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The NBA Time Machine: 1976

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 31, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1976

The Big 30

South Cali Skyhooks

After the disastrous finish to the 1974-75 season, the Milwaukee Bucks had to handle Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s pending trade request immediately. They attempted to do everything in power to keep the star. It was even suggested that he live in New York full-time, with flight accommodations to Milwaukee as a compromise.

Ultimately, cultural comfortability was still his priority. The Bucks eventually honed in on the Los Angeles Lakers as a trade destination – they had the best combination of draft assets and young talent, which motivated a full rebuild around a youthful core.

In mid-June, Abdul-Jabbar – alongside teammate Walt Wesley – was traded to Los Angeles for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith, and Brian Winters. The first two were recently drafted, and Smith was a former blocks leader. It was highly doubted that any of these players could compare to the man they were traded for, but Milwaukee handled matters decently for being in such a disadvantageous situation.

Winters went on to represent the Bucks at the All-Star Game, and the team still managed to make the playoffs – something Abdul-Jabbar’s Lakers could not do. Despite this, he was still voted as the league’s M.V.P. for the fourth time, making him the first in history to receive such an honor with no post-season presence.

O’Brien

On the league’s thirtieth anniversary, Larry O’Brien was appointed as its third commissioner. Succeeding the widely celebrated Walter Kennedy, he was viewed as a possible savior to the league’s stability – while it had seen tremendous growth in terms of size and popularity, its social reputation was shaky at best. Not only did it have a negative connotation due to the emerging drug and fighting culture around its players, but the rival ABA was peaking in popularity and talent. O’Brien was expected to rectify those problems.

His first decision in office was preventing the New York Knicks from signing ABA phenomenon George McGinnis. The reason why was because of contract issues between them and the Philadelphia 76ers, who drafted McGinnis in 1973 – Philadelphia agreed to send his rights to New York if he signed with them before a specified deadline, which did not happen. As a result, O’Brien removed the Knicks’ first-round pick and ordered them to reimburse the 76ers, clearly disappointed in their illegal means of transaction.

Out Of Omaha

The Kansas City-Omaha Kings officially claimed Kansas City as their sole home, removing the “Omaha” surname from their title. However, they continued to play a handful of games in Omaha as well as St. Louis, who had not claimed an NBA team since the St. Louis Hawks in 1968.

Old Customs

The league briefly attempted to revise the former playoff eligibility format, which had seen major criticism in the past. This time around, teams with a positive record were automatically favored – every one of them saw the post-season.

The two exceptions lied in the Midwest Division, which was so collectively weak that the top two seeds from it – the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons – were invited to the playoffs anyway.

Free For Two

For the first time since 1957, two different players – Rick Barry and Calvin Murphy – finished with a percentage of 90% or higher in free throw shooting. This was solid proof of the increase in shooting form quality over time – the set shot had seen its peak then, and overhand techniques were at their best now.

Standout Players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

After joining the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar saw career highs in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He managed to improve the team by ten wins, an impact that made him the M.V.P. favorite despite missing the playoffs.

Rick Barry

Barry brought the Warriors their first league-wide one-seed in twenty years. The reigning Finals M.V.P. had a massive down year statistically, but that could not take away from his leadership in the fifty-nine-win Golden State run.

Bob McAdoo

For the third consecutive time, McAdoo led the NBA in scoring and finished top two in M.V.P. voting. He also averaged a career high four assists per game, a development that made his already potent offensive game even more complete.

George McGinnis

After leaving the rival ABA to join the team that drafted him in 1973, McGinnis revived the 76ers’ culture – they improved by twelve wins this season. He finished top six in both points and rebounds, and also fell slightly short of the steals record.

Slick Watts

The Seattle point guard took an enormous leap this season, leading the league in both assists and steals. His playmaking was a big part of the SuperSonics managing back-to-back winning seasons – the franchise had never done that before.

Dave Cowens

Yet another fifty-win compilation from the Celtics was led by Cowens, who remained as steady as ever in influencing their successes. Voters placed him third in M.V.P. voting.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*5428Cleveland Cavaliers*4933
Philadelphia 76ers*4636Washington Bullets*4834
Buffalo Braves*4636Houston Rockets4042
New York Knicks3844New Orleans Jazz3844
Atlanta Hawks2953
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*3844Golden State Warriors*5923
Detroit Pistons*3646Seattle SuperSonics*4339
Kansas City Kings3151Phoenix Suns*4240
Chicago Bulls2458Los Angeles Lakers4042
Portland Trail Blazers3745

Fun Facts

  • After just having three fifty-win teams two years ago, the Midwest Division was now pitiful – not a single team in it possesseed a winning record.
  • For the first time since 1956, the Golden State Warriors finished with the best record league-wide.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers enjoyed their first winning season in franchise history.
  • The Washington Bullets finished below first place in the Central Division for the first time since the format was introduced.
  • In the course of an off-season, the Milwaukee Bucks went from being among the upper half of teams in age to the second-youngest team in the NBA.
    • The youngest was the Seattle SuperSonics, with an average age of 24.5.
  • The Houston Rockets, despite their underwhelming record, boasted both the best offense and field goal percentage in the league.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Houston Rockets
Chicago Bulls
Kansas City Kings
Detroit Pistons
Portland Trail Blazers
Buffalo Braves
Milwaukee Bucks
Golden State Warriors
Atlanta Hawks
Phoenix Suns 		John Lucas
Scott May
Richard Washington
Leon Douglas
Wally Walker
Adrian Dantley
Quinn Buckner
Robert Parish
Armond Hill
Ron Lee

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 16, 1975Kareem Abdul-JabbarMilwaukee BucksTradedLos Angeles Lakers(30p/14r/3.3b)
July 10, 1975George McGinnisIndiana Pacers (ABA)SignedPhiladelphia 76ers(29.8p/14.3r/6.3a)
August 28, 1975Dave BingDetroit PistonsTradedWashington Bullets(19p/3.6r/7.7a)
August 28, 1975Kevin PorterWashington BulletsTradedDetroit Pistons(11.6p/8a/1.9s)
October 24, 1975Spencer HaywoodSeattle SuperSonicsTradedNew York Knicks(22.4p/9.3r/1.6b)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
January 26, 1976Coach Ray ScottDetroit PistonsFiredRecord: 17-25
January 26, 1976Coach Herb BrownDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: 19-21
March 30, 1976Coach Cotton FitzsimmonsAtlanta HawksFiredRecord: 28-46
March 30, 1976Coach Gene TormohlenAtlanta HawksAppointed (Interim)Record: 1-7
April 20, 1976Coach Johnny EganHouston RocketsFiredRecord: 40-42
April 20, 1976Coach Tom NissalkeHouston RocketsHiredRecord: n/a
May 3, 1976Coach Jack RamsayBuffalo BravesFiredRecord: 46-36
May 6, 1976Coach Tates LockeBuffalo BravesHiredRecord: n/a
May 7, 1976Coach K.C. JonesWashington BulletsFiredRecord: 48-34
May 28, 1976Coach Dick MottaChicago BullsResignedRecord: 24-58
May 28, 1976Coach Dick MottaWashington BulletsHiredRecord: n/a
June 1, 1976Coach Lenny WilkensPortland Trail BlazersFiredRecord: 37-45
June 1, 1976Coach Jack RamsayPortland Trail BlazersHiredRecord: n/a

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Zelmo BeatyAtlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Lakers		2x All-Star
1963 All-Rookie Team
Walt BellamyBaltimore Bullets
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks
New Orleans Jazz		4x All-Star
1962 ROTY
1962 All-Rookie Team
Bill BridgesAtlanta Hawks
Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers
Golden State Warriors		1x Champ
3x All-Star
2x All-Defensive
Bob KauffmanSeattle SuperSonics
Chicago Bulls
Buffalo Braves
Atlanta Hawks		3x All-Star
Don KojisBaltimore Bullets
Detroit Pistons
Chicago Bulls
San Diego Rockets
Seattle SuperSonics
Kansas City-Omaha Kings		2x All-Star
Chet WalkerPhiladelphia 76ers
Chicago Bulls		1x Champ
7x All-Star
1963 All-Rookie Team
Lenny WilkensSt. Louis Hawks
Seattle SuperSonics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Portland Trail Blazers		9x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1x Assists leader

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGBob McAdoo (31.1)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27.7)
Pete Maravich (25.9)
Tiny Archibald (24.8)
Fred Brown (23.1)
RPGKareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.9)
Dave Cowens (16)
Wes Unseld (13.3)
Paul Silas (12.7)
Sam Lacey (12.6)
APGSlick Watts (8.1)
Tiny Archibald (7.9)
Calvin Murphy (7.3)
Norm Van Lier (6.6)
Rick Barry (6.1)
SPGSlick Watts (3.2)
Paul Westphal (2.6)
George McGinnis (2.6)
Rick Barry (2.5)
Chris Ford (2.2)
BPGKareem Abdul-Jabbar (4.1)
Elmore Smith (3.1)
Elvin Hayes (2.5)
Harvey Catchings (2.2)
George Johnson (2.1)
FG%Wes Unseld (56%)
John Shumate (56%)
Jim McMillian (53%)
Bob Lanier (53%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (52%)
FT%Rick Barry (92%)
Calvin Murphy (90%)
Cazzie Russell (89%)
Bill Bradley (87%)
Fred Brown (86%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Buffalo Braves beat Philadelphia 76ers, 2-1
The Braves and 76ers were incredibly even on paper – they finished with the same regular season record, although Philadelphia had the upper hand in their earlier matchups. Both teams had two definitive stars, one of each being an M.V.P. candidate – it was expected to be incredibly competitive for a first round series.

