A look at the first-round picks in the star-crossed 1986 draft:
1. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS — Brad Daugherty, North Carolina. Played eight years with the Cavaliers and was a five-time All-Star, but retired at age 28 because of a back injury. Averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds in 548 games.
2. BOSTON CELTICS — Len Bias, Maryland. Died of a cocaine overdose two days after being drafted, perhaps the most tragic story in NBA history.
3. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS — Chris Washburn, North Carolina State. Played 72 games over two seasons and was out of the NBA at age 22 because of drug and weight issues.
4. INDIANA PACERS — Chuck Person, Auburn. “The Rifleman” became one of the game’s first 3-point specialists, playing 13 seasons with five teams. He’s 49th all time in 3-pointers.
5. NEW YORK KNICKS — Kenny Walker, Kentucky. More of an athlete than a basketball player, Walker played five uninspiring seasons with the Knicks then headed for Spain. Returned for two seasons with the Bullets and was done by age 30.
6. PHOENIX SUNS — William Bedford, Memphis State. Played two years before being suspended for a season because of drug use. Returned for four more seasons as a little-used reserve. Scored fewer than 1,000 career points.
7. DALLAS MAVERICKS — Roy Tarpley, Michigan. Considered a potential franchise cornerstone, Tarpley was suspended for three seasons for violating the league’s drug policy and then banned for life after a fourth offense. Died in 2015.
8. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS — Ron Harper, Miami (Ohio). Played 15 seasons, won five NBA titles, and was perhaps the most successful player in this draft. Played on teams with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
9. CHICAGO BULLS — Brad Sellers, Ohio State. Drafted as a paint presence to help Jordan, Sellers never reached his potential and played six seasons before heading to Europe. Later became mayor of his hometown of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
10. SAN ANTONIO SPURS — Johnny Dawkins, Duke. One of the best college players in the country, Dawkins was dynamic until felled by knee injuries. Averaged double figures in his first six seasons but retired after nine years at age 31.
11. DETROIT PISTONS — John Salley, Georgia Tech. Played 11 productive seasons as a backup forward/center with the “Bad Boys” Pistons and Jordan-led Bulls. Won four NBA titles.
12. WASHINGTON BULLETS — John Williams, Louisiana State. Nicknamed “Hot Plate,” Williams was a gifted small forward who couldn’t control his weight. Was suspended for a season because of it, and was done after a 34-game stint with Indiana in 1995.
13. NEW JERSEY NETS — Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, Syracuse. A brilliant college guard, Washington never had the quickness to stick in the NBA and was released by the Heat after his third NBA season. Died in 2016.
14. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS — Walter Berry, St. John’s. Winner of multiple college player of the year awards, Berry played just seven games with the Blazers before being traded to the Spurs. He bounced around and was out of the league at age 24. Played 13 years overseas.
15. UTAH JAZZ — Dell Curry, Virginia Tech. Now better known as Stephen Curry’s father, Dell played 16 seasons, was a career 40.2 percent 3-point shooter, and was named Sixth Man of the Year with Charlotte in 1993-94.
16. DENVER NUGGETS — Maurice Martin, Saint Joseph’s. A former Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, Martin tried out for the 1984 Olympic team but played just 69 games with the Nuggets and was done by age 24 because of knee injuries. His NBA career high was 12 points.
17. SACRAMENTO KINGS — Harold Pressley, Villanova. A hero on the Wildcats’ 1985 NCAA title team, Pressley played four years with the Kings and then headed to Europe, where he won two Spanish League titles.
18. DENVER NUGGETS — Mark Alarie, Duke. Played one season with the Nuggets then was traded to Washington, where he played for four years and retired because of knee problems.
19. ATLANTA HAWKS — Billy Thompson, Louisville. A freakish athlete, Thompson was traded to the Lakers on draft night, won a title as a rookie, was an original member of the Heat, and was out of the league at age 28, finishing his career in Europe.
20. HOUSTON ROCKETS — Buck Johnson, Alabama. Played seven NBA seasons, mostly with the Rockets, then like many players in this draft headed for Europe.
21. WASHINGTON BULLETS — Anthony Jones, UNLV. Released in December of his rookie season. Played parts of three NBA seasons before finishing his career in Italy.
22. MILWAUKEE BUCKS — Scott Skiles, Michigan State. A brilliant point guard in college, Skiles played 10 years in the league, finishing in the top 10 in assists twice and dishing out 30 assists in a game with the Magic, which remains an NBA record.
23. LOS ANGELES LAKERS — Ken Barlow, Notre Dame. Barlow never played a game in the NBA. Spent 16 years overseas, winning championships in Italy and Israel.
24. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS — Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania. Perhaps the best player in this draft, Sabonis stayed in Europe for nine years before coming to the Trail Blazers, and was by then a shell of his former self. Played seven seasons with some good Portland teams before retiring at 38.
Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.