1956 NBA Draft

The 1956 NBA Draft was held in New York on April 30th. The most notable player selected in this draft was perennial great Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco. This draft consisted of 12 rounds and incorporated territorial picks. Tom Heinsohn was drafted using a territorial pick by the Boston Celtics, who would later acquire the rights to Bill Russell in a trade with the St. Louis Hawks involving all-star "Easy" Ed Macauley.

Territorial pick

* Boston Tom Heinsohn Holy Cross

Round one

*1 Rochester Royals Sihugo Green Duquesne
*2 St. Louis Hawks Bill Russell San Francisco
*3 Minneapolis Lakers Jim Paxson, Sr. Dayton
*4 New York Knicks Ronnie Shavlik North Carolina State
*5 Syracuse Joe Holup George Washington
*6 Fort Wayne Ron Sobie DePaul
*7 Philadelphia Warriors Hal Lear Temple

Draft picks by team

Boston Celtics

*Tom Heinsohn Holy Cross
*K.C. Jones San Francisco
*George Linn Alabama
*Dan Swartz Morehead State
*Bill Logan Iowa
*Don Boldebuck Houston University
*O'Neal Weaver Midwestern (TX)
*Vic Molodet North Carolina State
*Jim Houston Brandeis
*Theophileus Lloyd Maryland State

= Fort Wayne Pistons =

*Ron Sobie DePaul
*Bob Kessler Maryland
*Bill Thieben Hofstra
*Charles Slack Marshall
*Joe Lieber Holy Cross
*John Schlimm John Carroll
*Bruce Harris Tennessee Polytechnic

= Minneapolis Lakers =

*Jim Paxson, Sr. Dayton
*Terry Rand Marquette
*Jerry Bird Kentucky
*Lloyd Aubrey Notre Dame
*Bill Reigel McNeese State
*Phil Jordon Whitworth
*John Barber Cal State–Los Angeles
*Sam Jones North Carolina College
*Jim Springer Gustavus Adolphus
*Phil Grawmeyer Kentucky
*Robert Hodgson Wichita
*Carl Widseth Tennessee
*John Patzwald Gustavus Adolphus
*Elgin Baylor Seattle

New York Knicks

*Ronnie Shavlik North Carolina State
*Gary Bergen Utah
*Jerry Harper Alabama
*Ronnie Mayer Duke
*Joe Sexton Purdue
*Pat Dunn Utah State
*Jack Adams Eastern Kentucky
*Art Bunte Utah
*Dick Miller Wisconsin
*Howard Crittendon Murray State Teachers
*Dick Miani Miami (FL)
*Ed Petrie Seton Hall
*Tony Roybal New Mexico

= Philadelphia Warriors =

*Hal Lear Temple
*Phil Rollins Louisville
*Bevo Francis Rio Grande
*Phil Wheeler Cincinnati
*Joe Belmont Duke
*Mickey Winograd Duquesne
*John Fannon Notre Dame
*Max Anderson Oregon
*Ronald Clark Springfield

= Rochester Royals =

*Si Green Duquesne
*Bob Burrow Kentucky
*Dave Piontek Xavier (OH)
*John McCarthy Canisius
*Bill Uhl Dayton
*Kevin Thomas Boston
*Carl Cain Iowa
*Clayton Carte Oklahoma A&M
*Dan Mannix St. Francis (NY)
*Jerry Moreman Louisville
*Gene Carpenter Texas Tech

= St. Louis Hawks =

*Bill Russell San Francisco
*Willie Naulls UCLA
*Darrell Floyd Furman
*Robin Freeman Ohio State
*Norman Stewart Missouri
*Dave Plunkett Cincinnati
*Julius McCoy Michigan State
*Morris Taft UCLA
*Jim Reed Texas Tech
*Hershel Pederson Brigham Young
*Wally Choice Indiana
*Ed Huse Wyoming
*Arthur Helms Houston
*Junior Morgan Duke

Syracuse Nationals

*Joe Holup George Washington
*Paul Judson Illinois
*Forest Able Western Kentucky
*Swede Halbrook Oregon State
*Jim Ray Toledo
*Jim McLaughlin St. Louis
*Jess Roh Idaho State
*Chester Webb Georgia State Teachers
*Dick Julio New Bedford State
*Bob Hopkins Grambling
*Willie Bergines West Virginia
*Dick Kenyon LeMoyne
*Milt Graham Colgate
*Chuck Rolles Cornell

External links

* [http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2585&Itemid=103 TheDraftReview.com] TheDraftReview in-depth listing of the 1956 NBA Draft

NBA Drafts
preceded=1955 NBA Draft
succeeded=1957 NBA Draft