Predictions were indeed correct, as the two split wins behind big games from Bob McAdoo and George McGinnis, respectively. The tiebreaker was an overtime must-see, where McAdoo dropped thirty-four points and pulled down twenty-two rebounds – his counterpart McGinnis had a much worse outing, fouling out with fifteen points on the board.

The Braves eventually won by one point, securing yet another Semifinals appearance.
West / Detroit Pistons beat Milwaukee Bucks, 2-1
These two young midwestern teams had low expectations, but high aspirations – Detroit was chasing their first Conference Finals berth in fourteen seasons, and Milwaukee wanted to assert themselves as a legitimate force without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Both games were high-scoring wins for the home teams, with Bob Lanier putting on a show in Game 2 with thirty-five points. Game 3 was back in Milwaukee, but such an environment was irrelevant to Detroit – they upset the Bucks behind Lanier and Curtis Rowe, which confirmed a Semifinals matchup against the dominant Golden State Warriors.

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Buffalo Braves, 4-2
This was the second meeting in three years between these two clubs – the last was during Boston’s 1974 championship run. The Celtics’ main focus was to contain McAdoo better than they had last time – they did an okay job, as the former M.V.P. scored sixteen and forty points in the first two matches, respectively.

His inconsistencies continued, but the Braves eventually went back to Boston Garden tied in spite of a Dave Cowens 29/26/8 performance. They had a horrible outing on both ends in Game 5, as Cowens and Paul Silas thoroughly controlled the pace. A toasty thirty-one points from Charlie Scott was the final barricade in Buffalo’s path to the Conference Finals.
East / Cleveland Cavaliers beat Washington Bullets, 4-3
Cleveland was a new face in the playoff race, and it was difficult to assess how menacing they truly were. Cavaliers personnel had cruised through the regular season, but they had zero post-season experience. Meanwhile, the Bullets, while partially known for folding under pressure, had a more talented and seasoned squad.

Washington ran away with a road victory in Game 1, but a game winning jumpshot from Bingo Smith tied the series 1-1. Game 3 was an ugly slugfest, with nobody scoring over seventeen points – Cleveland took that match as well, only to fall short to the Bullets afterwards thanks to a flaming hot night from sixth man Clem Haskins. The Cavaliers’ Jim Cleamons was terrible in the fifth match, but remained clutch as he tipped in the final shot for the game winner – the feisty Cleveland team now led 3-2, and could close out the series with force.

Fifty-two combined points from Elvin Hayes and Phil Chenier prevented that possibility, setting the stage for a thrilling Game 7. In what was described as the defining moment in the “Miracle at Richfield” – which fans retrospectively named this Cavaliers season – Dick Snyder of Cleveland hit a shot with four seconds left. This was the dagger that manifested a trip to the Conference Finals in their first ever post-season run.

Such a competitive series garnered the interest of many Ohio locals, which cemented the Cavaliers as a must-see local team. Meanwhile, Washington had some serious decisions to make – they had now been swept in the Finals and embarrassed in the first round for back-to-back respective years, and questions arose about whether they could seriously contend with that core.
West / Golden State Warriors beat Detroit Pistons, 4-2
The Warriors and Pistons had some light, largely undocumented history. The two franchises had not met in the post-season since 1956, where Golden State – then based in Philadelphia – gentleman’s swept the Fort Wayne Pistons in the Finals. Several cores, ups, and downs later, they were now scheduled for what was perceived as a lop-sided Semifinals duel.

The teams won one game each on their respective homecourts, largely bolstered by the play of Phil Smith and Bob Lanier. Detroit could not muster a road win in Game 5 – their starting lineup was absolutely pathetic, with all three of their top scorers coming off of the bench. Perhaps even more problematic was their inability to force a tiebreaker at home in Game 6 – Golden State’s Phil Smith delivered thirty-seven points and seven assists, upholding his crew’s dreams of a repeat championship run.
West / Phoenix Suns beat Seattle SuperSonics, 4-2
This full-on west coast series was expected to be seriously competitive, as neither team was considered better than slightly above-average. Fred Brown was absolutely nuclear in the first two games, averaging thirty-nine points over that span and leading Seattle to one victory. His barrages continued, but the SuperSonics ended up down 1-3 a week later.

It was imperative that they stave off elimination with a victory at home, a request they fulfilled. The entire starting lineup filled the stat sheet to force a Game 6, now looking to repeat that effort in Phoenix. A balanced team performance from the Suns – including a near triple-double from Alvan Adams – overpowered Seattle as they completed the first playoff series win in franchise history.

Conference Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2
The Cavaliers’ miracle run continued, with their next roadblock being the powerhouse Celtics. This would be no easy battle for them – the Bullets’ lack of composure was exploitable, but Boston had proven championship DNA. That was on full display in the first two games, as they dismantled Cleveland en route to a 2-0 lead. In the comfort of their turf, the Cavaliers put together two defensive masterclasses to tie the series – their grit could not be underestimated.

Dave Cowens ensured the Celtics had a lead heading into the Game 6 at Richfield, where his teammates joined him in a definitive series closer. Cleveland deserved significant praise for the heart they put on display – that didn’t change the fact that Boston was now headed to their second Finals in three years, though.
West / Phoenix Suns beat Golden State Warriors, 4-3
Golden State was overwhelmingly favored in this series – not only did they hold a significant regular season edge over Phoenix, but they were the defending champions with homecourt advantage. The Suns were arguably a tad deeper, but had no stars on the level of Rick Barry.

Neither team could hold a lead, ending matters 2-2 by the fifth game. The Warriors delivered a statement win at home in a sixteen-point blowout – Phoenix’s bench was significantly better than that of their opponent, but Gar Heard and Ricky Sobers played terribly. A one-point win made up for their mistakes in Game 6, surprisingly forcing a tiebreaker.

It had seemed that the Suns had the same unwavering will to win that defined the Warriors during their title run a year ago.

Only a few minutes into Game 7, tensions arose as Barry was repeatedly punched by Sobers, leading to the Golden State star being jumped by multiple Suns players. After reviewing film and seeing that none of his teammates even attempted to help him, Barry was livid – he proceeded to ice himself out for the majority of the game, blatantly refusing to shoot in favorable situations.

He still led the team in scoring, but his nineteen field goal attempts fell far below his average for the series. While quick to deny allegations that he threw the game, the shift in energy was very obvious. Phoenix capitalized on a stagnant Warriors offense in the second half, clinching their very first Finals appearance.

Such a shameless act of pettiness from Barry did nothing to help his already poor reputation – this was very much Golden State’s game to lose.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat Phoenix Suns, 4-2
An interesting story defined this year’s Finals – the Celtics were fighting for Banner Thirteen, while Phoenix wanted to chase their very first title. Most understandably favored the Celtics to win, given their combination of experience, depth, and star power.

Much like every other series they played this year, wins were split in the first four games. Afterwards came what was undeniably the greatest game in NBA history.

To start things off, John Havlicek returned to the Celtics’ starting lineup after reprising his sixth man role with injury woes. Such a triumphant announcement energized fans in Boston Garden, beginning the loudest night of the year. Boston broke an all-time playoff record by scoring thirty-six points in the first quarter, eventually leading by sixteen at halftime. The environment was largely in their control, but the Suns ramped up their intensity on both ends to mount a comeback. Havlicek was held scoreless for the majority of the second half, and Phoenix outscored their foes 50-34 in that period to force an overtime.

Controversy followed the officials, as Boston’s Paul Silas called a timeout with none left. Referee Richie Powers seemed to purposely ignore his request, saving the team from a technical foul. This could have given the Suns an immediate advantage, but they were instead propelled beyond regulation.

Neither team could build a lead in the overtime period, and another questionable moment occurred as the game clock did not start counting down during Havlicek’s failed attempt at a game winner. This gave him an unnecessary amount of time to shoot. In the second overtime, Paul Westphal made a clutch steal that eventually put Phoenix up one point. Havlicek responded with a running, one-handed bank shot that seemingly won Boston the game, but the clock was once again incorrectly managed. Fans rushed onto the floor in excitement, but responded in fury once they realized their team wasn’t done yet – one Celtics fan attacked a referee, and Paul Westphal frantically requested a timeout his team did not have. The technical foul was assessed this time around, putting Boston up two points.

In shocking fashion, Phoenix’s Gar Heard hit a fadeaway jump shot to send the game into a third overtime. The Celtics managed to ultimately pull away, taking a 3-2 series lead after the most electrifying match basketball had ever seen. Game 6 was far less interesting, with Dave Cowens dropping twenty-one points and grabbing seventeen rebounds to finish the NBA’s thirtieth season.

Number thirteen for the green team.
The Boston Celtics win the 1976 NBA championship!
Jo Jo White was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Alvan AdamsKareem Abdul-JabbarJo Jo WhiteBill Fitch

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Tiny Archibald
Pete Maravich
Rick Barry
George McGinnis
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Randy Smith
Phil Smith
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Dave Cowens

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Slick Watts
Norm Van Lier
John Havlicek
Paul Silas
Dave Cowens		Jim Cleamons
Phil Smith
Jamaal Wilkes
Jim Brewer
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Dave Bing*
Doug Collins
Dave Cowens
John Drew
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Bob McAdoo
George McGinnis
Randy Smith
Rudy Tomjanovich
Jo Jo White		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Alvan Adams
Tiny Archibald
Rick Barry
Fred Brown
Bob Dandridge
Curtis Rowe
Phil Smith
Norm Van Lier
Scott Wedman
Jamaal Wilkes
Brian Winters
East beats West, 123-109

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Alvan Adams
Lionel Hollins
Joe Meriweather
John Shumate
Gus Williams

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics131957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
1976
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors31947, 1956
1975
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1975

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 27, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1975

All That Jazz

New Orleans

After four years of no compositional change for the NBA, they admitted an eighteenth team in the off-season – the New Orleans Jazz. The name was a clever double entendre. Not only were they located in the jazz music capitol of the world, but the core characteristic of the genre – improvisation – correlated with the sudden, unexpected birth of this franchise.

