1991 NBA draft
The 1991 NBA draft took place on June 26, 1991, in New York City, New York. Larry Johnson was selected first overall; he won the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year award and as a two-time All-Star, was the first player to represent the Charlotte Hornets franchise at an All-Star game.
1991 NBA draft | |
---|---|
General information | |
Sport | Basketball |
Date(s) | June 26, 1991 |
Location | Felt Forum (New York City, New York) |
Network(s) | TNT |
Overview | |
54 total selections in 2 rounds | |
League | NBA |
First selection | Larry Johnson (Charlotte Hornets) |
Dikembe Mutombo was selected fourth overall, and became one of the greatest defensive centers in the history of the league. He was a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner and an eight-time All-Star, and played in the league for 18 seasons.[1]
Other notable picks include Kenny Anderson, Steve Smith, Terrell Brandon, Dale Davis and Chris Gatling, who all made All-Star appearances, but with the exception of Brandon at two, each only appeared once.
The remaining picks in the first round failed to make an impact. Billy Owens was selected by the Sacramento Kings but refused to sign with them. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for high-scoring guard Mitch Richmond, a trade that has been regarded as one of the most lopsided in NBA history.[2] Owens was solid but unspectacular in his career, while Richmond was a six-time All-Star and was the 1989 NBA Rookie of the Year.[2] Luc Longley was a three-time NBA Championship winner with the Chicago Bulls and held the record for playing the most NBA games by an Australian (broken by Andrew Bogut during the 2015–16 season).
As of 2011, two players are deceased: Bobby Phills and Bison Dele. Phills died in a car accident involving teammate David Wesley. Dele disappeared in the South Pacific in July 2002, with French authorities claiming that Dele's brother had killed Dele and his girlfriend and thrown them overboard the catamaran they were travelling on. Dele's brother committed suicide in September 2002.
This was the last draft held in New York City until 2001.
Draft
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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 |
x | Denotes player who has been selected for at least one All-NBA Team |
# | Denotes player who has never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game |
Rnd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality[n 1] | Team | School / club team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Larry Johnson* | PF | ![]() |
Charlotte Hornets | UNLV (Sr.) |
1 | 2 | Kenny Anderson+ | PG | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets | Georgia Tech (So.) |
1 | 3 | Billy Owens | SF | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings (traded to Golden State) | Syracuse (Jr.) |
1 | 4 | Dikembe Mutombo^ | C | ![]() |
Denver Nuggets | Georgetown (Sr.) |
1 | 5 | Steve Smith+ | SG | ![]() |
Miami Heat | Michigan State (Sr.) |
1 | 6 | Doug Smith | PF | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks | Missouri (Sr.) |
1 | 7 | Luc Longley | C | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves | New Mexico (Sr.) |
1 | 8 | Mark Macon | SG | ![]() |
Denver Nuggets (from Washington) | Temple (Sr.) |
1 | 9 | Stacey Augmon | SG/SF | ![]() |
Atlanta Hawks (from L.A. Clippers) | UNLV (Sr.) |
1 | 10 | Brian Williams[Note 1] | PF/C | ![]() |
Orlando Magic | Arizona (Jr.) |
1 | 11 | Terrell Brandon+ | PG | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers | Oregon (Jr.) |
1 | 12 | Greg Anthony | PG | ![]() |
New York Knicks | UNLV (Sr.) |
1 | 13 | Dale Davis+ | PF | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers | Clemson (Sr.) |
1 | 14 | Rich King | C | ![]() |
Seattle SuperSonics | Nebraska (Sr.) |
1 | 15 | Anthony Avent | PF | ![]() |
Atlanta Hawks | Seton Hall (Sr.) |
1 | 16 | Chris Gatling+ | PF | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors (from Philadelphia) | Old Dominion (Sr.) |
