1989 NBA draft
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| 1989 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| DateTemplate:Pluralize from text | June 27, 1989 |
| Location | Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York)[1] |
| NetworkTemplate:Pluralize from text | TBS |
| Overview | |
| 54 total selections in 2 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| First selection | Pervis Ellison (Sacramento Kings) |
| Hall of Famers | 3
|
| Template:Succession links | |
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The 1989 NBA draft took place on June 27, 1989, in New York City. Despite eight of the top ten picks being considered busts, including the first two picks Pervis Ellison and Danny Ferry, the draft produced many talented players such as Shawn Kemp, Glen Rice, Sean Elliott, Nick Anderson, Dana Barros, Tim Hardaway, Vlade Divac, Clifford Robinson, B. J. Armstrong and Mookie Blaylock.[2][3]
The draft was reduced from three rounds in the previous year to the two-round format that is still in use to the present day.[4][3] As a result, NBA drafts from this season until 1995 produced the lowest number of total draft picks selected at 54 overall selections.
This was the first draft for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic, prior to their inaugural season. This was also the first draft televised prime time on U.S. national television.[5]
Draft selections
| PG | Point guard | SG | Shooting guard | SF | Small forward | PF | Power forward | C | Center |
| ^ | Denotes player who has been inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| * | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game and All-NBA Team |
| + | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-Star Game |
| # | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular-season or playoff game |
| Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality[n 1] | NBA team | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Sacramento Kings | Louisville (Sr.) |
| 1 | 2 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Los Angeles Clippers | Duke (Sr.) |
| 1 | 3 | Script error: No such module "Sort".+ | SF/SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | San Antonio Spurs | Arizona (Sr.) |
| 1 | 4 | Script error: No such module "Sort".* | SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Miami Heat | Michigan (Sr.) |
| 1 | 5 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Charlotte Hornets | North Carolina (Jr.) |
| 1 | 6 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Chicago Bulls (from New Jersey) | Oklahoma (Sr.) |
| 1 | 7 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG/SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Indiana Pacers | Florida State (Sr.) |
| 1 | 8 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Dallas Mavericks | Louisiana Tech (Sr.) |
| 1 | 9 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Washington Bullets | Georgia Tech (Sr.) |
| 1 | 10 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Minnesota Timberwolves | UCLA (Sr.) |
| 1 | 11 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF/SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Orlando Magic | Illinois (Jr.) |
| 1 | 12 | Script error: No such module "Sort".+ | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | New Jersey Nets (from Portland) | Oklahoma (Sr.) |
| 1 | 13 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Boston Celtics | BYU (Sr.) |
| 1 | 14 | Script error: No such module "Sort".^ | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Golden State Warriors | UTEP (Sr.) |
| 1 | 15 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Denver Nuggets | Stanford (Sr.) |
| 1 | 16 | Script error: No such module "Sort".+ | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Seattle SuperSonics (from Houston via Golden State) | Boston College (Sr.) |
| 1 | 17 | Script error: No such module "Sort".* | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Seattle SuperSonics (from Philadelphia) | Concord HS (Elkhart, Indiana) |
| 1 | 18 | Script error: No such module "Sort".+ | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Chicago Bulls | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 1 | 19 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Philadelphia 76ers (from Seattle) | Louisville (Sr.) |
| 1 | 20 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Chicago Bulls (from Milwaukee via Seattle) | Georgia Southern (Sr.) |
| 1 | 21 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF/SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Utah Jazz | East Carolina (Sr.) |
| 1 | 22 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Portland Trail Blazers (from New York) | Missouri (Sr.) |
| 1 | 23 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG/SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Atlanta Hawks | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 1 | 24 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Phoenix Suns (traded to Detroit)[6] | Arizona (Sr.) |
| 1 | 25 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | Seton Hall (Sr.) |
| 1 | 26 | Script error: No such module "Sort".^ | C | Script error: No such module "flag". | Los Angeles Lakers | KK Partizan (Yugoslavia) |
| 1 | 27 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Detroit Pistons (traded to Phoenix)[6] | Illinois (Sr.) |
| 2 | 28 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Miami Heat | Syracuse (Sr.) |
| 2 | 29 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Charlotte Hornets | Tennessee (Sr.) |
| 2 | 30 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Milwaukee Bucks | Vanderbilt (Sr.) |
| 2 | 31 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Los Angeles Clippers | Murray State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 32 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | New Jersey Nets | DePaul (Sr.) |
| 2 | 33 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Los Angeles Clippers | Indiana (So.) |