To generate interest in the club, LSU alum Pete Maravich was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks. The flashy scorer could not provide a winning season, but he quickly captured the hearts of Louisianans looking to experience professional basketball.

The Jazz were placed in the Central Division, which made it a direct counterpart to the Pacific Division – both had five teams. This increase in league size caused the playoff format to be reworked. A new “First Round” was added, consisting of a best-of-three series between the fourth and fifth seed in each conference. The winner would go on to play the first seed in the Semifinals.

Buckin’ Wild

The off-season was unpleasant for the Milwaukee Bucks. After being unable to negotiate a new contract with free agent Oscar Robertson, the future Hall of Famer chose to retire from professional basketball entirely. This stripped the Western Conference Champions of their starting point guard, a change that had destructive implications.

To make matters worse, franchise cornerstone Kareem Abdul-Jabbar seemed interested in an exit of his own. While he did not have any publicized issues with the city of Milwaukee, he claimed it could not fit his cultural needs. He informed the franchise of three teams he favored in a trade – the New York Knicks, Washington Bullets, and Los Angeles Lakers, in that order. New York was an especially unsurprising choice, given Abdul-Jabbar was a Harlem native.

Immediately after pitching his trade request, Abdul-Jabbar was struck with a corneal abrasion – or in simple terms, eye scratch – while playing against Don Nelson of the Boston Celtics. This infuriated the superstar, who punched the backboard frame and broke his hand. This caused him to miss the first month of the season, in which the Bucks went 3-13.

His return – complete with protective goggles – was not enough to bolster Milwaukee. Their remaining record of 35-31 was still lukewarm, and morale around the team was at an all-time low. This cemented their first playoff absence since 1969.

A late-season loss to Los Angeles was a notable breaking point for the roster. Abdul-Jabbar’s desire to play elsewhere was confirmed to the press shortly after, and it seemed inevitable that he had played his final season as a Buck.

Old York

Four core members of the two-time-champion New York Knicks core officially retired during this off-season – Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, and Dick Barnett. These players were all integral to the success of New York at different times in the past five years. The sudden collapse of their roster resulted in a poor forty-win campaign, the franchise’s worst since the late-60’s.

Standout Players

Bob McAdoo

The 1975 M.V.P. winner led all players in scoring for the second straight season, also locking Buffalo into a top three record league-wide. His dominance on both ends rendered the Braves as a serious entity to consider come playoff time.

Elvin Hayes

Hayes proved a lot of people wrong this year. He was the most productive individual on a sixty-win Washington squad, finishing in the top-ten for all five major stat categories besides assists. He had cemented his place as the best defensive player in the world.

Rick Barry

The Warriors’ forty-eight wins was their highest since Barry returned to the organization. He finished second in scoring while averaging career highs in assists and steals – 6.2 and 2.9, respectively. His efforts lifted Golden State to the best record in the Western Conference.

Dave Cowens

While Cowens missed his first seventeen matches, it only made his impact more obvious. Boston’s record was painfully average in that timeframe, and they went 51-14 with him in attendance. The former M.V.P. also saw career highs in assists and steals.

Tiny Archibald

After being unhealthy for a large portion of the ’73-’74 season, Archibald was back and motivated. He once again asserted himself as the best offensive engine in the NBA – a breakthrough that earned the Kings their first winning record since 1966.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

This was a rough run for Abdul-Jabbar, who missed the first sixteen games of the season with a self-inflicted hand injury. Milwaukee got off to a putrid start and never quite gained momentum, causing him to miss the playoffs for the first time in his career – however, he was still effectively the best player in the NBA.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6022Washington Bullets*6022
Buffalo Braves*4933Houston Rockets*4141
New York Knicks*4042Cleveland Cavaliers4042
Philadelphia 76ers3448Atlanta Hawks3151
New Orleans Jazz2359
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Chicago Bulls*4735Golden State Warriors*4834
Kansas City-Omaha Kings*4438Seattle SuperSonics*4339
Detroit Pistons*4042Portland Trail Blazers3844
Milwaukee Bucks3844Phoenix Suns3250
Los Angeles Lakers3052

Fun Facts

  • The Western Conference hit a distinct low point in quality.
    • The best team – the Golden State Warriors – would not have finished in the top three for Eastern Conference records.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time since 1958. This was only their second exclusion in franchise history.
    • This was also their first instance of doing so since their move to Los Angeles, California.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks’ thirty-eight wins was their lowest total in half a decade.
  • Forty wins was the New York Knicks’ lowest total since 1967.
    • It was also their first losing record since that season.
  • For the first time since the new divisional format was introduced, the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks were not atop their respective conferences.
  • The newly-renamed Washington Bullets were the latest franchise to see sixty games won in a season.
    • This was familiar territory for the Boston Celtics, who also partook in a similar-caliber run.
  • The Kansas City-Omaha Kings underwent a shocking transformation – they embraced a defensive philosophy, perhaps influenced by coach Phil Johnson and the development of prolific shot-blocker Sam Lacey.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Portland Trail Blazers
Philadelphia 76ers
Seattle SuperSonics
Phoenix Suns
Houston Rockets
Kansas City-Omaha Kings
Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Buffalo Braves
Atlanta Hawks		Bill Walton
Marvin Barnes+
Tom Burleson
John Shumate
Bobby Jones
Scott Wedman
Tom Henderson
Campy Russell
Tom McMillen+
Mike Sojourner

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
November 8, 1974Jim PriceLos Angeles LakersTradedMilwaukee Bucks(21.2p/7a/2.3s)
May 23, 1975Charlie ScottPhoenix SunsTradedBoston Celtics(24.3p/4r/4.5a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 15, 1974Coach Jack McCloskeyPortland Trail BlazersFiredRecord: 27-55
May 24, 1974Player-Coach Lenny WilkensPortland Trail BlazersHiredRecord: n/a
November 17, 1974Coach Scotty RobertsonNew Orleans JazzFiredRecord: 1-14
November 18, 1974Coach Butch Van Breda KolffNew Orleans JazzHiredRecord: 22-44

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Dave DeBusschereDetroit Pistons
New York Knicks		2x Champ
1x All-NBA
7x All-Star
6x All-Defensive
1963 All-Rookie Team
Jerry LucasCincinnati Royals
San Francisco Warriors
New York Knicks		1x Champ
5x All-NBA
7x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1964 ROTY
1964 All-Rookie Team
Willis ReedNew York Knicks2x Champ
2x Finals MVP
1x MVP
5x All-NBA
7x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1x All-Defensive
1965 ROTY
1965 All-Rookie Team
Oscar RobertsonCincinnati Royals
Milwaukee Bucks		1x Champ
1x MVP
11x All-NBA
12x All-Star
3x All-Star Game MVP
1961 ROTY
1x Scoring leader
7x Assists leader
Jerry WestLos Angeles Lakers1x Champ
1x Finals MVP
12x All-NBA
14x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
5x All-Defensive
1x Scoring leader
1x Assists leader

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGBob McAdoo (34.5)
Rick Barry (30.6)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (30)
Tiny Archibald (26.5)
Charlie Scott (24.3)
RPGWes Unseld (14.8)
Dave Cowens (14.7)
Sam Lacey (14.2)
Bob McAdoo (14.1)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (14)
APGKevin Porter (8)
Dave Bing (7.7)
Tiny Archibald (6.8)
Randy Smith (6.5)
Pete Maravich (6.2)
SPGRick Barry (2.9)
Walt Frazier (2.4)
Larry Steele (2.4)
Slick Watts (2.3)
Fred Brown (2.3)
BPGKareem Abdul-Jabbar (3.3)
Elmore Smith (2.9)
Nate Thurmond (2.4)
Elvin Hayes (2.3)
Bob Lanier (2.3)
FG%Don Nelson (53%)
Butch Beard (52%)
Rudy Tomjanovich (52%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (51%)
Bob McAdoo (51%)
FT%Rick Barry (90%)
Calvin Murphy (88%)
Bill Bradley (87%)
Tiny Archibald (87%)
Jim Price (87%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Houston Rockets beat New York Knicks, 2-1
In the recently implemented first round, a rare face appeared – the Houston Rockets. The team had not seen a playoff berth since 1969, and the size expansion of the playoffs gave them an ample opportunity to compete.

After an explosive second quarter, the Rockets secured a Game 1 win at home. Twenty-six points from Walt Frazier – and a near triple-double from Harthorne Wingo off the bench – brought the Knicks to a narrow victory, but their lack of depth was unsustainable. Houston dismantled their competition in a thirty-two-point blowout, including a nearly perfect game from Rudy Tomjanovich.
West / Seattle SuperSonics beat Detroit Pistons, 2-1
After splitting wins at home, the stage between these unfamiliar foes was set for a tiebreaker in Seattle. The stars of the series – Spencer Haywood, Dave Bing, and Bob Lanier – had exuded nothing but inconsistency, and the Semifinals participant would be defined by whoever stepped up.

Interestingly enough, Detroit’s Lanier had one of his best playoff performances only to witness a loss. The SuperSonics’s well-balanced team ousted his Pistons, with six players scoring in double digits and Tom Burleson bringing down sixteen rebounds. This earned Seattle a series win in their debut post-season appearance, a big accomplishment for the small market.

