The 1992 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1992, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.[citation needed] The top three picks (Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner) were considered can't-miss prospects. All three are Hall of Famers (Naismith & FIBA); O'Neal and Mourning are (individual) player-inducted, whereas Laettner is team-inducted. Laettner made one All-Star game in his career and was an Olympic Gold Medalist on the 1992 Dream Team, but did not live up to the lofty expectations set for him. The trio would end up playing together on the 2005 Miami Heat. Two other players went on to become All-Stars (Tom Gugliotta once, Latrell Sprewell four times) and several others had solid careers (Jimmy Jackson, Robert Horry, Doug Christie, P.J. Brown, LaPhonso Ellis, Jon Barry, Walt Williams, Anthony Peeler, and Clarence Weatherspoon). Harold Miner, who was given the nickname "Baby Jordan" because of his similarities to Michael Jordan, slipped to number 12 and, other than winning two slam dunk contests, only had a brief, uneventful, and injury prone four-year career.
This was the first time the NBA draft was held outside of New York.[1] It is the only draft where the first three picks were centers.
Draft selections
[edit]Shaquille O'Neal, the 1st pick to the Orlando MagicAlonzo Mourning, the 2nd pick to the Charlotte HornetsChristian Laettner, the 3rd pick to the Minnesota TimberwolvesTom Gugliotta, the 6th pick to the Washington Bullets
G
Guard
PG
Point guard
SG
Shooting guard
F
Forward
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
Round
Pick
Player
Pos.
Nationality[n 1]
Team
School / club team
1
1
Shaquille O'Neal^
C
United States
Orlando Magic
LSU (Jr.)
1
2
Alonzo Mourning^
C
United States
Charlotte Hornets
Georgetown (Sr.)
1
3
Christian Laettner+
PF
United States
Minnesota Timberwolves
Duke (Sr.)
1
4
Jimmy Jackson
SG
United States
Dallas Mavericks
Ohio State (Jr.)
1
5
LaPhonso Ellis
PF
United States
Denver Nuggets
Notre Dame (Sr.)
1
6
Tom Gugliotta+
PF
United States
Washington Bullets
NC State (Sr.)
1
7
Walt Williams
SF
United States
Sacramento Kings
Maryland (Sr.)
1
8
Todd Day
SG
United States
Milwaukee Bucks
Arkansas (Sr.)
1
9
Clarence Weatherspoon
PF
United States
Philadelphia 76ers
Southern Miss (Sr.)
1
10
Adam Keefe
PF
United States
Atlanta Hawks
Stanford (Sr.)
1
11
Robert Horry
SF
United States
Houston Rockets
Alabama (Sr.)
1
12
Harold Miner
SG
United States
Miami Heat
USC (Jr.)
1
13
Bryant Stith
SG
United States
Denver Nuggets (from New Jersey)
Virginia (Sr.)
1
14
Malik Sealy
SF
United States
Indiana Pacers
St. John's (Sr.)
1
15
Anthony Peeler
SG
United States
Los Angeles Lakers
Missouri (Sr.)
1
16
Randy Woods
PG
United States
Los Angeles Clippers
La Salle (Sr.)
1
17
Doug Christie
SG
United States
Seattle SuperSonics
Pepperdine (Sr.)
1
18
Tracy Murray
SF
United States
San Antonio Spurs
UCLA (Jr.)
1
19
Don MacLean
PF
United States
Detroit Pistons (traded to Washington via L.A. Clippers)
UCLA (Sr.)
1
20
Hubert Davis
SG
United States
New York Knicks
North Carolina (Sr.)
1
21
Jon Barry
SG
United States
Boston Celtics
Georgia Tech (Sr.)
1
22
Oliver Miller
C
United States
Phoenix Suns
Arkansas (Sr.)
1
23
Lee Mayberry
PG
United States
Milwaukee Bucks (from Utah)
Arkansas (Sr.)
1
24
Latrell Sprewell*
SG
United States
Golden State Warriors
Alabama (Sr.)
1
25
Elmore Spencer
C
United States
Los Angeles Clippers (from Cleveland)
UNLV (Sr.)
1
26
Dave Johnson
SF
United States
Portland Trail Blazers
Syracuse (Sr.)
