NBA: The Difference a Trade Makes
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1993 Offseason: Drama in Utah
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1993 Offseason: Drama in Utah
25th anniversary of the 1993 NBA Draft in Salt Lake: An oral history of the night's top storylines from the Trail Blazers, Jazz, Lakers and Heat
James L. Edwards III
Jun 18, 2018
“Good evening, and welcome to the Delta Center, here in Salt Lake City. And, this year, home of the 1993 NBA Draft.”
Jun 18, 2018
“Good evening, and welcome to the Delta Center, here in Salt Lake City. And, this year, home of the 1993 NBA Draft.”
This month marks the 25th anniversary of those words uttered by then-NBA commissioner David Stern. On June 30, 1993, Stern walked out to the podium in Utah’s Delter Center and kicked off what would be the first and so far only NBA Draft held in Utah.
In the 26 seconds of Stern’s opening remarks, each reference the commissioner made to the hometown team and the city was met with seismic ovations that nearly drowned out the voice of the league’s most powerful person. The people of Utah, the supporters of Jazz basketball, were there to witness history.
As far as NBA Drafts go, this year was as eventful as any. And for the locals, there was a reason to tune in from the very beginning. The three marquee names were Utah native, Brigham Young’s 7-foot-6 big man Shawn Bradley, University of Michigan standout Chris Webber and Memphis guard Penny Hardaway. It was believed going into the night that Webber would go No. 1 in his hometown, but Bradley and his uncoachable height had a case for the top slot, too. Hardaway was expected to fall in line behind the other two.
And that’s exactly what happened. However, the signature moment from the event came when the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers revealed their plan to swap Webber and Blazers legend Clyde Drexler, after Miami took the Michigan star at No. 1. It was a deal that was negotiated earlier that day, and one that was kept quiet until Stern announced the trade over the PA system in the Delta Center.
For the Jazz, they were just a few years removed from the dark days of the 1989 season, where they had picked up just 16 wins. The Jazz had slowly started to pick themselves up since then, though were still trying to find ways to turn themselves back into a playoff team. The 1993 draft was a great opportunity, as Utah held the No. 2 pick despite having more wins than 5 other teams in the regular 1992-93 season. Their success in the lottery meant that the Utah crowd were expecting to see local star Shawn Bradley drafted to his home team, and they would not be disappointed.
Welcome to Salt Lake City
From 1980 to 1991, New York was the home of the NBA Draft. And then, in the early 1990s, the NBA decided to take its draft show on the road. In 1992, Portland became the first city outside of New York to host the annual event. The next year, Utah received the nod. Matt Friedman, floor reporter for CBS Radio during the draft:
The draft used to be in places like the Felt Forum, which was an auditorium connected to Madison Square Garden in New York.
Jerry Sloan, Head Coach of the Jazz (1987-1993):
It was probably just a year before [that we placed the bid]. The league was experimenting. We jumped on board and we knew that Shawn Bradley would be a big factor. We had the new arena, amazing fans, that kind of underdog feeling that I think encapsulates the draft each year. It turned out that it was a pretty special draft.
Scott Layden, former Director of Basketball Operations at Utah Jazz:
We had a lottery for the tickets. We sort of made it into something bigger than it should have been. They sold out, but the tickets were free. We had 20,000 people there for the draft. It was extraordinarily successful, and as it turned out we got the No. 2 pick that year.
Dave Checketts, Utah native who was the New York Knicks President in 1993:
I came back to Detroit for the draft to represent the Knicks. Here you have what is equivalent to a big-time event, and you’ve got a certain buzz in the building. I believe the Center was packed.
Layden:
It was huge, and part of that was because you couldn’t get a ticket. People were scalping them for $20, $30 to get into this draft. From an NBA standpoint, it was as close to the NFL situation, meaning it was a must-see event. It took on a life of its own. It was almost entirely manmade by making it a lottery. We had 40,000 applicants to get the tickets.
Lindsey Hunter:
I got there the day before the draft. I didn’t really go anywhere, I just kind of stayed in my hotel. But I do remember the place was excited.
Penny Hardaway:
I got to Utah the afternoon before the draft. I just remember being very anxious. We went out to eat and you could feel the buzz in the area for the event. Plus, with Shawn Bradley being at BYU, being from the area, it was an exciting time for all of us.
Friedman:
Webber was the biggest high school sports athlete of that era by far. There’s some revisionist history stuff that goes on with him, but you can’t overstate how big of a name Chris Webber was in Detroit in the early 1990s. Leading up to the draft, “Would Webber go No. 1?” was without doubt the biggest story. The Heat, who had won the 1993 draft lottery, already had Larry Johnson at Power Forward and there was definitely that question of whether Miami could get the best out of both Johnson and Webber on the same team. We thought about that story all the time.
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach in 1993:
I would say there was more talk about Shawn or Chris going No. 1. The consensus was that Penny was going to be a really, really good player, but just didn’t quite have the hype of the other two.
