The 1984 NBA draft has often been cited for producing four all time greats, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton. But an earlier draft has it beaten for the amount of talent.
More than half a century ago, the 1970 draft produced eight Hall of Famers — Bob Lanier (St Bonaventure), Pete Maravich (LSU), Dave Cowens (Florida State), Dan Issel (Kentucky), Nate Archibald (UTEP), Calvin Murphy (Niagara), Charlie Scott (UNC) ad Rudy Tomjanovich (Michigan).
Imagine a team with those eight players, Lanier, Cowens, Issel and Tomjanovich in the frontcourt, Maravich, Archibald, Murphy and Scott in the backcourt.
If you are into stats, these eight combined for 138,644 points during their pro careers. That includes time Issel and Scott spent in the ABA before it was absorbed by the NBA.
These many years later Maravich (44.2) and Murphy (33.1) rank first and third all time for points per game as collegians.
There were other outstanding players in the 1970 draft, a little short of Hall of Fame caliber, including a Mississippian.
Indianola native and Gentry Hight School grad Sam Lacey was the fifth player taken in the 1970 draft, following Lanier, Tomjanovich, Maravich and Cowens, after leading New Mexico State to the Final Four as a senior. He averaged a double-double his first six years in the NBA, finishing a 13-year career with 10.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Other notables from the 1970 draft include a couple of Ivy Leaguers, Geoff Petrie from Princeton and Jim McMillian from Columbia.
Petrie averaged 21.8 points for a six-year NBA career cut short by a knee injury and shared Rookie of the Year honors with Cowens after averaging 24.8 during the 1970-71 season.
McMillian was a key member of the Laker team that won a record 33 consecutive games and the NBA title for the 1971-72 season, averaging 18.8 points per game. It was the first of three straight seasons averaging more than 18 points.