1 | 17 | Victor Alexander | C | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors | Iowa State (Sr.) |
1 | 18 | Kevin Brooks | SF | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks | Southwestern Louisiana (Sr.) |
1 | 19 | LaBradford Smith | SG | ![]() |
Washington Bullets (from Detroit via Dallas and Denver) | Louisville (Sr.) |
1 | 20 | John Turner | PF | ![]() |
Houston Rockets | Phillips (Sr.) |
1 | 21 | Eric Murdock | PG | ![]() |
Utah Jazz | Providence (Sr.) |
1 | 22 | LeRon Ellis | PF | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers (from Phoenix via Seattle) | Syracuse (Sr.) |
1 | 23 | Stanley Roberts | C | ![]() |
Orlando Magic (from San Antonio) | Real Madrid (Spain) |
1 | 24 | Rick Fox | SF | ![]() |
Boston Celtics | North Carolina (Sr.) |
1 | 25 | Shaun Vandiver# | PF | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors (from L.A. Lakers) | Colorado (Sr.) |
1 | 26 | Mark Randall | PF | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls | Kansas (Sr.) |
1 | 27 | Pete Chilcutt | PF | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings (from Portland) | North Carolina (Sr.) |
2 | 28 | Kevin Lynch | G/F | ![]() |
Charlotte Hornets (from Denver) | Minnesota (Sr.) |
2 | 29 | George Ackles# | C/PF | ![]() |
Miami Heat | UNLV (Sr.) |
2 | 30 | Rodney Monroe | G/F | ![]() |
Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento) | NC State (Sr.) |
2 | 31 | Randy Brown | PG | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings (from New Jersey) | New Mexico State (Sr.) |
2 | 32 | Chad Gallagher | C | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns (from Charlotte) | Creighton (Sr.) |
2 | 33 | Donald Hodge | C | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks | Temple (Jr.) |
2 | 34 | Myron Brown | G | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves | Slippery Rock (Sr.) |
2 | 35 | Mike Iuzzolino | G | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks (from Washington via Sacramento) | Saint Francis (PA) (Sr.) |
2 | 36 | Chris Corchiani | G | ![]() |
Orlando Magic | NC State (Sr.) |
2 | 37 | Elliot Perry | PG | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers | Memphis State (Sr.) |
2 | 38 | Joe Wylie# | PF | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers (from Cleveland) | Miami (FL) (Sr.) |
2 | 39 | Jimmy Oliver | G/F | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers (from New York via Charlotte) | Purdue (Sr.) |
2 | 40 | Doug Overton | PG | ![]() |
Detroit Pistons (from Seattle) | La Salle (Sr.) |
2 | 41 | Sean Green | F/G | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers | Iona (Sr.) |
2 | 42 | Steve Hood# | SF | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings (from Atlanta) | James Madison (Sr.) |
2 | 43 | Lamont Strothers | G | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors | Christopher Newport (Sr.) |
2 | 44 | Álvaro Teherán# | C | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers | Houston (Sr.) |
2 | 45 | Bobby Phills | SG | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks | Southern (Sr.) |
2 | 46 | Richard Dumas | F | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns (from Detroit) | Hapoel Holon (Israel) |
2 | 47 | Keith Hughes# | PF | ![]() |
Houston Rockets | Rutgers (Sr.) |
2 | 48 | Isaac Austin | C | ![]() |
Utah Jazz | Arizona State (Sr.) |
2 | 49 | Greg Sutton | G | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs | Oral Roberts (Sr.) |
2 | 50 | Joey Wright# | SG | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns | Texas (Sr.) |
2 | 51 | Žan Tabak | C | ![]() |
Houston Rockets (from Boston via New Jersey and Cleveland) | KK Split (Yugoslavia) |
2 | 52 | Anthony Jones# | SF | ![]() |
Los Angeles Lakers | Oral Roberts (Sr.) |
2 | 53 | Von McDade# | SG | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets (from Chicago) | Milwaukee (Sr.) |
2 | 54 | Marcus Kennedy# | PF | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers | Eastern Michigan (Sr.) |
- Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules.