Lewis Schaffel, Miami Heat General Manager in 1993:
Webber, Bradley and Penny were the three top players. We brought them all in and worked them out. We came away convinced that Webber was the guy we were going to take. Our fans were hysterical about the thought of Johnson and Chris Webber together.
Stern walked back to the podium to announce that Webber was the No. 1 pick. As soon as the name “Chris” exited his mouth, the crowd in Auburn Hills canceled out the rest of his words with their standing ovation and overpowering excitement. Everyone thought Webber was headed to Orlando, but Schaffel and Portland head coach Rick Adelman knew that wasn’t the case.
Bob Neal, TNT broadcaster, live on the broadcast as Webber went No. 1:
The celebration begins for the 20-year-old sophomore who played two years at the University of Michigan — consensus All-American. Chris Webber played at Country Day High School in suburban Birmingham, Michigan. A lot of his high school teammates, his childhood friends, are here in Utah tonight to enjoy this big moment for the young man …
Hubie Brown, TNT analyst, live on the broadcast:
You’re talking the presence is the key package here, you’re talking brute strength. He’s going to have to get on the foul line and shoot better than 55 percent, otherwise we’re going to have two guys who are going to be fouled every night. Larry Johnson and Webber, and we’re liable to have a lot of rebounding, offensive board play.
Webber, being interviewed following selection:
First, I’m just happy to be the No. 1 pick. There’s no guarantee that I’m going to get to go to Miami — a lot of things can still happen. I just thank God for blessing me. God gave me the talent, He gave me the ability, and when people doubted me, God still was on my side, so I’m just happy everything worked out OK.
Neal during the broadcast:
I know there’s been a great deal of speculation as to whether or not Webber would in fact go to Miami the last couple of days. Everything from Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway going all the way up to Miami to Shawn Bradley going there and having a duo of Bradley and Larry Johnson.
Schaffel, 25 years later:
The excitement in Miami when we took him was off the charts. He was the most visible of all of those college players.
Meanwhile, across the country in Portland, the Trail Blazers were a year on from the start of a huge franchise rebuild. On the night of the 1992 draft, they’d sent three key players to Golden State in exchange for their No. 2 pick, which they used to take Center Alonzo Mourning. Alongside Mourning was the No. 20 pick from 1992 Latrell Sprewell, who had had an exceptional first season.
Adelman:
At the time, we had the longest playoff streak of any team in the league, but hadn’t even made the Conference final since 1987. We had a great leader in Clyde Drexler, but the West was just stacked during the 80’s and early 90’s. We drafted Clyde in 1983, just as the Lakers were dominating everyone and then Houston got their hands on Barkley and Hakeem. There was maybe a slight opportunity the two years Dallas went back to back, but they had Aguirre, Isiah, Benjamin. We just didn’t have the depth to compete with these teams in the playoffs. I said to Paul (Allen, Portland owner) around the time Houston won ring number 2, we need to change track and get ourselves ready for when Houston and Dallas start to drop off.
Clyde Drexler:
I said to Paul that if we didn’t at least make the Conference Finals in 92 I wanted to move to a contender. He told me about the trade for Alonzo and asked me to give it another year, which I did. Being knocked out by the team we’d made the trade with (Golden State) and seeing three of my old teammates advance to the West Final was kinda the final straw.
Schaffel:
I was in touch with Paul Allen of the Trail Blazers and he was very eager to get Webber. They didn’t have a need for Bradley, but they saw a potential partnership between Webber and Alonzo Mourning. For us, we saw the opportunity of getting one of the greatest players in the league at the time. We knew Drexler wanted out of Portland.
“You can’t teach height” — Jazz general manager Scott Layden
As everyone anticipated, the Utah Jazz took BYU big man and local star Shawn Bradley with the No. 2 pick. The room was met with a noise that drowned out Commissioner David Stern for a good few minutes.
Layden:
He was highly recruited out of high school. There just wasn’t a lot of 7-foot-6 guys then. BYU was never on TV, but we knew who he was and had a pretty good sense of his game due to him being a local lad.
Bernie Bickerstaff, the Utah Jazz Head Coach: I had not long got the job in Utah, and we had the No. 2 pick. I would say we liked all three of those guys (Webber, Bradley, Hardaway). We were content that at the second spot that we’d get a good enough player that we weren’t going to try to move into the first position. We had a decision between Penny and Shawn Bradley. We liked Bradley a lot. Was the decision influenced by him being from Utah? It’s difficult to say.
Hardaway:
I knew Utah wanted their native star. They didn’t want a guard from Tennessee. I knew that I was safe with Utah and that I’d be picked by the Lakers. I was very excited.
Neal during the broadcast after Bradley’s name was announced:
Very clean-cut young man. He spent the last two years in Australia on a church mission for the Mormon church. He last played at BYU in 1990-91. He’s from the small town of Castle Dale, Utah, just over 1,000 population. Now he has the opportunity to become an All Star with his home franchise.
