Draft Selections and Draftee Career Notes
Austin Carr from the University of Notre Dame was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sidney Wicks from the University of California, Los Angeles, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected second by the Portland Trail Blazers. Spencer Haywood, the 30th pick, and Randy Smith, the 104th pick, were selected to both the All-NBA Team and the All-Star Game. Haywood was selected to four All-NBA Teams and five All-Star Games. He also won the NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980. During his first and only season in the American Basketball Association (ABA), he won the ABA Most Valuable Player Award, and was selected to the ABA All-Star Game and All-ABA Team. Smith was selected to one All-NBA Team and two All-Star Games. Artis Gilmore, the 117th pick, initially opted to play in the ABA. He spent five seasons with the Kentucky Colonels before finally joined the NBA in 1976 after both leagues merged. His achievements include ABA Most Valuable Player Award in 1972, five All-ABA Team selections, five ABA All-Star Game selections and six NBA All-Star Game selections. For his achievements, he will be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Fred Brown, the 6th pick, spent all of his 13-year playing career with the Sonics and was selected to one All-Star Game. Carr, Wicks, and 11th pick Curtis Rowe are the only other players from this draft who were selected to an All-Star Game. Phil Chenier, a college underclassman selected in the supplemental hardship draft, was also selected to both All-NBA Team and All-Star Game. Two players drafted went on to have coaching careers in the NBA: 13th pick Jim Cleamons and 46th pick Dave Wohl.
Spencer Haywood was selected in the second round by the Buffalo Braves although he already played in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics in the previous season. He left college basketball in 1969 with two years remaining in his college eligibility. At that time, the NBA prohibited the drafting or signing of a player before his college class had graduated. He then played in the ABA with the Denver Rockets for a season before controversially signed by the Sonics. The league and the other NBA teams opposed the move and argued Haywood should be prohibited to join and play with the Sonics. This led to a court case between the NBA against the Sonics and Haywood. He argued that he should be allowed to play because he was a "hardship case", due to his position as the sole wage earner in his family. He then won the case and was allowed to play late in the 1970–71 season. This led to the NBA allowing college underclassmen to enter the draft provided they could give evidence of "hardship". With the existing rules, Haywood was eligible for this year's draft, when his college class graduated. The Braves used one of their three second-round picks to select him, hoping that they would win the rights to sign him. However, he remained with the Sonics and never played for the Braves.
Read more about this topic: 1971 NBA Draft
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