The 1985 NBA draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA draft of the "lottery" era. It was also around this time where the league decreased the amount of rounds the draft spent, with the previous few years lasting up to 10 rounds total. A total of 162 players were selected over seven rounds by the league's 23 teams. The New York Knicks were awarded the first overall pick by winning the first-ever NBA draft lottery, which was held in May of that year. The Knicks ultimately used it on Georgetown's Patrick Ewing. In addition to Ewing, this draft was also notable for being the draft that Karl Malone was taken by the Utah Jazz at pick 13. Malone spent all but one season with the Jazz, eventually being the player with the second-highest point total in league history, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as of the 2018–19 season.