Bird, Magic ROY???

[bballer22]

1979 DRAFT
First Round
1 LAL Earvin Johnson Michigan State
2 Chi David Greenwood UCLA
3 NY Bill Cartwright San Francisco
4 Det Greg Kelser Michigan State
5 Mil Sidney Moncrief Arkansas
6 Sea James Bailey Rutgers
7 Sea Vinnie Johnson Baylor
8 NJ Calvin Natt NE Louisiana
9 NY Larry Demic Arizona
10 Det Roy Hamilton UCLA
11 NJ Cliff Robinson USC
12 Port Jim Paxson Dayton
13 Ind Dudley Bradley North Carolina
14 LAL Brad Holland UCLA
15 Det Phil Hubbard Michigan
16 Phil Jim Spanarkel Duke
17 Hous Lee Johnson East Texas State
18 KC Reggie King Alabama
19 SA Wiley Peck Mississippi State
20 Utah Larry Knight Loyola (IL)
21 NY Sylvester Williams Rhode Island
22 Phoe Kyle Macy Kentucky

in "79 Draft Magic was picked No.1, on the website it said that for that year Larry bird won the ROY?? http://www.basketballreference.com/awards/roy.htm
When Bird was drafted "78?
1978 DRAFT

First Round
1 Port Mychal Thompson Minnesota
2 KC Phil Ford North Carolina
3 Ind Rick Robey Kentucky
4 NY Micheal Ray Richardson Montana
5 GS Purvis Short Jackson State
6 Bos Larry Bird Indiana State
7 Port Ron Brewer Arkansas
8 Bos Freeman Williams Portland State
9 Chi Reggie Theus Nevada-Las Vegas
10 Atl Butch Lee Marquette
11 NO James Hardy San Francisco
12 Mil George Johnson St. John's
13 NJ Winford Boynes San Francisco
14 Wash Roger Phegley Bradley
15 Clev Mike Mitchell Auburn
16 Atl Jack Givens Kentucky
17 Den Rod Griffin Wake Forest
18 Wash Dave Corzine DePaul
19 Phoe Marty Byrnes Syracuse
20 SA Frank Sanders Southern
21 Den Mike Evans Kansas State
22 GS Ray Townsend UCLA

and for that year it said that Phil Ford got the ROY???
Im confused can some1 explain??

[jwin]

i believe the year you are drafted in is not the year that awards are dated for, instead it is the year that that season ends in. for instance bird drafted in 78 is the 79 roy, magic drafted in 79 is the 80 roy. just like the sa spurs are the 2003 nba champions, even though the season started in 2002.

[The Big Racist]

jwin you are right,it is so! pau gasol was drafted in 2001 but is listed as 2002 rookie of the year...same with other awards and players...

[Andrew]

Actually, Bird did not enter the league until the 1979/80 season despite being taken 6th overall in 1978. He won the 1980 Rookie of the Year Award ahead of Magic Johnson, though Johnson and the Lakers would go on to win the NBA title.

[paul_pierce_the_truth]

in other words, Bird was a Junior at Indiana State when Boston selected him (1978), he was a Junior eligible because he sat out one year. So Bird (then a Senior 1979) takes his team to the NCAA Final against Magic (loses) and then joins Boston after the season. The Celtics had him in the bag, the Nation's best player, look it up, he won every award.
(except the most important one,
the title. Magic had a First Round teammate.)

1979 Draft
#4 Detroit - Greg Kelser Michigan State

[jwin]

i have to brush up on my bball trivia. totally missed that.