Doug Collins, TNT analyst, during the broadcast:
This is a young man that they can build a new team around. … When you look at the highlights, this is a young man that can run and catch the ball and has moves. He’s just going to have to get bigger and stronger.
Hardaway:
I played against Shawn in college and I faced him in high school. I knew exactly what he was.
Brown during the broadcast:
When you watch him play, he has a game with his back to the basket. He can hit the jump shot, the shot blocking. You say, “Well, five [blocks] a game as a freshman, that’s not so many,” well in ’91 that led the NCAA. He’s blessed, he can really run, he has great eye-and-hand coordination — you can’t bat over .400 in high school baseball unless you have that. Plus, he’s an excellent golfer. He loves to water ski. He’s a very well-rounded individual. You know he’s going to work hard at the game. But you’re talking about a guy that can change everything, the complexion of the paint.
Bradley during the live interview:
I’m just a 7-6 kid that loves to have fun and loves to play the game. I feel, at 7-6, being able to play many different sports has been a benefit all my life, and I enjoy the game a lot. My heart’s into it. … I would not trade my missionary experience for anything in the world. It was the best thing to have prepared me for the rest of my life, (more) than anything I could have done at the time.
Layden:
Given his size and athleticism, for a guy that size, it seemed to us that it would translate to a player who would have a big impact on our franchise. We expected a big increase in support.
Now that Bradley was off the board, the team with the No. 3 overall pick, the Los Angeles Lakers had the easy decision of drafting Penny Hardaway.
Hardaway:
I knew pretty much from the start I would go to the Lakers. Utah were always going to take Shawn and I was never being taken over Chris. Honestly, I was very thrilled at the thought of playing for this historic team. And to then find out that Magic Johnson was going to be the new coach, it was like a dream come true.
Neal during the broadcast:
A wonderful moment for Anfernee Hardaway. … The greatest player in the history of Memphis State, certainly while he’s been at college. Some people say they remind him of a young Magic Johnson, well he’s now going to get the opportunity to develop his game under the tutelage of the great himself. He’s a ball-handling point guard at 6-7. He can play two or three positions if he needs to. And now he dons the cap of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Magic Johnson:
The roster was in desperate need of freshening up at Point Guard, which was kind of my own fault because I’d retired so suddenly and not given the team any chance to kind of plan ahead. Anfernee was exactly what we needed, and we hoped he might be the player who could rejuvenate the Franchise.
Brown during the broadcast:
It’s interesting because the scouts that you truly respect in this league feel that he’s the best player in the draft. We’re talking about a tremendously talented individual.
Following the selection of Hardaway, the New Jersey Nets selected Hartford power forward Vin Baker with the No. 4 pick and the Denver Nuggets took Jamal Mashburn at No. 5. Stern once again approached the podium, but this time it was to officially announce the trade, which was hinted at during the entire broadcast.
Schaffel:
A little while later David Stern comes out and says, “I’d like to report a trade.” He broke the news. Our fans were absolutely in rebellion. They were upset.
Stern during the draft:
Miami … (boos ring throughout the Delta Center) … has traded the draft rights to Chris Webber to Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Clyde Drexler and a first-round draft pick, which will be exercised, at the earliest, in the year 1996.
After chatting with someone in his entourage, Webber got up from his table in the green room and headed toward the stage.
Webber during the live interview:
I’m just happy to be the No. 1 pick. I thank God for the ability to play basketball. I’m just happy to be part of the NBA.
Drexler, 25 years later:
I knew (about the trade). I don’t think Chris knew about the trade. I think it was more of a shock to him. He seemed happy though. Moving to Portland meant he could play perimeter alongside Alonzo, whereas in Miami he would almost certainly have been at 5.
Friedman:
The Heat took Webber No. 1 and we never really thought about a trade because there was no tipping picks then. When they announced it, that’s how you found out about it. That trade was announced over a PA.
Neal:
It became a double story. Who trades the first pick in the draft? Usually you make the trade before the draft, but it hadn’t really been done after already making the pick.
Schaffel:
Nobody knew anything. I had a job to do. I had to come out and try to talk to our fans. I tried to explain it to our fans. They didn’t want to hear anything. They drowned me out. The best I could do was, “Fans, you’re booing tonight, but Clyde is going to turn your boos to cheers.’ And then I got off the stage as fast as I could. Nothing I could say that night would appease them. All I could hope was that they would be appeased by the end of the season. We still hadn’t made the playoffs as a franchise, that needed to change.