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Houston Rockets, 4-1
The sixty-win Boston Celtics were fresh off of a league-wide best record and championship run, rendering them as definitive title favorites. The youthful Rockets surely had energy and hunger on their side, but the lack of experience was viewed as exploitable prior to the series.

Great performances from the Celtics “big three” of Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, and Jo Jo White lifted them to a 2-0 lead. Vigor and energy then brought the Rockets a solid home victory, which was immediately soiled by a Cowens 31/24/6/2/2 stat-line a few nights after. Boston handled business back at the Garden during Game 5, which confirmed their fourth consecutive Conference Finals appearance.
East / Washington Bullets beat Buffalo Braves, 4-3
Predictions were tough for this matchup. The Bullets were quite obviously the deeper and more experienced group, but the Braves had the newly-appointed M.V.P. in Bob McAdoo – Washington could only go as far as their defense took them.

The series was tied 2-2 by the next week, and McAdoo was absolutely unstoppable. He averaged a baffling thirty-eight points per game in those four contests, including a fifty-point bomb to tie the series. His rebounding and defense had also been game-changing, and it was not absurd to claim he was carrying Buffalo on his back.

Elvin Hayes’ forty-six points led the Bullets to a 3-2 lead, an effort countered by McAdoo’s series-tying thirty-seven in Game 6. The decisive final match was the “Phil Chenier Game”, where the young guard delivered thirty-nine points on excellent efficiency in a blowout win. The reward? Washington’s first Conference Finals since 1971.
West / Chicago Bulls beat Kansas City-Omaha Kings, 4-2
The Kings’ first post-season placement since their rebrand was against the fiery Chicago Bulls, who were notorious for their composure and elite defense. Games were unsurprisingly low-scoring, and generally in Chicago’s favor. They consistently had Bob Love to lean on for offensive production, and Tiny Archibald was incredibly inconsistent.

The series entered Game 5 tied, and what ensued was a stellar showing from the Bulls. They won by twenty-seven points and Love dropped thirty of his own – remove him from the equation, and they would have still seen a narrow victory. This sort of statistic emphasizes the depth of Chicago’s roster. With momentum their way, the mid-west titans never looked back – a cushioned win in the sixth game was all they needed.
West / Golden State Warriors beat Seattle SuperSonics, 4-2
Even when considering Golden State’s homecourt advantage, this series was about as even as it could get in the first round. The two clubs finished the regular season only five wins apart, and the Warriors won that series 4-3 – a miniscule difference. Victories were split in Oakland, with Seattle taking the second game by a mere one point.

The SuperSonics were clinching a couple successful outcomes, but it was not sustainable. Spencer Haywood had been awful, especially efficiency-wise – without big performances from him in the remaining games, the team’s downfall was inevitable. Considering his response to that criticism was back-to-back deliveries of eleven and eight points, the Warriors tore Seattle apart. Rick Barry ensured matters were handled with thirty-one points in Game 6, and George Johnson delivered a pretty 18/15/5 off of the bench.

Conference Finals

East / Washington Bullets beat Boston Celtics, 4-2
This was the most anticipated duel of the 1975 playoffs – two sixty-win teams at odds, with one looking for their first title and another defending their own. Washington compiled a stunning fourth quarter comeback in Game 1, which set them up nicely for the series – Boston had lost their homecourt advantage, and did themselves no favors in a blowout loss a few nights later.

The Celtics managed a victory in the third match, but they seemingly lacked control – the Bullets’ failures were derivative of poor shooting and cold stretches from their stars, two qualities Boston had exhibited the entire series. It was no surprise that Washington led 3-2 by Game 6, a do or die situation for their adversaries.

A beautiful team effort from the Bullets – in which six players posted double-digit scoring – was enough for a solid win and advance to the Finals, their first in four seasons.
West / Golden State Warriors beat Chicago Bulls, 4-3
Chicago was heavily favored in the Western Conference Finals. They had beaten the Warriors three times in the regular season and were commonly cited as the more experienced and identifiable squad. Their team largely failed to contain Rick Barry, and were dependent on big performances from their players to match his offensive output. They managed to take a 3-2 lead after holding Rick Barry to twenty points in Game 5, now blessed with two opportunities to close out.

The Bulls did an awful job capitalizing on that chance, as Rick Barry scored thirty-six points, pulled down eight rebounds, and got seven steals (!) in the sixth match. Now on the road, Chicago had some pressure to deliver a victory and see their first Finals – instead, they crumbled in the second half as Golden State stunned the basketball world with a win.

Finals

Golden State Warriors beat Washington Bullets, 4-0
This Finals lacked some of the allure surrounding previous matchups – analysts heavily favored the Washington Bullets, nearly expecting a sweep from them. They had the advantage in depth, star power, experience, and historical success – their season series against Golden State ended 3-1. Meanwhile, the Warriors were perceived as overachievers that would freeze against such a powerful defensive team.

A demoralizing loss was instantly handed to the Bullets, who got too complacent and let the Warriors mount a comeback. Sixth man and rookie Phil Smith was absolutely sensational, powering Golden State in the second half with twenty points and three blocks. After the Warriors won another match by a single point, Washington was now in trouble. They had to power through a must-win contest on the road.

Rick Barry’s thirty-eight points silenced Bullets fans everywhere, as Golden State took an unprecedented 3-0 lead. They were inches away from a series sweep and NBA championship, something they had not embraced since their move to The Bay. Game 4 was a defensive slugfest, much to the dismay of Elvin Hayes. The Bullets star only provided his club with a quiet fifteen points – a passive performance that came back to bite him. Golden State won by one point yet again.

The Warriors had now completed only the third Finals sweep in NBA history, and the second of the decade. Washington found themselves on the wrong side of the books – they had been swept in both of their Finals appearances. What made matters more embarrassing was their status as overwhelming favorites – the 1971 Bullets heavily overachieved, but this version played shamefully relative to their talent.

Ultimately, one thing was true – the Golden State Warriors were champions, and Rick Barry had now obtained an NBA championship ten years into his professional career.
The Golden State Warriors win the 1975 NBA championship!
Rick Barry was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Keith WilkesBob McAdooRick BarryPhil Johnson

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Walt Frazier
Tiny Archibald
Rick Barry
Elvin Hayes
Bob McAdoo		Jo Jo White
Phil Chenier
John Havlicek
Spencer Haywood
Dave Cowens

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry Sloan
John Havlicek
Paul Silas
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Norm Van Lier
Don Chaney
Bob Love
Elvin Hayes
Dave Cowens

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Phil Chenier
Dave Cowens
Walt Frazier*
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Bob McAdoo
Steve Mix
Earl Monroe
Paul Silas
Rudy Tomjanovich
Wes Unseld
Jo Jo White		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tiny Archibald
Rick Barry
Dave Bing
Bob Dandridge
Gail Goodrich
Spencer Haywood
Sam Lacey
Bob Lanier
Jim Price
Charlie Scott
Sidney Wicks
East beats West, 108-102

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Tom Burleson
John Drew
Scott Wedman
Keith Wilkes
Brian Winters

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics121957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors31947, 1956
1975
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1974

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 19, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1974

No Roadblocks

Re-Divide

Criticism of the divisional format adopted during this decade led to some significant changes. The league no longer tied playoff appearances to divisional placement, instead rewarding the top four teams from each Conference. This allowed teams in competitive divisions to have a better chance, while others could not coast their way through a weak group of rivals.

This most notably benefited the Detroit Pistons, who had been absent from the post-season for over half a decade. Having two regular season juggernauts like the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls in their way made affairs tough, but their fifty-two-win crusade paid off this time around.

Wilting

Wilt Chamberlain got involved in controversy with the Los Angeles Lakers due to contract miscommunications. The front office failed to contact him in a reasonable timeframe, which upset the center and prompted him to sign with the San Diego Conquistadors of the ABA instead. He had intentions to be a player-coach in the rival league, awaiting six-hundred-thousand dollars – it was expected be the largest salary in professional basketball history.

The Lakers sued Chamberlain, as he still owed them another year of play due to specifications in his contract. He was still permitted to coach the Conquistadors, but could not suit up by any means – the idea of only doing the former bored him, and he left coaching duties to assistant Stan Albeck as a result. Dissatisfaction with the ABA’s poor attendance numbers and the overall frustration of the situation brought Chamberlain to a personal ultimatum – he would retire from basketball, after just experiencing back-to-back Finals appearances and a championship.

Rewarding Defense

The NBA began to officially recognize two new statistics – steals and blocks. The former was achieved by taking the ball from the opponent, thus forcing a turnover – the latter’s registration stemmed from altering a player’s shot, therefore preventing it from entering the basket.

Many analysts had recorded these categories unofficially for years, but it took the league much longer to embrace the trend. The rival ABA may have influenced this choice, as it begun acknowledging the two figures a year prior.

Larry Steele of the Portland Trail Blazers became the first official steals leader, registering 2.7 per game. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting center – Elmore Smith – led his contemporaries with a whopping 4.9 blocks a match.

Offensive rebounds were also officially recognized as a subset of rebounds. These were obtained by rebounding the ball on your team’s own offensive possession, therefore extending your opportunity to score. Defensive rebounds were gained through acquiring the ball on the opponent’s offensive possession. Washington’s Elvin Hayes dominated both categories.

The Fall-Off

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks had been carrying the NBA’s reputation, as two large-market teams that had formed a traceable rivalry. However, their dominance suddenly seemed a lot less insurable – the loss of Wilt Chamberlain was significant for Los Angeles, and Jerry West only totaled thirty-one games.

