When NBA Broke All Barriers and Drafted a Women For the Very First Time

NBA Draft rules have been evolving over the decades. Until 1989, there were seven rounds of drafts. After that season, the two-round rule was announced. 1989 was also the first year of a live-telecast NBA Draft.

During these pre-1989 drafts, a lot of players who were selected were actually just for PR. In the 1977 Draft, Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn) was drafted by the Kansas City Kings (now Sacramento). Jenner was a popular figure in the country after they won the decathlon gold medal during the 1976 Olympics. The 1977 Draft is also famous for Lakers drafting Scooby-Doo and the Celtics drafting a water boy, only for the league to disallow that.

Lusia Harris: first official female draftee in the NBA

In that same draft, two picks before Jenner, the New Orleans Jazz (now Utah) selected Luisa Harris. She is the only woman to be officially drafted in the NBA. Technically, Denise Long was the first woman to be drafted after the Warriors picked her in the 1969 Draft. However, it was voided. The New York Times published a small article titled: N.B.A. Drafts Woman and Jenner. Being pregnant at that time, she was unable to attend the camp and never played for them.

Before the NCAA tournaments, women’s college teams participated in the AIAW Women’s Basketball Tournament. It was held every year from 1972 to 1982. Harris, while representing Delta State University, was champion and MVP in this tournament three consecutive years from 1995-1997. In her career with Delta, she played over a hundred games, averaging 25.9 points and 14.5 rebounds per game.

In 1975, Harris represented the United States national team in the FIBA World Championship for women, where they finished eighth. The following year, she was called up to represent the United States in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In the opener against Japan, Harris scored the first official points women’s Olympic basketball. They went on to win the silver medal in the tournament, with Harris averaging 15.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

She was one of the first female inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.  Lusia Harris may not have been a serious pick for the Jazz, but her contribution to women’s basketball is as serious as it gets.