The 1993 First Round Draft in Full
1 | Chris Webber | Portland Trail Blazers (Via Heat) |
2 | Shawn Bradley | Utah Jazz |
3 | Penny Hardaway | Los Angeles Lakers |
4 | Vin Baker | New Jersey Nets (Via Clippers) |
5 | Jamal Mashburn | Denver Nuggets |
6 | Isiah Rider | New Jersey Nets |
7 | Bobby Hurley | Minnesota Polars |
8 | Calbert Cheaney | Charlotte Hornets |
9 | Lindsay Hunter | Milwaukee Bucks (Via Detroit) |
10 | Allan Houston | Milwaukee Bucks |
11 | Luther Wright | Washington Bullets |
12 | Rodney Rogers | Seattle SuperSonics |
13 | Terry Dehere | Los Angeles Clippers (Via Atlanta) |
14 | Scott Haskin | Toronto Huskies |
15 | George Lynch | Golden State Warriors (Via Portland) |
16 | Sam Cassell | Tampa Bay Bandits (Via Philadelphia) |
17 | Doug Edwards | Phoenix Suns |
18 | Gheorghe Muresan | Detroit Pistons (Via Indiana) |
19 | Acie Earl | Boston Celtics |
20 | Corie Blount | Sacramento Kings |
21 | Rex Walters | Golden State Warriors |
22 | Lucious Harris | Chicago Bulls |
23 | Ervin Johnson | Denver Nuggets (Via Tampa Bay) |
24 | Chris Mills | Dallas Mavericks |
25 | James Robinson | Houston Rockets |
26 | Bruce Bowen | Cleveland Cavaliers |
27 | Nick Van Exel | Washington Bullets (Via New York) |
Notable Trades - 1993 Offseason
1st Pick | Miami Heat |
Clyde Drexler, 96 1 Rd Pick | Portland Trail Blazers |
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Cliff Robinson | Portland Trail Blazers |
Willie Anderson | Atlanta Hawks |
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Charles Oakley, Bobby Phills | Charlotte Hornets |
Kendall Gill, Tom Gugliotta | Philadelphia 76ers |
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Kendall Gill, J.R Reid | Charlotte Hornets |
94 1st Rd Pick, John Williams | Los Angeles Clippers |
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Mark Aguirre | Dallas Mavericks |
95 1 Rd Pick, Tim Perry | New Jersey Nets |
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Wayman Tisdale | Golden State Warriors |
Jim Jackson | Toronto Huskies |
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Glen Rice, Stanley Roberts | Utah Jazz |
Christian Laettner, Walt Williams, 95 1 Rd Pick | Denver Nuggets |
Up Next: The 10 Year Recap
**This post was inspired the real article about the 1993 draft under the same name, I've just rehashed it to reflect ITTL events.**
NBA: The Difference a Trade Makes - 10 Year Recap
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NBA: The Difference a Trade Makes - 10 Year Recap
Season by Season
Season by Season
| Champions | Runner Up | Finals MVP | Season MVP | Leading Points Scorer | Rookie of the Year | Len Bias Sixth Man of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Most Improved Player |
1983-84 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers) | Larry Bird (SF) (26.7) (Celtics) | Ralph Sampson (Rockets) | Kevin McHale (Celtics) | Tree Rollins (Hawks) | Sleepy Floyd (Warriors) |
1984-85 | Dallas Mavericks | Boston Celtics | Mark Aguirre | Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers) | Dominique Wilkins (SF) (28.7) (Hawks) | Michael Jordan (Knicks) | Larry Drew (Hawks) | Ralph Sampson (Bulls) | James Worthy (Lakers) |
1985-86 | Los Angeles Lakers | Boston Celtics | Magic Johnson | Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers) | Dominique Wilkins (SF) (29.0) (Hawks) | Patrick Ewing (Kings) | Reggie Theus (Spurs) | Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets) | Clyde Drexler (Trail Blazers) |
1986-87 | Los Angeles Lakers | Detroit Pistons | Magic Johnson | Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers) | Dominique Wilkins (SF) (27.4) (Hawks) | Len Bias (Rockets) | Len Bias (Rockets) | Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets) | Kenny Fields (Bucks) |
1987-88 | Houston Rockets | Tampa Bay Bandits | Charles Barkley | Michael Jordan (SG) (Knicks) | Michael Jordan (SG) (28.0) (Knicks) | David Robinson (Bandits) | Len Bias (Rockets) | David Robinson (Bandits) | William Bedford (Bullets) |
1988-89 | Dallas Mavericks | Indiana Pacers | Mark Aguirre | Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers) | Magic Johnson (PG) (28.8) (Lakers) | Mitch Richmond (Cavaliers) | Hot Rod Williams (SuperSonics) | Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets) | Marvis Fresh (Heat) |