New York was also littered with injuries – Earl Monroe missed the first couple months of the season, and Willis Reed went out for nearly the entire year. Gail Goodrich and Walt Frazier each kept their clubs afloat, but championship aspirations seemed a tad optimistic for both sides.

Claiming the Capital

The Baltimore Bullets relocated to Landover, Maryland in the off-season. Such a shift led to them claiming a new moniker, the Capital Bullets.

Standout Players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

While the Bucks did not reach sixty wins like the previous few seasons, they were still convincingly the best team in the NBA. Their leader, Abdul-Jabbar, finished top four in scoring, rebounding, and blocks, which encouraged the gifting of his third M.V.P. award.

Bob McAdoo

The sophomore became the first true superstar to represent one of the ’71 expansion teams. Not only did McAdoo lead the league in scoring, but he finished top three in both rebounds and blocks. The Braves saw their first playoff berth behind his developments.

Bob Lanier

Detroit had not seen a winning record for a few years, but Lanier had an answer for that. His leadership and prowess on both ends of the ball resulted in a fifty-two-win campaign and the first Pistons playoff appearance since the late-60’s.

Elvin Hayes

Not only did Hayes lead the league in rebounds, but he helped the newly-relocated Capital Bullets claim forty-seven victories. With teammate Wes Unseld dealing with nagging injury issues, Hayes provided a defensive continuity that saved the franchise’s year.

John Havlicek

This was Havlicek’s worst statistical season of the decade, but he was still integral to Boston’s success. He led the squad in both scoring and assists, and hardly missed any games as per usual. It’s also worth mentioning that when he was out, they struggled.

Ernie DiGregorio

The eventual Rookie of the Year had one of the league’s most impressive first-year runs in a long time. He led all players in assists, and it would be unwise to deny that his presence didn’t help the Buffalo Braves improve from the previous year.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*5626Capital Bullets*4735
New York Knicks*4933Atlanta Hawks3547
Buffalo Braves*4240Houston Rockets3250
Philadelphia 76ers2557Cleveland Cavaliers2953
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*5923Los Angeles Lakers*4735
Chicago Bulls*5428Golden State Warriors4438
Detroit Pistons*5230Seattle SuperSonics3646
Kansas City-Omaha Kings3349Phoenix Suns3052
Portland Trail Blazers2755

Fun Facts

  • Parity was this season’s theme – for the first time since 1969, no team won sixty or more games.
    • This was also the first instance since 1970 where no team finished below twenty wins.
  • Partially thanks to the new divisional system, certain teams were no longer penalized for being among tough company.
    • The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, and the Buffalo Braves experienced their first trip to the post-season as well.
  • This was the Milwaukee Bucks‘ fifth consecutive season of over fifty wins.
    • This streak had been alive since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s drafting in 1969.
  • The Boston Celtics’ defensive identity saw a minor decline – this was their first placement outside the top five defenses since 1970.
  • With Jerry West absent for most of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ offense unsurprisingly collapsed. They dropped by nine places in the NBA’s offensive ranks.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Buffalo Braves
Seattle SuperSonics
Los Angeles Lakers
Houston Rockets
Kansas City-Omaha Kings
Phoenix Suns
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks		Doug Collins
Jim Brewer
Ernie DiGregorio
Mike Green+
Kermit Washington
Ed Ratleff
Ron Behagen
Mike Bantom
Dwight Jones
John Brown

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
October 30, 1973Connie HawkinsPhoenix SunsTradedLos Angeles Lakers(11.3p/5.4r/3.5a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 11, 1973Coach Bill RussellSeattle SuperSonicsHiredRecord: n/a
June 15, 1973Coach K.C. JonesCapital BulletsHiredRecord: n/a
November 22, 1973Coach Bob CousyKansas City-Omaha KingsResignedRecord: 6-14
November 22, 1973Coach Draff YoungKansas City-Omaha KingsAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-4
November 29, 1973Coach Phil JohnsonKansas City-Omaha KingsHiredRecord: 27-31

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Wilt ChamberlainSan Francisco Warriors
Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers		2x Champ
1x Finals MVP
4x MVP
10x All-NBA
13x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
2x All-Defensive
1960 ROTY
7x Scoring leader
11x Rebounds leader
Terry DischingerBaltimore Bullets
Detroit Pistons
Portland Trail Blazers		3x All-Star
1963 ROTY
1963 All-Rookie Team
Johnny GreenNew York Knicks
Baltimore Bullets
San Diego Rockets
Philadelphia 76ers
Kansas City-Omaha Kings		4x All-Star
Hal GreerPhiladelphia 76ers1x Champ
7x All-NBA
10x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
Gus JohnsonBaltimore Bullets
Phoenix Suns		4x All-NBA
5x All-Star
2x All-Defensive
1964 All-Rookie Team

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGBob McAdoo (30.6)
Pete Maravich (27.7)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27)
Gail Goodrich (25.3)
Rick Barry (25.1)
RPGElvin Hayes (18.1)
Dave Cowens (15.7)
Bob McAdoo (15.1)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (14.5)
Happy Hairston (13.5)
APGErnie DiGregorio (8.2)
Calvin Murphy (7.4)
Lenny Wilkens (7.1)
Walt Frazier (6.9)
Dave Bing (6.9)
SPGLarry Steele (2.7)
Steve Mix (2.6)
Randy Smith (2.5)
Jerry Sloan (2.4)
Rick Barry (2.1)
BPGElmore Smith (4.9)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (3.5)
Bob McAdoo (3.3)
Bob Lanier (3)
Elvin Hayes (3)
FG%Bob McAdoo (54%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (53%)
Rudy Tomjanovich (53%)
Calvin Murphy (52%)
Butch Beard (51%)
FT%Ernie DiGregorio (90%)
Rick Barry (89%)
Jeff Mullins (87%)
Chet Walker (87%)
Bill Bradley (87%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Buffalo Braves, 4-2
For the first time since the Bill Russell era, the Boston Celtics were facing an opponent other than Atlanta in the first round. Their typical rivals had a down year, which allowed the comparatively young Buffalo Braves to sneak their way into the playoffs. Playing the number-one team in the Eastern Conference would be a tough task, but nothing M.V.P. runner-up Bob McAdoo was afraid of.

The teams split wins initially, with McAdoo putting up an absurd twenty-three points and twenty rebounds to help Buffalo win Game 2. Forty-three points from John Havlicek overshadowed a dominant McAdoo outing in Game 3, but the Braves responded afterwards in the fourth match. McAdoo went on a scoring barrage, and a buzzer beater tip-in shot from Jim McMillian tied the series two apiece.

With an understanding that this may be a harder-fought series than expected, the Celtics ramped up their intensity. They managed to close up with consecutive wins – thirty-four bench points saved them in Game 6, considering McAdoo could not be contained.
East / New York Knicks beat Capital Bullets, 4-3
Moved to Landover? Doesn’t matter. Three things are guaranteed in life – death, taxes, and an early-70’s Knicks vs. Bullets series.

New York had thoroughly owned this matchup over the past half a decade, only falling short in ’71. Considering they were the defending champions, it would be foolish to doubt their capabilities – however, the Bullets’ roster only continued improving annually. They could also take advantage of a hobbled and unconditioned Willis Reed, who missed the majority of the season to reoccurring injuries.

The Knicks largely failed to contain Elvin Hayes, but still ended up taking a 3-2 lead behind well-rounded team efforts. The Bullets forced a tiebreaker thanks to big Hayes and Archie Clark performances, but ended up bowing out in Game 7 after a cold second half. Hayes scored only twelve points on five-for-fifteen shooting, and was no help to his team’s pre-existing turnover problem.
West / Chicago Bulls beat Detroit Pistons, 4-3
This version of the Pistons were a new face in the post-season. Want a better understanding of how long it had been? The last time Detroit made the playoffs, Dave DeBusschere was their secondary star. Dave Bing led the league in total points. It was THAT long ago.

Facing a stiff Bulls defense, they could not let their guard down by any means. The two teams saw an immediate 1-1 outcome, with the two Bobs – Love and Lanier – amidst some fierce duels. They both cooled off afterwards, but the interdivisional rivals entered Game 5 tied once more.

Love finally outplayed Lanier, a breakthrough that helped Chicago win by four points. Roles were reversed in the sixth contest, which resulted in a scheduled Game 7. The Bulls opened up matters with a strong lead at halftime, and staved off a hungry Pistons comeback attempt. Such efforts made history for the franchise – this was their first time winning a playoff series since their conception in 1967.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
Bucks-Lakers was a classic rivalry at this point, but it was perhaps less exciting this time around – the lack of a great center like Wilt Chamberlain to duel with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar resulted in a somewhat lop-sided dynamic. To make matters even worse, Jerry West was still expected to be out with his persistent groin injury.

The Bucks expectedly took both games at home, reveling in Abdul-Jabbar’s unstoppable scoring. Upset with his team’s shortcomings, Jerry West attempted to play in Game 3 – he could only log in fourteen minutes and four points, but his presence was great for morale. The Lakers won by two thanks to a big-time outing from Elmore Smith.

Frustrated that they gave away such a winnable match, Milwaukee proceeded to close the series out and write a gentleman’s sweep in the history books. Such composure earned them their fourth Conference Finals appearance in the past five seasons.

Conference Finals

East / Boston Celtics beat New York Knicks, 4-1
If the Celtics had one painful adversary, it was the Knicks. They had lost to them in the Eastern Conference Finals for the past two years, even after their historic sixty-eight-win run. They once again looked like the better team on paper, but history had a tendency to repeat itself.

