Completed draft · verified results

1981 NBA Draft

223 selections across 10 rounds, with source attribution and no retrospective commentary added.

All draft years

Basketball ReferenceStructured historical selection facts; no source commentary is reproduced.Open source record ↗

/ 223 shown

PickRoundPlayerPositionCollege / former clubDrafted by

11Mark Aguirre—DePaulDAL

21Isiah Thomas—IndianaDET

31Buck Williams—MarylandNJN

41Al Wood—UNCATL

51Danny Vranes—UtahSEA

61Orlando Woolridge—Notre DameCHI

71Steve Johnson—Oregon StateKCK

81Tom Chambers—UtahSDC

91Rolando Blackman—Kansas StateDAL

101Albert King—MarylandNJN

111Frank Johnson—Wake ForestWSB

121Kelly Tripucka—Notre DameDET

131Danny Schayes—SyracuseUTA

141Herb Williams—Ohio StateIND

151Jeff Lamp—VirginiaPOR

161Darnell Valentine—KansasPOR

171Kevin Loder—Alabama State UniversityKCK

181Ray Tolbert—IndianaNJN

191Mike McGee—MichiganLAL

201Larry Nance—ClemsonPHO

211Alton Lister—Arizona StateMIL

221Franklin Edwards—Cleveland State UniversityPHI

231Charles Bradley—WyomingBOS

242Jay Vincent—Michigan StateDAL

252Tracy Jackson—Notre DameBOS

262Brian Jackson—Utah State UniversityPOR

272Howard Wood—TennesseeUTA

282Gene Banks—DukeSAS

292Eddie Johnson—IllinoisKCK

302Ed Rains—University of South AlabamaSAS

312Danny Ainge—BYUBOS

322Mike Olliver—LamarCHI

332Sam Williams—Arizona StateGSW

342Ken Green—University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyDEN

352Charles Davis—VanderbiltWSB

362Ray Blume—Oregon StateIND

372Al Leslie—BucknellIND

382Clyde Bradshaw—DePaulATL

392Harvey Knuckles—ToledoLAL

402Greg Cook—LSUNYK

412Claude Gregory—WisconsinWSB

422Elvis Rolle—Florida StateLAL

432Elston Turner—Ole MissDAL

442Steve Lingenfelter—South Dakota StateWSB

452Ed Turner——HOU

462Vernon Smith—Texas A&MPHI

473Art Housey—KansasDAL

483Mike Ferrara—ColgateWSB

493David Burns—Saint LouisNJN

503Derek Holcomb—IllinoisPOR

513Zam Fredrick—South CarolinaLAL

523Rudy Macklin—LSUATL

533Mark Radford—Oregon StateSEA

543Jim Smith—Ohio StateSDC

553Mickey Dillard—Florida StateCLE

563Carlton Neverson—PittGSW

573Frank Brickowski—Penn StateNYK

583Curtis Berry—MissouriKCK

593Russell Bowers—American UniversityCLE

603Purvis Miller—USCIND

613Pétur Guðmundsson—WashingtonPOR

623Sam Clancy—PittPHO

633Wayne McKoy—St. John'sNYK

643Tom Baker—Eastern Kentucky UniversitySAS

653Ron Cornelius—University of the PacificLAL

663Craig Dykema—Cal State Long BeachPHO

673Mark Smith—IllinoisMIL

683Ernest Graham—MarylandPHI

693John Johnson—MichiganBOS

704Eddie Moss—SyracuseDAL

714John May—University of South AlabamaDET

724Ed Sherod—VCUNJN

734Georgie Torres—Southern Nazarene UniversityUTA

744Ethan Martin—LSUCLE

754Kevin Figaro—LouisianaATL

764Lewis Lloyd—Drake UniversityGSW

774Lee Raker—VirginiaSDC

784Kenny Dennard—DukeKCK

794Ron Davis—ArizonaWSB

804Terry Adolph—West Texas A&M UniversityGSW

814Larry Spriggs—Howard UniversityHOU

824B.B. Davis—LamarKCK

834Rolando Frazer—Briar Cliff UniversityIND

844Oliver Lee—MarquetteCHI

854Pete Verhoeven—Fresno StatePOR

864Alex Bradley—VillanovaNYK

874Earl Belcher—St. BonaventureSAS

884Kevin McKenna—CreightonLAL

894Don Koonce—UNC CharlotteDET

904Kris Anderson—Florida StateMIL

914Stanley Williams—La SalleBOS

924Rynn Wright—Texas A&MPHI

935Pete Budko—UNCDAL

945George DeVone—UNC CharlotteDET

955Joe Cooper—ColoradoNJN

965Kenny Page—New MexicoCLE

975Mike Clark—OregonUTA

985Steve Krafcisin—IowaATL

995Andra Griffin—WashingtonSEA

1005Dennis Isbell—MemphisSDC

1015Willie Sims—LSUDEN

1025Hank McDowell—MemphisGSW

1035Garry Witts—Holy CrossWSB

1045U.S. Reed—ArkansasKCK

1055Hasan Houston—BradleyHOU

1065George Peterson—New Jersey City UniversityIND

1075Herb Andrew—University of South AlabamaPOR

1085Johnny Nash—Arizona StateCHI

1095Jim Wright—Rhode IslandNYK

1105Mike Rhodes—VanderbiltSAS

1115Craig Watts—NC StateLAL

1125Paul Heuerman—MichiganPHO

1135Kelvin Troy—Rutgers UniversityMIL

1145Steve Craig—BYUPHI