1989-90 | Dallas Mavericks | Detroit Pistons | Mark Aguirre | Akeem Olajuwon (C) (Rockets) | Alex English (SF) (26.8) (Heat) | Tim Hardaway (Warriors) | Clark Kellogg (Celtics) | Akeem Olajuwon (Rockets) | Gary Grant (Huskies) |
1990-91 | New York Knicks | Sacramento Kings | Michael Jordan | Magic Johnson (PG) (Lakers) | Magic Johnson (PG) (28.0) (Lakers) | Derrick Coleman (Bullets) | Clark Kellogg (Celtics) | Patrick Ewing (Kings) | Dino Radja (Knicks) |
1991-92 | Houston Rockets | New York Knicks | Dominique Wilkins | Michael Jordan (SG) (Knicks) | Tim Hardaway (PG) (27.2) (Warriors) | Larry Johnson (Heat) | Billy Owens (Pacers) | Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets) | Doug West (Lakers) |
1992-93 | New York Knicks | Houston Rockets | Michael Jordan | Michael Jordan (SG) (Knicks) | Michael Jordan (SG) (26.1) (Knicks) | Shaquille O'Neal (76ers) | Dee Brown (Nuggets) | Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets) | Kendall Gill (76ers) |
Team Wins by Season
| 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | Total |
Atlanta Hawks | 39 | 31 | 36 | 35 | 45 | 51 | 50 | 43 | 39 | 39 | 408 |
Boston Celtics | 72 | 57 | 56 | 53 | 50 | 31 | 49 | 62 | 38 | 46 | 514 |
Charlotte Hornets | | | | | | 22 | 27 | 28 | 41 | 33 | 151 |
Chicago Bulls | 26 | 33 | 47 | 37 | 45 | 53 | 52 | 42 | 42 | 56 | 433 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 37 | 30 | 35 | 18 | 19 | 33 | 37 | 46 | 49 | 63 | 367 |
Dallas Mavericks | 44 | 54 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 53 | 58 | 511 |
Denver Nuggets | 51 | 40 | 40 | 36 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 40 | 15 | 31 | 335 |
Detroit Pistons | 55 | 50 | 53 | 50 | 46 | 31 | 48 | 42 | 29 | 34 | 438 |
Golden State Warriors | 32 | 38 | 43 | 27 | 18 | 21 | 32 | 37 | 34 | 51 | 333 |
Houston Rockets | 26 | 42 | 33 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 57 | 56 | 62 | 61 | 516 |
Indiana Pacers | 28 | 30 | 37 | 36 | 38 | 57 | 50 | 29 | 41 | 45 | 391 |
Kansas City / Sacramento Kings | 30 | 29 | 37 | 52 | 54 | 57 | 55 | 61 | 50 | 49 | 474 |
Los Angeles Lakers | 66 | 65 | 70 | 71 | 56 | 55 | 56 | 55 | 39 | 28 | 561 |
Miami Heat | | | | | | 27 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 27 | 150 |
Milwaukee Bucks | 45 | 36 | 41 | 34 | 26 | 32 | 44 | 53 | 39 | 34 | 384 |
Minnesota Polars | | | | | | | 10 | 33 | 30 | 24 | 97 |
New Jersey Nets | 44 | 42 | 34 | 43 | 48 | 44 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 20 | 396 |
New York Knicks | 25 | 35 | 50 | 57 | 62 | 60 | 48 | 46 | 64 | 57 | 504 |
Philadelphia 76ers | 40 | 54 | 35 | 35 | 28 | 26 | 40 | 41 | 23 | 43 | 365 |
Phoenix Suns | 47 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 31 | 37 | 42 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 383 |
Portland Trail Blazers | 50 | 48 | 47 | 56 | 41 | 52 | 47 | 44 | 49 | 41 | 475 |
San Antonio Spurs / Tampa Bay Bandits | 30 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 39 | 51 | 55 | 50 | 59 | 57 | 387 |
San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers | 34 | 36 | 41 | 36 | 46 | 54 | 29 | 24 | 39 | 23 | 362 |
Seattle SuperSonics | 46 | 47 | 47 | 43 | 36 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 40 | 35 | 384 |
Toronto Huskies | | | | | | | 17 | 18 | 29 | 40 | 104 |
Utah Jazz | 46 | 56 | 40 | 24 | 40 | 16 | 36 | 32 | 39 | 31 | 360 |
Washington Bullets | 29 | 36 | 33 | 40 | 45 | 47 | 39 | 45 | 50 | 38 | 402 |
Team Playoff History
| 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
Atlanta Hawks | SF (Pistons) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Pistons) | 1 Rd (Knicks) | East Final (Bandits) | SF (Pacers) | East Final (Pistons) | East Final (Knicks) | 1 Rd (Knicks) | SF (Pacers) |
Boston Celtics | NBA Final (Lakers) | NBA Final (Mavericks) | NBA Final (Lakers) | SF (Pistons) | 1 Rd (Bullets) | DNQ | SF (Hawks) | SF (Knicks) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Pacers) |
Charlotte Hornets | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Bullets) | DNQ |
Chicago Bulls | DNQ | 1 Rd (Celtics) | 1 Rd (Bucks) | 1 Rd (Celtics) | 1 Rd (Nets) | West Final (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Kings) | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Trail Blazers) | 1 Rd (Kings) |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 Rd (Pistons) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Pacers) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Hawks) | SF (Knicks) | 1 Rd (Hawks) |