Boston’s depth was on full display in the opening two blowout wins, as they cruised to success while containing New York’s offense. Thanks to Walt Frazier’s thirty-eight points, the Knicks managed a road win to avoid going down 3-0 – however, John Havlicek responded with two huge scoring nights to wrap up the series. The Celtics finally had the upper edge in roster construction and star power – they let out a sigh of relief after a relatively low-intensity matchup, now focused on their first Finals appearance since 1969.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Chicago Bulls, 4-0
The Bucks and Bulls were the two top dogs of the Midwest Division, but had never met in the playoffs before. The most enticing narrative was how Chicago would contain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – the undersized Clifford Ray was a subpar one-on-one matchup, but the Bulls owned the highest-quality defense in the league.

Abdul-Jabbar faced little resistance throughout the series, averaging thirty-four points on great efficiency. Meanwhile, Chicago’s Bob Love struggled mightily on offense – he only shot thirty-five-percent from the field, a large drop-off from his regular season efficiency. The only game that was even remotely close was the second, where Chicago nearly pulled off a comeback win – however, they simply lacked the personnel to limit the best player in the NBA.

Thanks to these triumphant performances, Milwaukee joined Los Angeles as the only franchise to pull off multiple series sweeps in the 70’s. Their first was in the 1971 Finals, against the Baltimore Bullets.

Finals

Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3
With the Lakers and Knicks dethroned, the stage was set for a brand new Finals matchup. The Bucks were looking for their second title of the decade, and the Celtics coveted their first championship in the post-Bill Russell era. The outcome was quite unpredictable – the two were 7-6 (in Milwaukee’s favor) over the past three seasons.

The teams split games on the Bucks’ turf – Boston had no clear answer for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but the Celtics were a much more well-rounded and deep team. Game 2 ended up going to overtime, in which Milwaukee pulled away by nine points to win.

Through four matches, Abdul-Jabbar was averaging thirty-two points. After a Game 5 win on the road from Boston, the Bucks were in serious trouble – they had to head to the Garden, one of the most hostile environments in basketball, to force a tiebreaker. They had a solid lead for the majority of the game, but a game-tying shot from Dave Cowens led to an overtime period.

The overtime was a grueling, tense stretch where the two teams only scored eight points combined – Milwaukee looked ready to pull away, but John Havlicek made a game-tying goal with five seconds left to force a double overtime. This was the first instance of such since the 1957 Finals, in which the Celtics experienced two separate double overtimes against the St. Louis Hawks.

The second overtime was far more electric, with the teams – most notably John Havlicek on Boston’s end – trading baskets until the very end. Down one point, Abdul-Jabbar hit a running hook shot – which extended to thirteen feet in the air – to bring the Bucks up one point. This moment was the mainstream breakthrough of his signature “skyhook”, which just saved his franchise’s season.

With homecourt advantage, Milwaukee had a bit of momentum heading into the final game of the season. Despite this, Boston broke through with a powerful eleven-point lead by halftime and never quite looked back. Cowens won the center battle between him and Abdul-Jabbar – he tied or exceeded the three-time M.V.P. in all statistical categories, and such heroics grabbed the Celtics their twelfth world title.
The Boston Celtics win the 1974 NBA championship!
John Havlicek was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Ernie DiGregorioKareem Abdul-JabbarJohn HavlicekRay Scott

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Walt Frazier
Gail Goodrich
John Havlicek
Rick Barry
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Norm Van Lier
Dave Bing
Spencer Haywood
Elvin Hayes
Bob McAdoo

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Norm Van Lier
Jerry Sloan
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Jim Price
Dick Van Arsdale
Don Chaney
Bob Love
Elvin Hayes
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Austin Carr
Phil Chenier
Dave Cowens
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Elvin Hayes
Lou Hudson
Pete Maravich
Bob McAdoo
Rudy Tomjanovich
Jo Jo White		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Rick Barry
Dave Bing
Gail Goodrich
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier*
Geoff Petrie
Charlie Scott (IR)
Nate Thurmond
Norm Van Lier
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Sidney Wicks
West beats East, 134-123

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Mike Bantom
Ron Behagen
John Brown
Ernie DiGregorio
Nick Weatherspoon

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics121957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1973

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 15, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1973

Relocating Royalty

Moving west

Since 1968, Cincinnati Royals personnel had been eyeing game opportunities in Omaha, Nebraska. They had played plenty of “home” matches in the city over the past half a decade, ranging from twelve to forty-two in a season.

This was the year the franchise permanently committed, dubbing themselves the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and splitting their home schedule between the two cities. They adopted the “Kings” surname to avoid confusion with the Kansas City Royals MLB team.

Due to this relocation, there were divisional re-assignments:

  • The Kansas City-Omaha Kings were moved from the Central Division to the Midwest Division, also placing them in the Western Conference.
  • The Houston Rockets were moved from the Pacific Division to the Central Division, also placing them in the Eastern Conference.
  • The Phoenix Suns were moved from the Midwest Division to the Pacific Division.

In other good news for the squad, they improved by six games and saw starting guard Tiny Archibald receive his first All-Star Game invitation.

9-and-73ers?

During the off-season, Philadelphia 76ers superstar Billy Cunningham jumped ship to the ABA. This was already seen as a catastrophic loss for the team, who were coming off an underwhelming thirty-win run – to make matters worse, coach Jack Ramsay departed to coach the Buffalo Braves. This left the 76ers’ locker room in disrepair, hinting towards an inevitably messy year.

After starting the season 0-15, the pitiful club finally managed a narrow two-point win against the Houston Rockets in early November. They won a couple of contests on occasion, but were largely amidst pathetic losing streaks. They lost fourteen straight from December to early January, and then completed a separate spell of twenty consecutive defeats from January to February.

While the roster was already awful, coach Roy Rubin was also heavily criticized for his lack of aptitude, being deemed fraudulent. He lacked insight and failed to encourage players during practice, which instilled bad habits in them. Rubin was replaced with 76ers guard Kevin Loughery, who neglected his playing duties to coach instead. They managed a grand five wins in February under his lead, but finished the season with the worst winning percentage of all-time.

E For “Exit”

A shocking trade during the off-season sent Houston Rockets star Elvin Hayes to the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for Jack Marin. Statistically speaking, this swap was incredibly lop-sided. Hayes was an absolute two-way behemoth, anchoring elite defenses while ranking sixth all-time in points per game. Marin was a talented forward coming off of his first All-Star selection, but the gap in talent was clear.

This generated skepticism regarding Hayes’ place in Houston culture. It was known that he frequently argued with coach Tex Winter, which was perhaps a breaking point for the front office – they were not interested in tantrums from a superstar, and opted to build around somebody else. Funnily enough, Winter was fired by the team seven months later.

The Bullets ultimately benefitted from the newfound acquirement, improving by fourteen games and finishing with a top five defense. Hayes’ impact on the glass was also profound, as Baltimore improved to the fifth spot league-wide in rebounds per game.

Barry’s Back!

During the summer of 1972, ABA star Rick Barry was prohibited by law from playing for any team besides the Golden State Warriors once his current contract ended. This was a byproduct of the various disputes the forward had with the franchise when he initially left them in 1967.

Upon his return, Barry posted a noticeably different style in comparison to his two first seasons. He was far less geared towards scoring, now adopting an unfamiliar “point forward” role in which he would often orchestrate his team’s offense. He led Golden State in assists, and his average of 4.9 was the highest of his NBA career.

Despite the return of their former superstar, the Warriors seemed to decline slightly. It’s hard to deduce whether this is his wrongdoing – their overall defense took a slight dip, and star Cazzie Russell had a down year.

Almost There

On their fifth game of the season, the Boston Celtics faced the Buffalo Braves. They had a field day dominating their divisional rival, leading by a thick forty-three points by the fourth quarter.

Buffalo shocked the Massachusetts audience in the fourth, scoring a record-breaking fifty-eight points to attempt a comeback. This was well over twice the amount scored by Boston, who truly only won because of the enormous cushion they built prior. The Braves’ sophomore guard Randy Smith was the star of the show, with an efficient twenty-nine points anchoring the failed comeback.

Standout Players

Dave Cowens

In light of the Celtics having their best season in franchise history, Cowens became Boston’s first M.V.P. winner since Bill Russell. He showed up in every game, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists on the way.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Despite Cowens’ marvelous run, Abdul-Jabbar was still the league’s best player. His scoring declined slightly, but he still finished top two in points average despite that. His career high mark of five assists is perhaps the most notable breakthrough, establishing him among the best playmaking bigs in the NBA.

Tiny Archibald

Archibald made history by becoming the first player to lead the league in both points and assists in the same season – Oscar Robertson had done so prior with averages, but the league identified leaders off of totals at the time. Tiny’s acrobatics catapulted the Kings to the top ranked league offense.

Wilt Chamberlain

At the age of thirty-six, Chamberlain remained a force. While he saw a career low in scoring – only supplying a little over ten points a game – his defensive impact was still near-untouchable. Once again, he played every night and averaged over forty minutes en route to another sixty-win Lakers campaign.

Pete Maravich

The Hawks returned to the win column thanks to Pistol Pete’s best year-long performance yet. He averaged career highs in all three major categories, also putting together four forty-point games.

