1951 NBA draft
| 1951 NBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Date | April 25, 1951 |
| Location | Park Sheraton Hotel (New York City, New York) |
| Overview | |
| 87 total selections in 12 rounds | |
| League | NBA |
| Teams | 10 |
| First selection | Gene Melchiorre, Baltimore Bullets |
The 1951 NBA draft was the fifth annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 25, 1951, before the 1951–52 season. In this draft, ten remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams selected in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. The Tri-Cities Blackhawks participated in the draft, but relocated to Milwaukee and became the Milwaukee Hawks prior to the start of the season. The draft consisted of 12 rounds comprising 87 players selected. This draft was the league’s first, and along with the 2000 NBA Draft, one of only two to date, to produce no Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame players (excluding drafts with players not yet eligible).