The
1973 NBA Draft was the 27th annual
draft of the
National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 24, 1973 before the
1973–74 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S.
college basketball players and other
eligible players, including international players. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each conference, with the order determined by a
coin flip. The
Philadelphia 76ers won the coin flip and were awarded the
first overall pick, while the
Portland Trail Blazers were awarded the second pick. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the
previous season. Prior to the draft, the
Baltimore Bullets relocated to
Landover, Maryland and became the
Capital Bullets. The Philadelphia 76ers were awarded an extra first-round draft pick as compensation when the
Seattle SuperSonics signed
John Brisker. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. Before the draft, 11 college
underclassmen were declared eligible for selection under the "hardship" rule. These players had applied and gave evidence of financial hardship to the league, which granted...
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