Dallas Mavericks | SF (Trail Blazers) | W | 1 Rd (Jazz) | SF (Lakers) | SF (Rockets) | W | W | SF (Rockets) | West Final (Rockets) | 1 Rd (Suns) |
Denver Nuggets | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Jazz) | 1 Rd (Lakers) | 1 Rd (Rockets) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Kings) | DNQ | DNQ |
Detroit Pistons | East Final (Celtics) | SF (76ers) | East Final (Celtics) | NBA Final (Lakers) | 1 Rd (Hawks) | 1 Rd (Knicks) | NBA Final (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Bandits) | DNQ | DNQ |
Golden State Warriors | DNQ | SF (Trail Blazers) | 1 Rd (Trail Blazers) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | West Final (Rockets) |
Houston Rockets | DNQ | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | DNQ | SF (Trail Blazers) | W | 1 Rd (Suns) | SF (Kings) | West Final (Kings) | W | NBA Final (Knicks) |
Indiana Pacers | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Knicks) | 1 Rd (Pistons) | DNQ | NBA Final (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Pistons) | DNQ | East Final (Knicks) | East Final (Knicks) |
Kansas City / Sacramento Kings | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Trail Blazers) | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | West Final (Mavericks) | NBA Final (Knicks) | 1 Rd (Suns) | SF (Rockets) |
Los Angeles Lakers | W | 1 Rd (Warriors) | W | W | West Final (Rockets) | SF (Mavericks) | SF (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Bucks) | DNQ | DNQ |
Miami Heat | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ |
Milwaukee Bucks | 1 Rd (Hawks) | 1 Rd (76ers) | SF (Celtics) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Lakers) | SF (Kings) | DNQ | DNQ |
Minnesota Polars | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ |
New Jersey Nets | 1 Rd (76ers) | SF (Celtics) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Bullets) | SF (Bandits) | 1 Rd (Hawks) | 1 Rd (Bandits) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Cavaliers) | DNQ |
New York Knicks | DNQ | 1 Rd (Pistons) | SF (Pistons) | East Final (Pistons) | 1 Rd (Bandits) | East Final (Pacers) | 1 Rd (Hawks) | W | NBA Final (Rockets) | W |
Philadelphia 76ers | SF (Celtics) | East Final (Celtics) | 1 Rd (Celtics) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Celtics) | 1 Rd (Celtics) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Bandits) |
Phoenix Suns | SF (Lakers) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | SF (Bulls) | 1 Rd (Rockets) | DNQ | SF (Mavericks) | SF (Warriors) |
Portland Trail Blazers | West Final (Lakers) | West Final (Mavericks) | SF (Lakers) | West Final (Lakers) | SF (Lakers) | 1 Rd (Lakers) | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Rockets) | SF (Rockets) | 1 Rd (Warriors) |
San Antonio Spurs / Tampa Bay Bandits | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | NBA Final (Rockets) | SF (Knicks) | SF (Pistons) | SF (Hawks) | 1 Rd (Pacers) | SF (Knicks) |
San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers | 1 Rd (Lakers) | DNQ | West Final (Lakers) | 1 Rd (Lakers) | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Bulls) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ |
Seattle SuperSonics | 1 Rd (Suns) | 1 Rd (Trail Blazers) | 1 Rd (Clippers) | 1 Rd (Trail Blazers) | 1 Rd (Rockets) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Mavericks) | 1 Rd (Rockets) |
Toronto Huskies | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Knicks) |
Utah Jazz | 1 Rd (Trail Blazers) | SF (Mavericks) | SF (Clippers) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Lakers) | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 1 Rd (Rockets) | DNQ |
Washington Bullets | 1 Rd (Celtics) | 1 Rd (Nets) | DNQ | SF (Knicks) | SF (Hawks) | 1 Rd (Bandits) | DNQ | 1 Rd (Knicks) | SF (Pacers) | DNQ |
Division and Conference Champions:
| 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 |
Atlantic | Boston Celtics | Boston Celtics | Boston Celtics | New York Knicks | New York Knicks | New York Knicks | Boston Celtics | Boston Celtics | New York Knicks | New York Knicks |