| 2 | 34 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Minnesota Timberwolves | Missouri (Sr.) |
| 2 | 35 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Dallas Mavericks | Colorado State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 36 | Script error: No such module "Sort".+ | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Portland Trail Blazers | Connecticut (Sr.) |
| 2 | 37 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Orlando Magic | Alabama (Sr.) |
| 2 | 38 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G/F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Minnesota Timberwolves | Villanova (Sr.) |
| 2 | 39 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Washington Bullets | Iowa (Sr.) |
| 2 | 40 | Script error: No such module "Sort".^ | PF | Script error: No such module "flag". | Boston Celtics | KK Split (Yugoslavia) |
| 2 | 41 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Washington Bullets | Tennessee (Sr.) |
| 2 | 42 | Script error: No such module "Sort".# | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Denver Nuggets | McNeese State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 43 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Cleveland Cavaliers | NC State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 44 | Script error: No such module "Sort".# | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Hawaii (Sr.) |
| 2 | 45 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Miami Heat | Evansville (Sr.) |
| 2 | 46 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Phoenix Suns | LSU (Sr.) |
| 2 | 47 | Script error: No such module "Sort".# | SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Denver Nuggets | UAB (Sr.) |
| 2 | 48 | Script error: No such module "Sort".# | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Utah Jazz | South Alabama (Sr.) |
| 2 | 49 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Atlanta Hawks | Oral Roberts (Sr.) |
| 2 | 50 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | New York Knicks | Washington State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 51 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Phoenix Suns | Loyola (MD) (Sr.) |
| 2 | 52 | Script error: No such module "Sort". | G | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Phoenix Suns | Trenton State (Sr.) |
| 2 | 53 | Script error: No such module "Sort".# | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Dallas Mavericks | South Alabama (Sr.) |
| 2 | 54 | Script error: No such module "Sort".# | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Philadelphia 76ers | Georgia (Jr.) |
Notable undrafted players
Script error: No such module "labelled list hatnote". These players were not selected in the 1989 draft but played at least one game in the NBA.
| Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Idaho (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | Script error: No such module "flag". | Texas State (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG/SF | Script error: No such module "flag". | North Carolina (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Lamar (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Boise State (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Script error: No such module "flag". |
Georgia State (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF/C | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Virginia Union (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Florida State (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Charlotte (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | Script error: No such module "flag". | Partizan Belgrade (Yugoslavia) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | South Carolina (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | F | File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia | Seton Hall (Fr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG/SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Ohio (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Texas (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Script error: No such module "flag". |
Northern Colorado (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Penn State (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Georgetown (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States Script error: No such module "flag". |
Nebraska (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Oklahoma State (So.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Xavier (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | North Carolina (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Florida (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF/PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Purdue (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PG/SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Georgetown (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG/SF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Eastern Illinois (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | California (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SG/SF | Script error: No such module "flag". | VEF Rīga (Soviet Union) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF/SG | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Averett (Sr.) |
| Script error: No such module "Sort". | SF/PF | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | Stanford (Sr.) |
Early entrants
College underclassmen