- Croatia had declared independence just a day before the draft, but was not yet recognized by FIBA.
Notable undrafted players

These eligible players were not selected in the 1991 NBA draft but have played at least one game in the NBA.
Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
---|---|---|---|
Darrell Armstrong | PG | ![]() |
Fayetteville State (Sr.) |
James Blackwell | PG | ![]() |
Dartmouth (Sr.) |
Walter Bond | SG | ![]() |
Minnesota (Sr.) |
Mark Bradtke | C/PF | ![]() |
Adelaide 36ers (Australia) |
Demetrius Calip | PG | ![]() |
Michigan (Sr.) |
John Crotty | PG | ![]() |
Virginia (Sr.) |
Corey Crowder | SG/SF | ![]() |
Kentucky Wesleyan (Sr.) |
Emanual Davis | PG/SG | ![]() |
Delaware State (Sr.) |
Patrick Eddie | C | ![]() |
Ole Miss (Sr.) |
Vincenzo Esposito | SG | ![]() |
S.C. Juventus Phonola Caserta (Italy) |
Tony Farmer | PF | ![]() |
Nebraska (Sr.) |
Jay Guidinger | C | ![]() |
Minnesota–Duluth (Sr.) |
Reggie Hanson | SF | ![]() |
Kentucky (Sr.) |
Jerome Harmon | SG | ![]() |
Louisville (Sr.) |
Keith Jennings | PG | ![]() |
East Tennessee State (Sr.) |
Reggie Jordan | SG | ![]() |
New Mexico State (Sr.) |
Cedric Lewis | C | ![]() |
Maryland (Sr.) |
Keith Owens | F | ![]() |
UCLA (Sr.) |
Robert Pack | PG | ![]() |
USC (Sr.) |
Larry Stewart | SF | ![]() |
Coppin State (Sr.) |
Brett Szabo | C | ![]() |
Augustana (South Dakota) (Sr.) |
Carl Thomas | SG | ![]() |
Eastern Michigan (Sr.) |
Charles Thomas | SG | ![]() |
Eastern Michigan (Sr.) |
Donald Whiteside | PG | ![]() |
Northern Illinois (Sr.) |
Lorenzo Williams | PF/C | ![]() |
Stetson (Sr.) |
Travis Williams | SF | ![]() |
South Carolina State (Sr.) |
Early entrants
College underclassmen
The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.[3]
Kenny Anderson – G, Georgia Tech (sophomore)
Terrell Brandon – G, Oregon (junior)
Tony Farmer – F, Nebraska (junior)
Jerome Harmon – G, Louisville (junior)
Donald Hodge – C, Temple (junior)
Anderson Hunt – G, UNLV (junior)
Raoul Hutchens – G, Whittier (junior)
Ty Moseler – G, Waukesha County Tech (sophomore)
Chancellor Nichols – F, James Madison (junior)
Billy Owens – F, Syracuse (junior)
Brian Williams – F/C, Arizona (junior)
International players
The following international players successfully applied for early draft entrance.[3]
Žan Tabak – C, Split (Yugoslavia)
Other eligible players
Player | Team | Note | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Hapoel Holon (Israel) | Left Oklahoma State in 1990; playing professionally since the 1990–91 season | [4] |
![]() |
Real Madrid (Spain) | Left LSU in 1990; playing professionally since the 1990–91 season | [5] |
Notes
- ^ Brian Williams changed his name to Bison Dele in 1998.[6]
References
- "Dikembe Mutombo Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2009.
- "Sports Illustrated". Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
- "1991 Underclassmen". The Draft Review. August 4, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- Baldwin, Mike (December 8, 1991). "Dumas May Get a Chance". The Oklahoman. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- Cress, Doug (May 13, 1991). "Roberts's Return Adds Beef to NBA Lottery". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
- "Bison Dele Bio". NBA. Archived from the original on February 16, 2005. Retrieved June 30, 2013.