Central | Detroit Pistons | Detroit Pistons | Detroit Pistons | Detroit Pistons | Detroit Pistons | Indiana Pacers | Tampa Bay Bandits | Tampa Bay Bandits | Tampa Bay Bandits | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Midwest | Denver Nuggets | Utah Jazz | Dallas Mavericks | Houston Rockets | Houston Rockets | Houston Rockets | Houston Rockets | Dallas Mavericks | Houston Rockets | Houston Rockets |
Pacific | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles Lakers | Sacramento Kings | Sacramento Kings | Los Angeles Lakers | Sacramento Kings | Sacramento Kings | Golden State Warriors |
East | Boston Celtics | Boston Celtics | Boston Celtics | Detroit Pistons | Tampa Bay Bandits | Indiana Pacers | Detroit Pistons | New York Knicks | New York Knicks | New York Knicks |
West | Los Angeles Lakers | Dallas Mavericks | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles Lakers | Houston Rockets | Dallas Mavericks | Dallas Mavericks | Sacramento Kings | Houston Rockets | Houston Rockets |
Coach History (Head Coach at start of each season shown)
| 1983/84 | 1984/85 | 1985/86 | 1986/87 | 1987/88 | 1988/89 | 1989/90 | 1990/91 | 1991/92 | 1992/93 | 1993/94 |
Atlanta Hawks | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello | Mike Fratello |
Boston Celtics | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | Jack Ramsay | Chris Ford | Chris Ford | Chris Ford | Chris Ford | Larry Bird |
Charlotte Hornets | | | | | | Dick Harter | Dick Harter | Gene Littles | Allan Bristow | Allan Bristow | Allan Bristow |
Chicago Bulls | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | George Karl | George Karl | Mike Dunleavy | Phil Jackson | Phil Jackson | Phil Jackson | Bob Weiss | Bob Weiss |
Cleveland Cavaliers | Tom Nissalke | Tom Nissalke | Gene Littles | Mike Schuler | Mike Schuler | Don Nelson | Don Nelson | Don Nelson | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly |
Dallas Mavericks | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Dick Motta | Don Chaney |
Denver Nuggets | Doug Moe | Doug Moe | Doug Moe | Doug Moe | Doug Moe | Jimmy Rodgers | Jimmy Rodgers | Don Casey | Don Casey | Dan Issel | Dan Issel |
Detroit Pistons | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | K.C. Jones | Chris Ford |
Golden State Warriors | Johnny Bach | Johnny Bach | Johnny Bach | Stan Albeck | Stan Albeck | Bernie Bickerstaff | Bernie Bickerstaff | Bernie Bickerstaff | Don Nelson | Don Nelson | Don Nelson |
Houston Rockets | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch | Bill Fitch |
Indiana Pacers | Jack McKinney | George Irvine | George Irvine | Doug Collins | Doug Collins | George Irvine | George Irvine | George Irvine | Bob Hill | Bob Hill | Bob Hill |
Los Angeles Clippers | Jim Lynam | Jim Lynam | Don Chaney | Don Chaney | Don Casey | Don Casey | Mike Schuler | Paul Westhead | Larry Brown | Larry Brown | Larry Brown |
Los Angeles Lakers | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Mike Dunleavy | Mike Dunleavy | Mike Dunleavy | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Magic Johnson |
Miami Heat | | | | | | Ron Rothstein | Ron Rothstein | Ron Rothstein | Ron Rothstein | Gregg Popovich | Gregg Popovich |
Milwaukee Bucks | Don Nelson | Don Nelson | Don Nelson | Don Nelson | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Chuck Daly | Chuck Daly | Frank Hamblen | Mike Dunleavy | Mike Dunleavy |
Minnesota Polars | | | | | | | Bill Musselman | Larry Brown | Jimmy Rodgers | Jimmy Rodgers | Sidney Lowe |
New Jersey Nets | Stan Albeck | Stan Albeck | Stan Albeck | Dave Wohl | Dave Wohl | Dave Wohl | Del Harris | Del Harris | Del Harris | Del Harris | John Lucas II |
New York Knicks | Hubie Brown | Hubie Brown | Hubie Brown | Hubie Brown | Hubie Brown | Hubie Brown | Hubie Brown | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Pat Riley | Pat Riley |
Philadelphia 76ers | Billy Cunningham | Billy Cunningham | Billy Cunningham | Matt Guokas | Jim Lynam | Jim Lynam | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens |
Phoenix Suns | John MacLeod | John MacLeod | John MacLeod | Bernie Bickerstaff | Bernie Bickerstaff | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Paul Westphal | Paul Westphal |