For the seventh year in a row and the eleventh time in twelve years, no college underclassman would withdraw their entry into the NBA draft. Not only that, but this would be the fourth year in a row where a player that qualified for the status of a "college underclassman" would be playing professional basketball overseas, with the French-born Rudy Bourgarel playing for the Boulogne-Levallois in France after leaving Marist College. In addition to that, this would also be the first year where an international player would be considered a direct underclassman to participate in an NBA draft, with Vlade Divac from the KK Partizan Belgrade of the Eastern Bloc nation known as SFR Yugoslavia (now since separated, with Divac representing Serbia) being the first ever international underclassman to be taken directly from an overseas team without previously going to an American college or playing for any prior American institution. Including those two players and Andrew Gaze, who had previously played in Australia for multiple years before playing only one season at Seton Hall University while being over the age of 22 by that time, the number of underclassmen would officially be considered a grand total of fourteen players instead of eleven (or twelve including Gaze). Regardless, the following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.[7]
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- Template:Flagicon Nick Anderson – G, Illinois (junior)
- Template:Flagicon Martin Den Hengst – C, Sheridan (freshman)
- Template:Flagicon Jay Edwards – G, Indiana (sophomore)
- Template:Flagicon Andrew Gaze – Seton Hall (freshman)
- Template:Flagicon Benny Green – G, Tennessee–Chattanooga (junior)
- Template:Flagicon Shawn Kemp – F, Trinity Valley CC (freshman)
- Template:Flagicon Toney Mack – G, Georgia (junior)
- Template:Flagicon J. R. Reid – F, North Carolina (junior)
- Template:Flagicon Maurice Selvin – G, Puget Sound (sophomore)
- Template:Flagicon Alex Soyebo – C, Northland Pioneer (freshman)
- Template:Flagicon Johnny Steptoe – F, Southern (sophomore)
- Template:Flagicon Richard Whitmore – G, Brown (junior)
International players
This would be the first time in NBA history where an international born and raised player would be considered an underclassman in an NBA draft. The following international player successfully applied for early draft entrance.[7]
Other eligible players
This would be the fourth year in a row with at least one player that previously played in college entering the NBA draft as an underclassman. It was also the second year in a row where a player would qualify as an eligible underclassman for the NBA draft while previously playing for a French-based team in order to do so.
| Player | Page Template:Tooltip/styles.css has no content.Template:Encodefirst | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Rudy Bourgarel | Boulogne-Levallois (France) | Left Marist in 1988; playing professionally since the 1988–89 season | [8] |
Invited attendees
The 1989 NBA draft is considered to be the twelfth 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, being positioned in the Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum for the eighth year in a row[9]), 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. 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 David Stern, the NBA's commissioner at the time.[10] 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 16 prospects at the time.[11] Despite the large amount of invites that held some very successful players (including the first truly international born, raised, and developed prospect in Vlade Divac), some notable absences from this group outside of future Hall of Famer Dino Rada include Dana Barros from Boston College and power forward Shawn Kemp, with Gary Leonard and Clifford Robinson both waiting into the second round themselves. Even so, the following players were invited to attend this year's draft festivities live and in person.[9]
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- Template:Flagicon Nick Anderson – SG/SF, Illinois
- Template:Flagicon B. J. Armstrong – PG, Iowa
- Template:Flagicon Mookie Blaylock – PG, Oklahoma
- Template:Flagicon/Template:Flagicon Vlade Divac – C, KK Partizan (Yugoslavia)
- Template:Flagicon Sean Elliott – SG/SF, Arizona
- Template:Flagicon Pervis Ellison – PF, Louisville
- Template:Flagicon Danny Ferry – PF, Duke
- Template:Flagicon Tom Hammonds – PF/C, Georgia Tech
- Template:Flagicon Tim Hardaway – PG, UTEP
- Template:Flagicon Stacey King – C, Oklahoma
- Template:Flagicon Gary Leonard – C, Missouri
- Template:Flagicon George McCloud – SG/SF, Florida State
- Template:Flagicon John Morton – PG, Seton Hall
- Template:Flagicon Glen Rice – SF, Michigan
- Template:Flagicon Clifford Robinson – PF/C, Connecticut
- Template:Flagicon Randy White – PF, Louisiana Tech
Notes
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See also
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bradley, Robert D. (2013). The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810890695.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1989 NBA draft".
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."NBA Past Drafts - RealGM".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1989 NBA draft".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."NBA Draft Will Move To Prime-Time on TBS". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. March 15, 1989. pp. D4.
- ^ a b The Pistons traded the rights to Kenny Battle and Micheal Williams to the Suns for rights to Anthony Cook on the draft day.
Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Berry, Walter (June 28, 1989). "Associatred Press sports news". Associated Press. - ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1989 Underclassmen". The Draft Review. August 4, 2007. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Rudy Bourgarel, Basketball Player". Proballers. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1989 Green Room Invites - the Draft Review". Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Maurer, Matthew (February 18, 2024). "Draft Broadcasts - The Draft Review". The Draft Review. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Green Room - The Draft Review". The Draft Review. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
External links
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