John Havlicek

Hondo’s eleventh season was yet another great one. Cowens got a lot of media attention and favoritism for the M.V.P. award – and rightfully so – but Havlicek was arguably just as vital to the Celtics’ success. He was the team’s offensive engine, leading them in both points and assists.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6814Baltimore Bullets*5230
New York Knicks*5725Atlanta Hawks*4636
Buffalo Braves2161Houston Rockets3349
Philadelphia 76ers973Cleveland Cavaliers3250
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*6022Los Angeles Lakers*6022
Chicago Bulls*5131Golden State Warriors*4735
Detroit Pistons4042Phoenix Suns3844
Kansas City-Omaha Kings3646Seattle SuperSonics2656
Portland Trail Blazers2161

Fun Facts

  • Yet another headline-worthy campaign was completed by the Boston Celtics, who won a colossal sixty-eight games.
    • This winning percentage was good for the third-best in NBA history, and the highest of the franchise to date.
    • The gritty identity they claimed in their last couple seasons finally reached its maximum potential, with them ranking first in defense league-wide.
  • The Philadelphia 76ers finished with the lowest win total and worst winning percentage professional basketball had seen to date.
  • For the first time since its conception, the new divisional system seemed balanced – all eight teams in the win column made the playoffs, and all nine with a losing record missed it.
  • While the Kansas City-Omaha Kings managed to boast the number-one-ranked offense, they settled with a pathetic seventeenth-place finish on the other end of the ball – good for last in the league.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks ended the year in the top five for both offense and defense – this was their third consecutive year of doing such.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Portland Trail Blazers
Buffalo Braves
Cleveland Cavaliers
Phoenix Suns
Philadelphia 76ers
Milwaukee Bucks
Seattle SuperSonics
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics		LaRue Martin
Bob McAdoo
Dwight Davis
Corky Calhoun
Freddie Boyd
Russ Lee
Bud Stallworth
Tom Riker
Bob Nash
Paul Westphal

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 23, 1972Elvin HayesHouston RocketsTradedBaltimore Bullets(25.2p/14.6r/3.3a)
June 23, 1972Jack MarinBaltimore BulletsTradedHouston Rockets(22.3p/6.8r/2.2a)
July 1, 1972Rick BarryNew York Americans (ABA)SignedGolden State Warriors(31.5p/7.5r/4.1a)
August 1, 1972Jimmy WalkerDetroit PistonsTradedHouston Rockets(21.3/4r/3a)
August 2, 1972John BriskerPittsburgh Condors (ABA)SignedSeattle SuperSonics(28.9p/9.1r/4.1a)
August 23, 1972Butch BeardCleveland CavaliersTradedSeattle SuperSonics(15.4p/4.1r/6.7a)
August 23, 1972Lenny WilkensSeattle SuperSonicsTradedCleveland Cavaliers(18p/4.2r/9.6a)
January 26, 1973Tom Van ArsdaleKansas City-Ohama KingsTradedPhiladelphia 76ers(12.4p/3.5r/1.8a)
January 26, 1973John BlockPhiladelphia 76ersTradedKansas City-Ohama Kings(17.9p/9.2r/2a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
June 15, 1972Coach Roy RubinPhiladelphia 76ersHiredRecord: n/a
January 10, 1973Coach Tom NissalkeSeattle SuperSonicsFiredRecord: 13-32
January 10, 1973Coach Bucky BuckwalterSeattle SuperSonicsAppointed (Interim)Record: 13-24
January 21, 1973Coach Tex WinterHouston RocketsFiredRecord: 17-30
January 21, 1973Coach Johnny EganHouston RocketsHiredRecord: 16-19
January 23, 1973Coach Roy RubinPhiladelphia 76ersFiredRecord: 4-47
January 23, 1973Coach Kevin LougheryPhiladelphia 76ersAppointed (Interim)Record: 5-26
March 30, 1973Coach John MacLeodPhoenix SunsHiredRecord: n/a

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Elgin BaylorLos Angeles Lakers10x All-NBA
11x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1959 ROTY

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGTiny Archibald (34)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (30.2)
Spencer Haywood (29.2)
Lou Hudson (27.1)
Pete Maravich (26.1)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (18.6)
Nate Thurmond (17.1)
Dave Cowens (16.2)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.1)
Wes Unseld (15.9)
APGTiny Archibald (11.4)
Lenny Wilkens (8.4)
Dave Bing (7.8)
Oscar Robertson (7.5)
Norm Van Lier (7.1)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (72%)
Matt Guokas (57%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (55%)
Curtis Rowe (51%)
Jim Fox (51%)
FT%Rick Barry (90%)
Calvin Murphy (88%)
Mike Newlin (88%)
Jimmy Walker (88%)
Bill Bradley (87%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-2
Boston and Atlanta were slated for their second straight first round matchup. The Hawks went home in six last time, and entered the Boston Garden seeking a different outcome.

John Havlicek immediately made a statement, powering the Celtics with fifty-four points in Game 1 – the fourth-highest single scoring game in playoffs history. Both this and the succeeding Game 2 were blowout wins for the home team, who had hopes to extend their lead back down south.

The Hawks protected their turf, winning two hard-fought matches under Lou Hudson and Pete Maravich’s lead. Matters were now up to the final three games, which Boston dominated – two shooting clinics from Jo Jo White sealed the deal, while M.V.P. Dave Cowens owned the glass.

New year, same old outcome.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-1
At this point, the Knicks-Bullets duel was disturbingly guaranteed – this was their FIFTH straight head-to-head in the post-season. Historically speaking, New York had the upper edge, with three of the last four rounds won.

While the Bullets’ roster seemed better than in previous years – largely thanks to having two of the game’s best big men – they immediately fell into a 3-0 deficit. They had no reliable perimeter defense, struggling to contain the Knicks’ new backcourt of Walt Frazier and former Bullet Earl Monroe. They finally managed a Game 4 win at home, holding their foes to only eighty-nine points – Elvin Hayes also put together his second-straight thirty-point outing.

However, a statement closing from the Knicks was inevitable – three of their starters exceeded twenty points to ensure their fifth consecutive Conference Finals appearance.
West / Golden State Warriors beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2
The Bucks and Warriors now met for the third year in a row, establishing yet another tense inter-conference rivalry. Golden State had never beaten Milwaukee, but were looking to change tides with the re-acquisition of Rick Barry.

Surprisingly, the two clubs split victories in Milwaukee Arena. Game 1 was a landslide win from the home team, but stiff defense left the series tied. What makes Golden State’s feat even more impressive was that Rick Barry went out two minutes into the first quarter – Cazzie Russell responded with a twenty-five point heater off the bench.

Milwaukee won in yet another blowout behind thirty-four points from Oscar Robertson, but an overwhelming takeover game from Rick Barry resulted in yet another series tie. Golden State shockingly took a road win afterwards – Nate Thurmond was instrumental in their success, limiting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to nineteen points on terrible efficiency. The two-time M.V.P. also shot three-for-ten at the foul line, a blunder that cost them the game.

With momentum on their side, the Warriors handled business at home with a blowout victory. This was their first time beating the Bucks in a playoff series, and the franchise’s first Conference Finals trip since 1968.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-3
As per usual, repeated first round matchups were this post-season’s narrative. The Lakers and Bulls were scheduled for their third straight first-round series, of which Chicago had never emerged triumphant.

The pedigree of the defending champions was on full display during their 2-0 series lead, of which Gail Goodrich was the clear leader. Surprisingly, Chicago responded head-on with two wins of their own, citing big games from Chet Walker and Bob Love for their resilience.

After a dominant Lakers Game 5 victory – in which Chamberlain had a 21/29/4 stat-line – it seemed easy for the Californian club to advance. However, Chicago simply refused to let down their fans – yet another home victory followed the Bulls, who were determined to upset their rivals. They nearly achieved such in the tiebreaker, which they only lost by three – Wilt Chamberlain was an unstoppable force, totaling over twenty points and rebounds again.

The Bulls had fallen short once more, still unable to advance past the first round. Fans at least had Norm Van Lier to be excited for, though – the 6’1″ guard was truly sensational, with twenty-eight points and fourteen (!) rebounds in the deflating loss.

Conference Finals

East / New York Knicks beat Boston Celtics, 4-3
The Eastern Conference playoffs were a direct mirror of last year thus far, with yet another Atlantic Division clash. New York got the best of Boston last time, but the sixty-eight-win Celtics looked like a different beast. This was especially true after winning by twenty-six points in the opener, with Jo Jo White and John Havlicek compiling masterclasses.

Simply put, that sort of defeat enraged the Knicks. They proceeded to win the next three matches in convincing fashion, including a fierce double overtime in Game 4. A lot of New York’s victories were balanced efforts, but Walt Frazier’s thirty-seven points defined that night.

On the brink of elimination, the Celtics managed to take Game 5 by a single point. The M.V.P. solidified his selection in a must-win moment, with thirty-two points and sixteen rebounds. Boston proceeded to force Game 7 two nights later, putting their foes under immense pressure to deliver.

A hard-fought, defensively-inclined final contest was controlled by the Knicks, who had five double-digit scorers. Frazier continued to assert himself, being only three assists short of a triple-double. The defending Eastern Conference Champions had now upset one of the best regular season teams ever, avoiding the scrutiny tied to blowing a 3-1 lead.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State Warriors, 4-1
Any sense of reason would lead everybody to overwhelmingly favor Los Angeles in this Western Conference Finals. Still, it would be unwise to doubt a hungry Golden State team that just eliminated a perennial powerhouse in Milwaukee.

The depth of the Lakers was truly baffling. In their three consecutive wins to open the series, somebody different dominated each game. First it was Jim McMillian, then Jerry West – scoring was more balanced in Game 3, but McMillian continued to assert himself.

The Warriors refused to go out sad, at least avoiding the sweep in the fourth meet. Rick Barry continued to have a very disappointing series, but Cazzie Russell delivered a thirty-three-point bomb off the bench that secured a somewhat narrow win.

Did it truly matter, though? Gail Goodrich thought not. The star delivered forty-four points and eight assists to dismantle his inter-state rivals, earning the Lakers their fourth Finals appearance in the last five seasons.

