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 first overall pick of this draft was 7’4” center Ralph Sampson, predicted as an NBA superstar since high school. The three-time College Player of the Year had spent all four years of his college career at the University of Virginia, and was taken first by the Houston Rockets. Displaying his skilled above-the-rim game and ability to run the court like a guard, he got off to a certain Hall of Fame bound start as an NBA All-Star and NBA Rookie of the Year before injuries several seasons in derailed his 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
upright|thumb|150px|alt=A man, wearing white shirt with a logo and the word "NBA PLAYERS" on the front, is standing and posing for a photo.|[[Ralph Sampson was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets.]]
alt=A man, wearing white shirt with a logo and the word "NBA PLAYERS" on the front, is standing and posing for a photo.|thumb|170x170px|[[Clyde Drexler was selected fourteenth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.]]
thumb|199x199px|[[Doc Rivers was selected thirty-first overall by the Atlanta Hawks]]
{|class=wikitable
|-
| PG || Point guard
| SG || Shooting guard
| SF || Small forward
| PF || Power forward
| C || Center
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left"
!scope="col" style="width:20px;"|
!scope="col" style="width:20px;"|
!scope="col" style="width:120px;"| Player
!scope="col" style="width:20px;"|
!scope="col" style="width:100px;"|
!scope="col" style="width:300px;"| Team
!scope="col" style="width:150px;"|
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center| 1
| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| ^~
| C
|
| Houston Rockets
| Virginia
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center| 2
|
| C
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Missouri
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|3
|
| SF
|
| Houston Rockets
| Louisville
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|4
|
| SG
|
| San Diego Clippers
| Arizona State
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|5
|
| PF
|
| Chicago Bulls
| UNLV
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|6
|
| C
|
| Golden State Warriors
| Purdue
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|7
|
| PF
|
| Utah Jazz
| NC State
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|8
|
| PF
|
| Detroit Pistons
| Wichita State
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|9
| bgcolor="#FBCEB1"| *
| SG
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Tennessee
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|10
| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| <sup>+</sup>
| SG
|
| Washington Bullets
| Mississippi State
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|11
|
| PG/SG
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Illinois
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|12
|
| SG
|
| New York Knicks
| Arkansas
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|13
|
| PG
|
| Kansas City Kings
| Alabama
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|14
| bgcolor="#FFFF99"| ^
| SG
|
| Portland Trail Blazers
| Houston
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center| 15
|
| SG
|
| Denver Nuggets
| LSU
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|16
|
| PG
|
| Seattle SuperSonics
| Missouri
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|17
|
| SF
|
| Philadelphia 76ers
| Syracuse
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|18
|
| C
|
| Milwaukee Bucks
| Minnesota
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|19
|
| PG
|
| San Antonio Spurs
| Notre Dame
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|20
|
|C
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| Rutgers
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|21
|
|C
|
| Boston Celtics
| BYU
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|22
|
|SG
|
| Washington Bullets
| Indiana
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center|23
|
| SG
|
| Indiana Pacers
| Florida State
|-
|align=center|1
|align=center| 24
|
|PG
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers <nowiki>*</nowiki>
| Villanova
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|25
|
|PG
|
| Chicago Bulls
| NC State
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|26
|
|SF
|
|Indiana Pacers
|Oklahoma State
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|27
|
|PF
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Boston College
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|28
|
|PG
|
|Phoenix Suns
|UCLA
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|29
|
|PF
|
|Chicago Bulls
|Houston
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center| 30
|
|C
|
| Dallas Mavericks
| Old Dominion
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center| 31
| bgcolor="#FFCC00"|<sup>+</sup>
|PG
|
| Atlanta Hawks
| Marquette
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|32
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SF
|
|Washington Bullets
| UDC
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|33
|
|PG
|
|Dallas Mavericks
|Kentucky
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|34
|
|F
|
|Washington Bullets
|Washington State
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|35
|
|C
|
|San Antonio Spurs
|Auburn
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|36
|
|PF
|
|Seattle SuperSonics
|Louisville
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|37
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SF
|
|Denver Nuggets
|St. John's
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|38
|
|PF
|
|Kansas City Kings
|San Jose State
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|39
|
|C
|
|Portland Trail Blazers
|Ohio State
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|40
|
|SG
|
|Indiana Pacers
|Indiana
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|41
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SF
|
|Milwaukee Bucks
|Indiana
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|42
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SG
|
|Milwaukee Bucks
|Alabama
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|43
|
|SF
|
|Golden State Warriors
|Utah
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|44
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SG
|
|New Jersey Nets
|Rhode Island
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|45
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SF
|
|Phoenix Suns
|Arizona State
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|46
|
|PG
|
|San Antonio Spurs
|St. John's
|-
|align=center|2
|align=center|47
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|PF
|
|Philadelphia 76ers
|North Texas State
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|48
|
|SG
|
| Houston Rockets
| Washington State
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|49
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Indiana Pacers
|West Virginia
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|50
|
|SF
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Tulane
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|51
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Phoenix Suns
|NC State
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|52
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Indiana Pacers
|East Tennessee State
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|53
|
|SG
|
|Golden State Warriors
|UCLA
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|54
|
|SG
|
| Utah Jazz
| Iowa
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|55
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Detroit Pistons
|Syracuse
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|56
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|SG
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers
| UNLV
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|57
|
|SF
|
|Washington Bullets
|UCLA
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|58
|
|SF
|
|Atlanta Hawks
|Villanova
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|59
|
|PF
|
|New Jersey Nets
|Connecticut
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|60
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Kansas City Kings
|Washington State
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|61
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Denver Nuggets
|Oklahoma
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|62
