The 1986 NBA draft is widely regarded as the moment the league truly went global. The Portland Trail Blazers, holding the second overall pick, selected Arvydas Sabonis, a 7-foot-3 center from the Soviet Union, and later in the second round, they drafted Drazen Petrovic, a sharpshooting guard from Yugoslavia. These two picks would come to symbolize the dawn of the international era in the NBA, though neither player would immediately join the league due to political and contractual barriers.
The Trail Blazers' Picks and Their Immediate Impact
Sabonis, then 21, was already a star in Europe, leading the Soviet national team to a gold medal at the 1985 EuroBasket and a silver at the 1986 FIBA World Championship. However, the Cold War tensions meant that Soviet players were not permitted to play in the NBA. Sabonis would not make his NBA debut until 1995, at age 30, after his prime had been compromised by Achilles injuries. Despite this, he averaged 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over seven seasons with Portland, earning a reputation as one of the best passing big men in history.
Petrovic, selected 60th overall, faced similar obstacles. He was a prolific scorer in Europe, averaging 37.8 points per game for Real Madrid in the 1988-89 season. He finally joined the Trail Blazers in 1989 but struggled for playing time behind Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter. After a trade to the New Jersey Nets in 1991, Petrovic blossomed, averaging 20.6 points per game in the 1992-93 season. His career was tragically cut short when he died in a car accident in 1993 at age 28.
The Broader Significance of the 1986 Draft
The 1986 draft also featured other international pioneers. The Boston Celtics selected Len Bias, a forward from the University of Maryland, with the second overall pick (via a trade with the Trail Blazers for the Sabonis rights). Bias died of a cocaine overdose two days after the draft, a tragedy that reshaped the Celtics' future. The draft also included players like Brad Daugherty (first overall), Chris Washburn, and Ron Harper.
According to NBA historian David Friedman, "The 1986 draft was a watershed moment because it showed that teams were willing to invest in talent from behind the Iron Curtain. Sabonis and Petrovic were not just good European players; they were potential superstars who could compete at the highest level."
How the Draft Reshaped the League's Approach
In the years following the 1986 draft, the NBA saw a steady increase in international players. By the 2023-24 season, a record 125 international players from 40 countries were on opening-night rosters. The Trail Blazers' willingness to draft Sabonis and Petrovic, despite the uncertainty of their availability, set a precedent for future global scouting.
Portland's general manager at the time, Stu Inman, said in a 1995 interview: "We knew Arvydas was special. We had scouts watching him for years. Even if we had to wait, it was worth the risk. Drazen was a similar case—he was a born scorer."
Legacy and Lasting Impact
Sabonis was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, and Petrovic was posthumously inducted in 2002. Their influence extends beyond their statistics. They inspired a generation of European players, including Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, to pursue NBA careers.
The 1986 draft also highlighted the challenges of integrating international talent. Sabonis's delayed entry and Petrovic's limited role in Portland underscored the cultural and systemic barriers that existed. Today, the NBA has a robust international pipeline, with global academies and scouting networks that trace their roots back to the Trail Blazers' pioneering selections.
In the words of former NBA commissioner David Stern, "The 1986 draft was a glimpse into the future. It showed that basketball was becoming a global game, and the Trail Blazers were at the forefront."
