New York Knicks: 5 biggest NBA Draft mistakes
5. 1963 NBA Draft
Original pick: Art Heyman (1st)
Re-Draft: Nate Thurmond (3rd)
The New York Knicks didn’t wait too long before they made their first big gaffe in franchise history. In fact, before even winning those “pre-historic” 70’s championships, they opted against drafting one of the all-time greats.
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The Knicks originally held the first overall pick in the 1963 NBA Draft. They used it to draft Art Heyman, in hopes of having an Art-istic run at their first NBA Championship. Heyman would spend two seasons with the Knicks, before winning an ABA Championship in Pittsburgh.
Two spots later came Nate Thurmond, one of the original superstars in the league. His jersey No. 42 has been retired by the Golden State/San Francisco Warriors.
Out West, he made the All-Star team seven times and the All-Defensive team a handful of times. His induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame was self-evident, as the Knicks opened up would begin counting their many draft mistakes.