The draft class that changed Basketball: 1984

In 1984, the NBA was in a state of transition. The stars of yesteryear, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson had long since retired. The future superstars Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were just getting acclimatised to the NBA. There was a new NBA commissioner at the helm. While things looked promising, there was nobody who was capable of being the “face” of the NBA.

And then the 1984 NBA draft happened. Four of the league’s biggest superstars walked in. Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton were all part of the most illustrious draft class in NBA History. In this article, we will take a look at five members of the 1984 NBA draft who left a lasting mark on the game of basketball.

5. Alvin Robertson; 7th Overall pick; 1984-1996; San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors

Career Averages: 14 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5 APG, 2.7 SPG

Best known for his defence, Robertson was a multi-dimensional Shooting guard. He is one of only four people in NBA history to have recorded a quadruple-double (double digits in four statistical categories in a single game) when he registered 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals while playing for the Spurs against the Phoenix Suns on February 18, 1986. He is also the only player to do so with steals as the fourth category (the other three were with blocks).

It should be noted that it wasn’t possible to record a quadruple-double before the 1973-74 season as that was when blocks and steals began to be recorded as statistics.

Robertson was a four time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year and he led the league in steals twice during his career. He was the inaugural winner of the NBA Most Improved Player award in 1986. He is ranked 9th in career steals.

Robertson scored the first points in the Toronto Raptors history with a three-pointer. He ended his career in the NBA in 12 years due to pre-existing back problems.