver NuggetsUAB 8179#FSan Antonio SpursMcNeese State 8180#GSeattle SuperSonicsWashington 8181#CMilwaukee BucksIllinois 8182#CLos Angeles LakersTulane 8183#FPhiladelphia 76ersJackson State 8184#CBoston CelticsGeorgetown 9185#FCleveland CavaliersSouth Alabama 9186#FSan Diego ClippersSan Francisco 9187#FUtah JazzLIU 9188#FDallas MavericksUT Arlington 9189#GKansas City KingsNebraska 9190#GNew York KnicksSouth Carolina State 9191#GChicago BullsDePaul 9192#FIndiana PacersPurdue 9193#GDetroit PistonsMichigan State 9194#GAtlanta HawksElizabeth City State 9195#FPortland Trail BlazersSaint Joseph's 9196#FWashington BulletsHoward 9197#GNew Jersey NetsOral Roberts 9198#GGolden State WarriorsChattanooga 9199#FPhoenix SunsWashington 9200#FDenver NuggetsUCLA 9201#FSan Antonio SpursSt. Mary's (Texas) 9202#GMilwaukee BucksIdaho State 9203#GLos Angeles LakersRutgers 9204#FPhiladelphia 76ersCheyney 9205#GBoston CelticsIonikos Nikaias 10206#GCleveland CavaliersMarion 10207#FSan Diego ClippersCreighton 10208#GUtah JazzNew Orleans 10209#FDallas MavericksUT Arlington 10210#FKansas City KingsIowa State 10211#GNew York KnicksManhattan 10212#CChicago BullsCampbell 10213#GIndiana PacersWisconsin–Stout 10214#GDetroit PistonsYork 10215#FPortland Trail BlazersUC Irvine 10216#FAtlanta HawksOld Dominion 10217#GWashington BulletsNorth Carolina Central 10218#GNew Jersey NetsOle Miss 10219#GGolden State WarriorsUC Irvine 10220#GDenver NuggetsNiagara 10221FPhoenix SunsIdaho State 10222#FSan Antonio SpursMcMurry 10223#FMilwaukee BucksWisconsin–Eau Claire 10224#GPhiladelphia 76ersDrexel 10225#FBoston CelticsIndiana
Early entrants College underclassmen For the first time since 1978, a player that had previously qualified for entry in the NBA draft as a college underclassman (in this case, a Nigerian born player from Sam Houston State University named Yommy Sangodeyi) would later withdraw his entry into the draft pool. He would become the only underclassman player to officially withdraw his name from an NBA draft during the 1980s decade, though he would appear in the draft. The following twelve college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance otherwise.
John Bagley – G, Boston College (junior) Terry Cummings – F, DePaul (junior) Quintin Dailey – G, San Francisco (junior) Ollie Johnson – F, Washington State (junior) Clark Kellogg – F, Ohio State (junior) Cliff Levingston – F, Wichita State (junior) Michael McDuffen – G, Murray State (junior) LaSalle Thompson – F/C, Texas (junior) Dominique Wilkins – F, Georgia (junior) Rob Williams – G, Houston (junior) James Worthy – F, North Carolina (junior) Victor Mitchell – C, Kansas (junior)
Invited attendees The 1982 NBA draft is considered to be the fifth NBA draft to have utilized what's properly considered the "green room" experience for NBA prospects. The NBA's green room is a staging area where anticipated draftees often sit with their families and representatives, waiting for their names to be called on draft night. Often being positioned either in front of or to the side of the podium (in this case, located in the Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum, a first at the Garden),), once a player heard his name, he would walk to the podium to shake hands and take promotional photos with the NBA commissioner. From there, the players often conducted interviews with various media outlets while backstage. However, once the NBA draft started to air nationally on TV starting with the 1980 NBA draft, the green room evolved from players waiting to hear their name called and then shaking hands with these select players who were often called to the hotel to take promotional pictures with the NBA commissioner a day or two after the draft concluded to having players in real-time waiting to hear their names called up and then shaking hands with Larry O'Brien, the NBA's commissioner. The NBA compiled its list of green room invites through collective voting by the NBA's team presidents and general managers alike, which in this year's case belonged to only what they believed were the top 14 prospects at the time. However, they inexplicably did not give an invite to the actual #1 pick of the draft there, All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and NCAA Tournament MVP on the championship North Carolina Tarheels James Worthy. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Scott Hastings would be the first invited green room player to stay there beyond the first round of the draft, falling into the second round and languishing to overall pick #29.
The following players were invited to attend the 1982 NBA draft festivities:
Terry Cummings – PF, DePaul Quintin Dailey – SG, San Francisco Keith Edmonson – SG, Purdue Sleepy Floyd – PG/SG, Georgetown Bill Garnett – PF, Wyoming Scott Hastings – PF/C, Arkansas Clark Kellogg – PF, Ohio State Fat Lever – PG, Arizona State Cliff Levingston – PF, Wichita State Brook Steppe – SG/SF, Georgia Tech LaSalle Thompson – PF/C, Texas Trent Tucker – SG, Minnesota