page_title: 1997 NBA draft
section_title: Draft selections
hierarchical_section_title: 1997 NBA draft / Draft selections
caption_attribution_description: Photo of the Detroit Pistons w:Chauncey Billups.
context_page_description: The 1997 NBA draft took place on June 25, 1997, at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Boston Celtics had the second-worst record in the 1996–97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson and Sean Elliott to injury early in the season, finished with the third-worst record, and subsequently won the lottery. Leading up to the draft, there was no doubt that Tim Duncan would be selected at No. 1 by the Spurs, and the rest of the draft was regarded with some skepticism. The Celtics had the third and sixth picks, selecting Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer, both of whom were traded in the next two years.
  The Washington Wizards forfeited their 1997 first-round pick in connection with the signing of Juwan Howard. Thus, the draft only had 28 first-round selections and 57 selections overall.
context_section_description: Nationality indicates the player's national team or representative nationality. If a player has not competed at the international level, then the nationality indicates the national team which the player is eligible to represent according to FIBA rules.
  Tim Duncan is a United States citizen by birth, as are all natives of the U.S. Virgin Islands, he has represented the United States internationally.
caption: Chauncey Billups was selected 3rd overall by the Boston Celtics.
exif: {}