1
27
Byron Houston
PF
United States
Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma State (Sr.)
2
28
Marlon Maxey
PF
United States
Minnesota Timberwolves
UTEP
2
29
P. J. Brown
PF
United States
New Jersey Nets
Louisiana Tech
2
30
Sean Rooks
PF/C
United States
Dallas Mavericks
Arizona
2
31
Reggie Smith
C
United States
Portland Trail Blazers
TCU
2
32
Brent Price
G
United States
Washington Bullets
Oklahoma
2
33
Corey Williams
G
United States
Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma State
2
34
Chris Smith
G
United States
Minnesota Timberwolves
Connecticut
2
35
Tony Bennett
G
United States
Charlotte Hornets
Wisconsin–Green Bay
2
36
Duane Cooper
G
United States
Los Angeles Lakers
USC
2
37
Isaiah Morris
F
United States
Miami Heat
Arkansas
2
38
Elmer Bennett
G
United States
Atlanta Hawks
Notre Dame
2
39
Litterial Green
G
United States
Chicago Bulls
Georgia
2
40
Steve Rogers#
SG/SF
United States
New Jersey Nets
Alabama State
2
41
Popeye Jones
F
United States
Houston Rockets
Murray State
2
42
Matt Geiger
C
United States
Miami Heat
Georgia Tech
2
43
Predrag Danilović
SG
Yugoslavia
Golden State Warriors
KK Partizan, Yugoslavia
2
44
Henry Williams#
G
United States
San Antonio Spurs
UNC-Charlotte
2
45
Chris King
F
United States
Seattle SuperSonics
Wake Forest
2
46
Robert Werdann
C
United States
Denver Nuggets
St. John's
2
47
Darren Morningstar
C
United States
Boston Celtics
Pittsburgh
2
48
Brian Davis
F/G
United States
Phoenix Suns
Duke
2
49
Ron Ellis#
PF
United States
Phoenix Suns
Louisiana Tech
2
50
Matt Fish
F
United States
Golden State Warriors
UNC-Wilmington
2
51
Tim Burroughs#
PF
United States
Minnesota Timberwolves
Jacksonville
2
52
Matt Steigenga
F
United States
Chicago Bulls
Michigan State
2
53
Curtis Blair#
PG
United States
Houston Rockets
Richmond
2
54
Brett Roberts#
SF
United States
Sacramento Kings
Morehead State
[2]
Notable undrafted players
[edit] Further information: List of undrafted NBA players
These players were not selected in the 1992 NBA draft but have played at least one game in the NBA.
Player
Pos.
Nationality
School/club team
Gary Alexander
F
United States
South Florida (Sr.)
Eric Anderson
PF
United States
Indiana (Sr.)
Mark Baker
PG
United States
Ohio State (Sr.)
Alex Blackwell
SF
United States
Monmouth (Sr.)
Marques Bragg
PF
United States
Providence (Sr.)
Tim Breaux
SF
United States
Wyoming (Sr.)
Dexter Cambridge
PF
The Bahamas
Texas (Sr.)
Joe Courtney
PF
United States
Southern Miss (Sr.)
Rastko Cvetković
C
FR YugoslaviaSerbia
Crvena zvezda (Yugoslavia)
Dell Demps
PG/SG
United States
Pacific (Sr.)
Harold Ellis
SG
United States
Morehouse (Sr.)
Jo Jo English
SG
United States
South Carolina (Sr.)
Shane Heal
PG
Australia
Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
Stephen Howard
SF
United States
DePaul (Sr.)
Chris Jent
SG/SF
United States
Ohio State (Sr.)
Sam Mack
SF
United States
Houston (Sr.)
Gerald Madkins
PG
United States
UCLA (Sr.)
Bob Martin
C
United States
Minnesota (Sr.)
Darrick Martin
PG
United States
UCLA (Sr.)
Matt Othick
PG
United States
Arizona (Sr.)
Reggie Slater
PF
United States
Wyoming (Sr.)
Mark Strickland
SF/PF
United States
Temple (Sr.)
Keith Tower
C
United States
Notre Dame (Sr.)
Anthony Tucker
SF
United States
Wake Forest (Sr.)
Marcus Webb
PF
United States
Alabama (Jr.)
David Wesley
PG
United States
Baylor (Sr.)
