The 1952 NBA draft was the sixth annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 26, 1952, before the 1952–53 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, except for the defending champion, the Minneapolis Lakers, who was assigned the last pick of each round. The draft consisted of 17 rounds comprising 106 players selected. However, this draft was notable for this being the first time the NBA would not immediately announce the ordering of their draft choices to the public due to worries by the young league that they would give an upcoming rivaling amateur league, the National Industrial Basketball League, an idea of who the best college players were at the time, especially for their two top teams there in the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers and Peoria Caterpillar Tractors; notably, the NBA would also give the 66ers and Peoria invites to the NBA, though they both denied the opportunity to join the league as professional teams.[1]
Dick Groat from Duke was picked 3rd overall by the Fort Wayne Pistons and went on to win the National League 1960 MVP, and two World Series championships while playing shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates and then the St. Louis Cardinals.