Portland Trail Blazers | Jack Ramsay | Jack Ramsay | Jack Ramsay | Jack Ramsay | Jack Ramsay | Rick Adelman | Rick Adelman | Rick Adelman | Rick Adelman | Rick Adelman | Rick Adelman |
Sacramento Kings | Cotton Fitzsimmons | Jack McKinney | Phil Johnson | Billy Cunningham | Billy Cunningham | Billy Cunningham | Don Chaney | Don Chaney | Don Chaney | Don Chaney | Rudy Tomjanovich |
Seattle SuperSonics | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Lenny Wilkens | Cotton Fitzsimmons | John MacLeod | John MacLeod | John MacLeod | George Karl | George Karl | George Karl |
Tampa Bay Bandits | Morris McHone | Bob Bass | Bob Bass | Bob Weiss | Bob Weiss | Bob Weiss | Bob Weiss | Bob Weiss | Bob Weiss | Phil Jackson | Phil Jackson |
Toronto Huskies | | | | | | | Matt Guokas | Matt Guokas | Jim Lynam | Jim Lynam | Jim Lynam |
Utah Jazz | Frank Layden | Frank Layden | Frank Layden | Frank Layden | Jerry Sloan | Jerry Sloan | Jerry Sloan | Jerry Sloan | Jerry Sloan | Jerry Sloan | Bernie Bickerstaff |
Washington Bullets | Gene Shue | Gene Shue | Gene Shue | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery | Kevin Loughery |
1993/94 Starting Line Ups
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C | 6 |
Atlanta Hawks | Derek Harper | Reggie Miller | Noel Teague | Cliff Robinson | Nick Vanos | Kenny Smith |
Boston Celtics | Mark Price | Byron Scott | Clark Kellogg | Kevin McHale | Vlade Divac | Chris Gatling |
Charlotte Hornets | Muggsy Bogues | Rex Chapman | Tracy Murray | Tom Gugliotta | Dikembe Mutombo | John Williams |
Chicago Bulls | Michael Adams | Dan Mejerle | Orlando Woolridge | Karl Malone | Bill Laimbeer | Chris Morris |
Cleveland Cavaliers | Gary Payton | Mitch Richmond | Kenny Payne | Buck Williams | Pervis Ellison | Thurl Bailey |
Dallas Mavericks | Isiah Thomas | Joe Dumars | Toni Kukoc | Antoine Carr | Benoit Benjamin | Tim Perry |
Denver Nuggets | Dee Brown | Hersey Hawkins | Glen Rice | Laphonso Ellis | Jon Koncak | Stanley Roberts |
Detroit Pistons | Scott Skiles | Rolando Blackman | Scottie Pippen | Horace Grant | Tree Rollins | Greg Anthony |
Golden State Warriors | Fat Lever | Jeff Hornacek | Dale Ellis | A.C. Green | Rik Smits | Dale Davis |
Houston Rockets | Jon Sundvold | Ricky Pierce | Dominique Wilkins | Charles Barkley | Hakeem Olajuwon | George McCloud |
Indiana Pacers | Dana Barros | Blue Edwards | Billy Owens | Danny Manning | Herb Williams | Eddie Johnson |
Los Angeles Clippers | Kevin Johnson | Kendall Gill | Sam Mitchell | Tyrone Hill | Brad Daugherty | Donald Royal |
Los Angeles Lakers | Penny Hardaway | Kevin Edwards | Kelly Tripucka | James Worthy | Rony Seikaly | Kenny Walker |
Miami Heat | Rod Strickland | Clyde Drexler | Rodney McCray | Larry Johnson | Elden Campbell | Kevin Brooks |
Milwaukee Bucks | Kenny Fields | Allan Houston | Bernard King | Terry Mills | Victor Alexander | William Bedford |
Minnesota Polars | Pooh Richardson | Vinny Del Negro | Marvis Fresh | Kevin Willis | Kevin Duckworth | Vernon Maxwell |
New Jersey Nets | Brian Shaw | Isaiah Rider | Mark Aguirre | Vin Baker | Blair Rasmussen | Mark Macon |
New York Knicks | Tim Hardaway | Michael Jordan | Terry Cummings | Dino Radja | Stacey King | Ed Pinckney |
Phildadelphia 76ers | Michael Williams | Bobby Phills | Sean Elliot | Charles Oakley | Shaquille O'Neal | Michael Cage |
Phoenix Suns | Sleepy Floyd | Steve Smith | Detlef Schrempf | Randy White | Bison Dele | Jeff Malone |
Portland Trail Blazers | Terry Porter | Willie Anderson | Latrell Sprewell | Chris Webber | Alonzo Mourning | Arvydas Sabonis |
Sacramento Kings | John Stockton | Drazen Petrovic | Chuck Person | Otis Thorpe | Patrick Ewing | Danny Ferry |
Seattle SuperSonics | Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf | Craig Ehlo | Dennis Scott | Purvis Short | Manute Bol | Hot Rod Williams |
Tampa Bay Bandits | Mookie Blaylock | Dell Curry | Chris Mullin | Shawn Kemp | David Robinson | Kenneth Griffith |
Toronto Huskies | Kenny Anderson | Nick Anderson | Kiki Vandeweghe | Wayman Tisdale | Bill Cartwright | Reggie Williams |
Utah Jazz | Doc Rivers | Lancaster Gordon | Walt Williams | Christian Laettner | Shawn Bradley | Tim McCormick |
Washington Bullets | Ennis Whatley | Doug West | Armen Gilliam | Derrick Coleman | Olden Polynice | J.R. Reid |
Up Next: A team by team guide to the 1993/94 season