1155Glen Grunwald—IndianaBOS

1166Karl Bankowski—UtahDAL

1176Vince Brookins—IowaDET

1186Kevin Lynam—La SalleNJN

1196Kevin Sprewer—Loyola ChicagoUTA

1206Aaron Strayhorn—HawaiiCLE

1216Darryl Warwick—HamptonATL

1226Earl Banks—AuburnSEA

1236Mike Pepper—UNCSDC

1246Alonzo Weatherly—DenverDEN

1256Robert Williams—Grambling State UniversityWSB

1266Carter Scott—Ohio StateGSW

1276Fred Cowan—KentuckyHOU

1286Brian Walker—PurdueKCK

1296Robert Fronk—WashingtonIND

1306Roger Burkman—LouisvilleCHI

1316Roshern Amie—Texas-El PasoPOR

1326John Blair—Monmouth UniversityNYK

1336Northern Shavers—Jackson State UniversitySAS

1346Kevin Singleton—CaliforniaLAL

1356Pete Harris—Northeastern UniversityPHO

1366Jo Jo Hunter—ColoradoMIL

1376Steve Waite—IowaBOS

1386Michael Thomas—North Park UniversityPHI

1397Danny Davis—UNC WilmingtonDAL

1407Greg Nance—West VirginiaDET

1417Rod Roberson—NorthwesternNJN

1427Andre Smith—NebraskaCLE

1437Mike Robinson—Central Michigan UniversityUTA

1447Kevin Vesey—Iona CollegeATL

1457Tom Sienkiewicz—VillanovaSEA

1467Randy Johnson—University of Southern ColoradoSDC

1477Greg Manning—MarylandDEN

1487Robbie Dosty—ArizonaGSW

1497Randy Martel—Houston Baptist UniversityWSB

1507Clinton Wheeler—William Paterson UniversityKCK

1517Joe Faine—Bowling GreenHOU

1527Larry McKinney—Boise StateIND

1537Julius Wayne—Texas-El PasoPOR

1547Scott Williams—University of South AlabamaCHI

1557Terry Cramer—Ripon CollegeNYK

1567Mark Minderman—Northern Michigan UniversitySAS

1577Larry Petty—WisconsinLAL

1587David Williams—Southern University and A&M CollegePHO

1597Lewis Latimore—VirginiaMIL

1607John Crawford—KansasPHI

1617Tom Seaman—Holy CrossBOS

1628David Kennedy—CincinnatiDAL

1638Joe Schoen—Saint Francis UniversityDET

1648Ken Webb—Fairleigh Dickinson UniversityNJN

1658Bobby Cattage—AuburnUTA

1668Glenn Marcus—UABCLE

1678Gilbert Salinas—Notre DameATL

1688Todd Haynes—DavidsonSDC

1698Curtis Redding—St. John'sDEN

1708Mike Howard—Wofford CollegeWSB

1718Yasutaka Okayama——GSW

1728Stanley Brewer—West GeorgiaHOU

1738Randy Smithson—Wichita StateKCK

1748Len Hatzenbeller—DrexelIND

1758Ben Mitchell——CHI

1768John Smith—Saint Joseph'sPOR

1778Brian O'Connor—Thomas More CollegeNYK

1788Bob Bartholomew—University of San DiegoSAS

1798Jay Triano—Simon Fraser UniversityLAL

1808Steve Risley—IndianaPHO

1818Mike Brkovich—Michigan StateMIL

1828George Morrow—CreightonBOS

1838Frank Gilroy—St. John'sPHI

1849John Hollinden—Southern IndianaDAL

1859Eddie Baker—Alcorn StateDET

1869Rudy Williams—ProvidenceNJN

1879Paul Roba—Cleveland State UniversityCLE

1889Ken Ollie—WyomingUTA

1899Howard Thompkins—Wagner CollegeATL

1909Art Jones—NC StateSDC

1919Andrew Burton—Austin Peay State UniversityDEN

1929Doug Murrey—San Jose StateGSW

1939Eddie Brown—Valdosta State UniversityWSB

1949Mike Perry—RichmondKCK

1959Scott Whitley—William & MaryIND

1969Sid Williams—San Jose StatePOR

1979Terry Martin—Lambuth UniversityCHI

1989Marty Headd—SyracuseNYK

1999Leonel Marquetti—HamptonSAS

2009Brian Johnson—ColoradoPHO

2019Chip Rucker—Northeastern UniversityMIL

2029Ron Wister—TemplePHI

2039Greg McCray—VCUBOS

20410Scott Bolanko—Northern State UniversityDAL

20510Melvin Maxwell—Western MichiganDET

20610Vic Sison—UCLANJN

20710Joe Merten—University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUTA

20810Greg Boone—Augsburg CollegeCLE

20910Mike Frazier—GeorgetownATL

21010Tony Gwynn—San Diego StateSDC

21110Derrick Rowland—State University of New York at PotsdamDEN

21210Ralton Way—Houston Baptist UniversityWSB

21310Barry Brooks—USCGSW

21410Mark Wilson—Fort Hays State UniversityKCK

21510Rodney Benson—Wright State UniversityIND

21610Kenny Easley—UCLACHI

21710Steve Cochran—Lewis and Clark CollegePOR

21810Kevin Rogers—Saint Peter's CollegeNYK

21910Alvin Brooks—LamarSAS

22010Felton Sealey—OregonPHO

22110Artie Green—MarquetteMIL

22210Kenny Matthews—NC StateBOS

22310Pete Mullenberg—University of DelawarePHI