Early entrants
[edit]
College underclassmen
[edit]
For the tenth year in a row and the fourteenth time in fifteen years, no college underclassman would withdraw their entry into the NBA draft. Not only that, but this would also be the first year since 1985 where no underclassmen playing overseas would enter the NBA draft and would be the first draft since 1986 with no foreign-born underclassmen as well. This year would see a total of sixteen college underclassmen entering the draft. The following college basketball players successfully applied for early draft entrance.[3]
Ameer Aziz – F, Saint Paul's (Virginia) (junior)
John Beauford – C, Southern Poly (junior)
Anthony Cade – F, Seminole JC (sophomore)
Mark Chappell – G, Iowa State (junior)
Dallas Lee Cothrum – G, Austin (junior)
Jim Jackson – G, Ohio State (junior)
Troy King – F, Beaver County CC (sophomore)
Benny Maxwell – G, Western New Mexico (junior)
Harold Miner – G, USC (junior)
Tracy Murray – F, UCLA (junior)
Shaquille O'Neal – C, LSU (junior)
Melvin Robinson – C, Arizona State (junior)
Tony Scott – F, Texas A&M (junior)
Jeff Theiler – F, La Verne (junior)
Mike Wawrzyniak – G, Cleveland State (junior)
Marcus Webb – F, Alabama (junior)
Invited attendees
[edit]
The 1992 NBA draft is considered to be the fifteenth NBA draft to have utilized what's properly considered the "green room" experience for NBA prospects. The NBA's green room is a staging area where anticipated draftees often sit with their families and representatives, waiting for their names to be called on draft night. Often being positioned either in front of or to the side of the podium (in this case, being positioned somewhere within the Veterans Memorial Coliseum building in Portland, Oregon[4]), once a player heard his name, he would walk to the podium to shake hands and take promotional photos with the NBA commissioner. From there, the players often conducted interviews with various media outlets while backstage. From there, the players often conducted interviews with various media outlets while backstage. However, once the NBA draft started to air nationally on TV starting with the 1980 NBA draft, the green room evolved from players waiting to hear their name called and then shaking hands with these select players who were often called to the hotel to take promotional pictures with the NBA commissioner a day or two after the draft concluded to having players in real-time waiting to hear their names called up and then shaking hands with David Stern, the NBA's newest commissioner at the time.[5] The NBA compiled its list of green room invites through collective voting by the NBA's team presidents and general managers alike, which in this year's case belonged to only what they believed were the top 14 prospects at the time.[6] Despite the large amount of invites and them successfully avoiding any inviting prospects waiting into the second round (to the point where four errors were in mind from getting a perfectly ordered invited attendees line-up this time around), the only notable absence from this group would be (the controversial) Latrell Sprewell from the University of Alabama. With that in mind, the following players were invited to attend this year's draft festivities live and in person.[4]
Doug Christie – SG, Pepperdine
Todd Day – SG, Arkansas
LaPhonso Ellis – PF, Notre Dame
Tom Gugliotta – PF, North Carolina State
Robert Horry – SF, Alabama
Jimmy Jackson – SG, Ohio State
Harold Miner – SG, USC
Alonzo Mourning – C, Georgetown
Tracy Murray – SF, UCLA
Shaquille O'Neal – C, LSU
Malik Sealy – SF, St. John's
Bryant Stith – SG, Virginia
Clarence Weatherspoon – PF, Southern Mississippi
Walt Williams – SF, Maryland
See also
[edit]
List of first overall NBA draft picks
Notes
[edit]
^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.
References
[edit]
^1980s Sports Home (July 10, 2021). "1992 NBA Draft 1-4 Shaq Shaquille O'Neil Christian Laettner Jim Jackson". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"1992 Draft". Basketball-Reference.com.
^"1992 Underclassmen". The Draft Review. August 4, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
^ ab"1992 Green Room Invites - the Draft Review". Retrieved December 27, 2025.
^Maurer, Matthew (February 18, 2024). "Draft Broadcasts - The Draft Review". The Draft Review. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
^"Green Room - The Draft Review". The Draft Review. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
United States 
Yugoslavia 
The Bahamas 
Serbia 
Australia 
Ameer Aziz – F, Saint Paul's (Virginia) (junior)