The 1967 NBA expansion draft was the third
expansion draft of the
National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 1, 1967, so that the newly founded
San Diego Rockets and
Seattle SuperSonics could acquire players for the upcoming
1967–68 season.
Seattle and
San Diego had been awarded the
expansion teams on December 20, 1966, and January 11, 1967, respectively.[1][2] The Rockets moved to
Houston,
Texas, in
1971 and are currently known as the
Houston Rockets.[3] The SuperSonics moved to
Oklahoma City, in
2008 and are currently known as the
Oklahoma City Thunder.[4] In an NBA expansion draft, new NBA teams are allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league. Not all players on a given team are available during an expansion draft, since each team can protect a certain number of players from being selected. The Rockets and the Sonics selected fifteen unprotected players each, while the ten other NBA teams lost three players each.
The Rockets, the 12th franchise in the NBA, were founded by
Robert Breitbard. The Rockets name was chosen because it reflects the growth of the space-age industries in the city as well as the city's theme of "a city in motion".[3] Former
Cincinnati Royals and
Chicago Zephyrs head coach
Jack McMahon was named as
the franchise's first head coach and
general manager.[5] The Rockets' selections included three-time
All-StarJohnny Green. Ten players from the expansion draft joined the Rockets for their inaugural season, but only five played more than one season for the team.
Don Kojis, who played three seasons with the Rockets, was named to the
1968 All-Star Game, becoming the franchise's first All-Star.[6]
The SuperSonics, the 11th franchise in the NBA, were founded by a group of investors led by
Sam Schulman and
Eugene Klein.[7] Schulman then served as president of the team and head of operations. He hired former
Chicago Bulls assistant coach
Al Bianchi to become
the franchise's first head coach.[8] The Sonics' selections included six-time All-Star
Richie Guerin and one-time All-Star
Tom Meschery. Guerin, who was serving as the
St. Louis Hawks'
player-coach when the Sonics selected him, decided to retire from playing and became a full-time head coach for the Hawks. He never played for the Sonics, even though he later came back from retirement to play with the Hawks.[9] Nine players from the expansion draft joined the Sonics for their inaugural season, but only four played more than one season for the team.
Walt Hazzard, who only played one season with the Sonics, was named to the 1968 All-Star Game, becoming the franchise's first All-Star.[6]
d Tom Meschery (formerly Tomislav Mescheryakov) was born in
Harbin,
Manchuria (now part of China) to Russian parents. He moved to the United States at the age of 8 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[40][41]