|
|C
|
|Portland Trail Blazers
|La Salle
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|63
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Seattle SuperSonics
|Stetson
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|64
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Philadelphia 76ers
|Texas A&M
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|65
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Milwaukee Bucks
|St. John's
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|66
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|C
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Kansas State
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|67
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Kentucky
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|68
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Boston Celtics
|Virginia
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|69
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Los Angeles Lakers
|Pepperdine
|-
|align=center|3
|align=center|70
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Philadelphia 76ers
|James Madison
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|71
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Houston Rockets
|TCU
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|72
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|C
|
|Indiana Pacers
|Georgia
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|73
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Cincinnati
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|74
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Philadelphia 76ers
|Mississippi State
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|75
|
|C
|
|Chicago Bulls
|Boston College
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|76
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Utah Jazz
|TCU
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|77
|
|SF
|
|Golden State Warriors
|Saint Mary's
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|78
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Detroit Pistons
|Indiana
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|79
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Dallas Mavericks
|Northwestern State
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|80
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Washington Bullets
|Southwestern Louisiana
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|81
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Atlanta Hawks
|Texas Southern
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|82
|
|PG
|
|New York Knicks
|St. Bonaventure
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|83
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Denver Nuggets
|UC Santa Barbara
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|84
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Kansas City Kings
|Wyoming
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|85
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Portland Trail Blazers
|Chaminade
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|86
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|C
|
|Seattle SuperSonics
|Fairfield
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|87
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|New Jersey Nets
|Bradley
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|88
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Milwaukee Bucks
|American
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|89
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Phoenix Suns
|Nevada
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|90
|
|PF
|
|San Antonio Spurs
|William & Mary
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|91
|
|SG
|
|Boston Celtics
|Ole Miss
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|92
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Los Angeles Lakers
|Mississippi State
|-
|align=center|4
|align=center|93
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Philadelphia 76ers
|Princeton
|-
|align=center|5
|align=center|94
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Houston Rockets
|Oklahoma
|-
|align=center|5
|align=center|95
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Indiana Pacers
|Ole Miss
|-
|align=center|5
|align=center|96
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Holy Cross
|-
|align=center|5
|align=center|97
|
|C
|
| San Diego Clippers
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|207
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|<br>
|Indiana Pacers
|Augustana College (South Dakota)
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|208
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Cleveland Cavaliers
|Xavier
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|209
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|San Diego Clippers
|San Diego State
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|210
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Chicago Bulls
|Duke
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|211
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Utah Jazz
|Auburn
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|212
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|C
|
|Golden State Warriors
|Long Beach State
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|213
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Detroit Pistons
|Michigan
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|214
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Dallas Mavericks
|FIU
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|215
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Washington Bullets
|Saint Louis
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|216
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Atlanta Hawks
|Western Carolina
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|217
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|New York Knicks
|DePaul
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|218
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Denver Nuggets
|Catawba
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|219
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Kansas City Kings
|Washington State
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|220
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Portland Trail Blazers
|Eastern Oregon
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|221
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|Seattle SuperSonics
|North Carolina Central
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|222
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|C
|
|New Jersey Nets
|Princeton
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|223
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Milwaukee Bucks
|St. John's
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|224
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Phoenix Suns
|Oklahoma
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|225
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|F
|
|San Antonio Spurs
|Georgia
|-
|align=center|10
|align=center|226
|bgcolor="#C0C0C0"|<sup>#</sup>
|G
|
|Milwaukee Bucks
|Bentley
|-bgcolor="lightgray"
|style="text-align:center;"|10 <!-- in this position to match NBA's official table -->
!scope="row" colspan="6" style="text-align:center;" | Philadelphia 76ers
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>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
The 1983 NBA draft is considered to be the sixth 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 second year in a row), 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 at the time. 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 13 prospects at the time. However, two of the invitations to the draft in Sidney Lowe and Dereck Whittenburg would end up staying in the green room by not just the second round, but by as late as the third round at the 51st round, with Whittenburg being the latest selection for a natural, day one draftee invite as of 2025. Not only that, but Whittenburg would be the first invite to never play a single NBA game after being drafted following his invitation, as well as be the only invite drafted into the third round back when the NBA draft would go beyond just two rounds starting in 1989. Even so, the following players were invited to attend this year's draft festivities live and in person.