Held on Tuesday, June 28, 1983 inside Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum, the 1983 draft is remembered for one towering presence of 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson and for producing a deep pool of long-term starters despite only 58 of 226 picks ever logging an NBA minute.
It was the last 10-round marathon (226 selections) before the league streamlined to seven rounds in 1984 and eventually the modern two-round format, making 1983 a relic of the “more-is-more” scouting era.
Format & Context
Format of the 1983 NBA Draft
- Date and Location: The draft was held on June 28, 1983, in New York City.
- Rounds and Picks: The draft consisted of 10 rounds, with 226 players selected by 23 teams. This is a significant difference compared to the current two-round format.
- Draft Order Determination: The top two picks were determined by a coin flip between the two teams with the worst records, a system that predated the draft lottery implemented in 1985. Subsequent picks were in reverse order of the previous season’s win-loss records.
- Notable Technicality: Manute Bol was drafted in the fifth round by the San Diego Clippers, but the pick was disallowed by the NBA due to issues with his age and draft paperwork. He was drafted again in 1985.
Context of the 1983 NBA Draft
- The “Twin Towers” Context: With the first overall pick, the Houston Rockets selected Ralph Sampson and also held the third pick, which they used on Rodney McCray. This draft preceded their selection of Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1984 draft, establishing their “Twin Towers” lineup.
- Talent Pool: The draft produced two future Hall of Fame players: Ralph Sampson (first pick) and Clyde Drexler (14th pick).
- Future Coaches: Several players drafted in 1983 went on to coaching careers, including four who became NBA head coaches: Doc Rivers, Byron Scott, Randy Wittman, and Sidney Lowe.
- The Ted Stepien Rule: Due to the Cleveland Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien’s history of trading away first-round picks, the NBA enacted a rule preventing teams from trading consecutive years’ first-round picks.
- Rookies of Note from the Era: The 1982-83 season featured notable rookies like Dominique Wilkins and James Worthy, and the 1983 NBA Finals concluded with the Philadelphia 76ers sweeping the Lakers shortly before the draft.
First-Round Highlights & Career Impact
| Pick | Team | Player | Pos. | College | NBA Legacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Rockets | Ralph Sampson | C/PF | Virginia | ROY ’84, 4× All-Star, 1985 All-NBA 2nd; formed original “Twin Towers” with Hakeem Olajuwon before knee injuries curtailed a Hall-of-Fame trajectory . |
| 2 | Indiana Pacers | Steve Stipanovich | C | Missouri | Solid 5-year start (13-8 career avg), but forced retirement at 26 after knee infections; became cautionary medical tale. |
| 3 | Houston Rockets | Rodney McCray | SF | Louisville | Elite defender, 12-year career, key cog on 1986 Rockets Finals run and later Sacramento’s 50-win teams . |
| 4 | San Diego Clippers | Byron Scott | SG | Arizona St. | Traded to L.A. Lakers, won 3 rings, 14-year scorer; later coached Nets to back-to-back Finals and Cavs to 2016 title. |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | Dale Ellis | SG/SF | Tennessee | 1987 Most Improved, 1990 All-Star; retired 6th all-time in three-pointers made (original record holder). |
| 10 | Washington Bullets | Jeff Malone | SG | Miss. St. | 2× All-Star, career 19.0 ppg; sweet mid-range jumper, prototype scoring 2-guard of the late ’80s. |
| 11 | Dallas Mavericks | Derek Harper | PG | Illinois | 15,000 pts / 7,000 ast club; anchor of Mavs’ 50-win stretch; still franchise top-5 in assists & steals. |
| 14 | Portland Trail Blazers | Clyde Drexler | SG | Houston | 10× All-Star, 1992 Finals, 1995 champion, Hall-of-Fame 2004; consensus best player of the 1983 draft despite going 14th . |
| 31 | Atlanta Hawks | Doc Rivers | PG | Marquette | All-Star 1988, 10,000+ career assists; later Coach of the Year 2000, 2008 championship coach with Boston—biggest second-round steal of class . |
Surprises, Busts & “What-Ifs”
- Biggest bust: Russell Cross (6th to Golden State) – played 45 total minutes, out of league within a year; cited as classic “system mismatch”.
- Biggest steal: Clyde Drexler at 14 – Portland already had Jim Paxson and drafted “The Glide” as insurance; insurance became franchise icon.
- Manute Bol void – 5th-round pick by Clippers was rejected on technicalities; Bol re-entered 1985 draft and became 1980s shot-block legend.
- Cleveland courtesy pick – The NBA awarded the Cavs extra 24th pick to offset Ted Stepien’s reckless trade history, birthing the “Stepien Rule” that still prevents teams from dealing first-rounders in back-to-back years .
Long-Term Outcomes
The long-term outcome of the 1983 NBA Draft was mixed, producing both a Hall of Fame superstar (Clyde Drexler) and one of the NBA’s most notable “what-if” stories due to the injury-shortened career of the first overall pick, Ralph Sampson. The draft also featured numerous players who had long, solid NBA careers and later became successful coaches.
Top Selections and Notable Careers
- Ralph Sampson (1st Overall Pick): Sampson was a 7’4″ phenom with guard-like skills who entered the league with massive expectations. He had an immediate impact, winning the Rookie of the Year award and making four All-Star teams as a member of the Houston Rockets “Twin Towers” alongside Hakeem Olajuwon. However, severe knee and back injuries derailed his career after just a few seasons, preventing him from reaching his full superstar potential. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a recognition that also considered his outstanding collegiate career.
- Clyde Drexler (14th Overall Pick): “Clyde the Glide” was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers and went on to have a stellar, Hall of Fame career. He accumulated the most win shares of any player in the draft, became a 10-time All-Star, and won an NBA championship with the Rockets in 1995.
- Byron Scott (4th Overall Pick): Scott had a productive 14-year playing career, primarily with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was a key part of the Showtime era’s championship teams. He later became an NBA head coach.
- Jeff Malone (10th Overall Pick): Malone was a lethal shooter who enjoyed a 13-year career, averaging 19 points per game and making two All-Star appearances.
- Dale Ellis (9th Overall Pick) and Thurl Bailey (7th Overall Pick): Both were durable players who had long, successful, double-digit-scoring careers lasting 17 and 12 years respectively.
Coaching Success
A unique outcome of the 1983 draft is that four draftees went on to become NBA head coaches: Doc Rivers, Byron Scott, Randy Wittman, and Sidney Lowe. Doc Rivers notably won an NBA Championship as a coach in 2008.
Overall Legacy
The 1983 draft will forever live in the shadow of Ralph Sampson’s unfulfilled super-star promise, yet its true legacy is depth over dazzle:
- It gave the league a Hall-of-Fame closer (Drexler),
- a three-time champion coach (Rivers),
- the original “Twin Tower” experiment, and
- the administrative ancestor (Stepien Rule) that still governs draft-day trades.
Sometimes the quietest classes echo the longest—and 1983 echoes every time a franchise can’t trade its next two first-rounders or a European big waits for medical clearance.