Finals

New York Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
Twice had this matchup defined the final stage, and now was the third instance of it occurring. New York and Los Angeles had both won a championship in these cases, and now would be the true decisive tiebreaker.

The Lakers won the first match behind a big Gail Goodrich scoring performance, with the Knicks narrowly taking Game 2 to head home tied. The two matches in New York were both Knicks wins by slight amounts – Willis Reed delivered some quality efforts, and Dave DeBusschere showed up big in Game 4. This 3-1 lead was their biggest during any of the three Finals versus Los Angeles.

Halfway through the fifth meet, the game was relatively even – however, a massive third quarter from New York practically guaranteed a championship. The defense on Jerry West had been good all series, and it especially stood out here – his efficiency was awful, and a vintage Wilt Chamberlain performance could not save him.

In a reverse of last year, the Los Angeles Lakers were gentleman’s swept at the highest level. New York became the first team to win multiple championships in the 70’s, and looked prepared to be the next great dynasty.
The New York Knicks win the 1973 NBA championship!
Willis Reed was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Bob McAdooDave CowensWillis ReedTom Heinsohn

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Tiny Archibald
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Spencer Haywood
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Walt Frazier
Pete Maravich
Rick Barry
Elvin Hayes
Dave Cowens

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Wilt Chamberlain		Norm Van Lier
Don Chaney
Mike Riordan
Paul Silas
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
John Block
Bill Bradley
Dave Cowens*
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
Bob Kauffman
Pete Maravich
Jack Marin
Wes Unseld
Jo Jo White
Lenny Wilkens		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tiny Archibald
Rick Barry
Dave Bing
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Dandridge
Gail Goodrich
Connie Hawkins (IR)
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier
Bob Love (IR)
Charlie Scott
Nate Thurmond
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Sidney Wicks
East beats West, 104-84

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Freddie Boyd
Dwight Davis
Bob McAdoo
Lloyd Neal
Jim Price

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics111957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1972

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 6, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1972

West Coast Wonder

Changes

Shortly after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their first title, reigning M.V.P. Lew Alcindor announced his intentions to undergo a name change. Moving forward, he claimed the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – this about translated to “noble one, servant of the Almighty”. Abdul-Jabbar was the first player to publicly embrace Islamic beliefs in the NBA landscape.

No Loss In Los Angeles

After an underwhelming ’71 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers needed to react promptly. Their two superstars were nearing their mid-thirties in age, and the rest of the core wasn’t exactly young either. The front office started by firing Joe Mullaney, who amassed a 94-70 record and Finals appearance with the team.

Los Angeles directed their interest towards former player-turned-coach Bill Sharman, who was active in the ABA. Sharman had seen three Finals appearances in his coaching career – one with the San Francisco Warriors in 1967, and two with the rival league’s Utah Stars in the past two years. The latter of those resulted in a championship, his first as a coach.

The Lakers offered a contract to Sharman that was eventually accepted, much to the dismay of the Stars. The franchise’s owner brought suit against him, and he nearly had to pay over two-hundred-thousand dollars due to contract breaching – however, Sharman escaped the legal warfare unscathed.

His coaching techniques immediately bolstered L.A.’s culture – his “shootaround” sessions, designed to get players warmed up and calm, rendered the team as the most disciplined in the NBA. Under Sharman’s lead, the Lakers won sixty-nine total games, experienced a thirty-three game winning streak, and finished as the best offense league-wide.

The only sour spot of this historic season was the retirement of Elgin Baylor – the multiple-time All-Star felt as if he was not physically capable of helping the team any longer. Such a decision was unfortunately the right one, as a dominant stretch of victories begun immediately after his leave.

Oaktown, H-Town

Much to the surprise of basketball fans, the San Diego Rockets announced a move to Houston after being sold. There was a strong sense of doubt regarding the decision – given the Texas hotspot had no former reputation as a basketball-oriented city – but the decision to settle was still pursued, despite them having to jump between multiple arenas for home games.

They also hired a new coach in Tex Winter, who notoriously clashed with star Elvin Hayes. Winter’s offensive philosophy was undesirable to the center, and there was a noticeable decline in the team’s performance.

In other news, the San Francisco Warriors permanently moved to Oakland and changed their moniker to the Golden State Warriors. A handful of matches were hosted in San Diego, but they did not again play in their origin of San Francisco.

Get Well Soon, Cap…

Ongoing tendonitis issues in his knee limited Willis Reed’s play this year. He was sidelined for two weeks, and shortly attempted a comeback that ended in failure. He only managed to appear in eleven games total, all at the start of the season – this also rendered him unavailable for the playoffs.

Branding Transformation

Starting this year, the NBA adopted a new red-and-blue logo. It incorporated a silhouette of Jerry West. It was largely influenced by the MLB’s logo.

Standout Players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Fresh off a Finals M.V.P., Abdul-Jabbar looked to continue dominating. Career highs in all three major statistical categories – plus anchoring the top-ranked defense – made this his best season to date.

Jerry West

West was the first option on the greatest team the league had seen, leading all players in assists and influencing sixty-nine wins. A big part of this was availability – his seventy-seven games played was the most in his career since the ’66 season.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt’s dedication to protecting the rim had never been stronger. He won his tenth career rebounding title while shooting a ridiculous sixty-four-percent from the field. Los Angeles benefited greatly from his presence – their top-two ranked defense would not have been possible without his physical sacrifices.

John Havlicek

The Celtics finished with over fifty wins for the first time since Bill Russell and Sam Jones’ retirement. Why? The answer to that would be John Havlicek. He asserted himself as the best forward in the NBA, finishing top five in both scoring and assists.

Archie Clark

Clark had been nothing more than a one-time All-Star and solid starting player up to this point, but this was a shocking breakout year. Following a trade to Baltimore early into the season, the point guard finished top four in assists and led the Bullets in scoring.

Nate Thurmond

While Thurmond had more dominant statistical seasons in the past, this was by far his greatest effort to date. Under his lead, Golden State finished top four in defense and managed the first fifty-win season in the franchise’s history.

Tiny Archibald

The Royals sophomore took an enormous leap, joining Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West as the only players to finish top three in scoring and assists in the same season. Archibald helped Cincinnati finish in the top half of league offenses despite his dull supporting cast.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*5626Baltimore Bullets*3844
New York Knicks*4834Atlanta Hawks*3646
Philadelphia 76ers3052Cincinnati Royals3052
Buffalo Braves2260Cleveland Cavaliers2359
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*6319Los Angeles Lakers*6913
Chicago Bulls*5725Golden State Warriors*5131
Phoenix Suns4933Seattle SuperSonics4735
Detroit Pistons2656Houston Rockets3448
Portland Trail Blazers1864

Fun Facts

  • The Los Angeles Lakers set a new record for the most wins, at sixty-nine – and best winning percentage, at .841 – in NBA history.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers’ streak of thirty-three consecutive games won became the longest in American sports history.
    • In a bittersweet coincidence, the beginning of this stretch coincided with the retirement of Elgin Baylor.
    • The streak ended to the Milwaukee Bucks on January 9th.
  • For the first time in the franchise’s history, the Philadelphia 76ers missed the playoffs.
  • For the first time since 1957, an entire division – in this case, the Central Division – finished with a losing record.
  • This was the Baltimore Bullets’ first losing season since the beginning of the Wes Unseld era.
  • This season marked the first winning campaign for the Seattle SuperSonics franchise.
    • Despite this, they still missed the playoffs due to the new eligibility format.
  • For the first time since 1967, two teams finished with sixty wins.
    • In the last instance, the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics shared such an achievement.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Cleveland Cavaliers
Portland Trail Blazers
Buffalo Braves
Cincinnati Royals
Atlanta Hawks
Seattle SuperSonics
Houston Rockets
Golden State Warriors
Baltimore Bullets
Boston Celtics		Austin Carr
Sidney Wicks
Elmore Smith
Ken Durrett
George Trapp
Fred Brown
Cliff Meely
Darnell Hillman+
Stan Love
Clarence Glover

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
May 7, 1971Jerry LucasSan Francisco WarriorsTradedNew York Knicks(19.2p/15.8r/3.7a)
October 18, 1971Archie ClarkPhiladelphia 76ersTradedBaltimore Bullets(21.3p/4.8r/5.4a)
November 5, 1971Elgin BaylorLos Angeles LakersRetired(11.8p/6.3r/2.0a)
November 10, 1971Earl MonroeBaltimore BulletsTradedNew York Knicks(21.7p/2.7r/3.3a)
March 14, 1972Charlie ScottVirginia Squires (ABA)SignedBoston Celtics(34.6p/5.1r/4.8a)
March 14, 1972Charlie ScottBoston CelticsTradedPhoenix Suns
March 14, 1972Paul SilasPhoenix SunsTradedBoston Celtics(17.5p/11.9r/4.3a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 14, 1971Coach Tex WinterHouston RocketsHiredRecord: n/a
June 3, 1971Coach Joe MullaneyLos Angeles LakersFiredRecord: 48-34
July 12, 1971Coach Bill SharmanLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: n/a
October 13, 1971Coach Dolph SchayesBuffalo BravesFiredRecord: 0-1
October 13, 1971Coach Johnny McCarthyBuffalo BravesHiredRecord: n/a
November 1, 1971Coach Butch Van Breda KolffDetroit PistonsResignedRecord: 6-4
November 1, 1971Coach Terry DischingerDetroit PistonsAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-2
November 3, 1971Coach Earl LloydDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: 20-50
February 2, 1972Coach Rolland ToddPortland Trail BlazersFiredRecord: 12-44
February 3, 1972Coach Stu InmanPortland Trail BlazersAppointed (Interim)Record: 6-20
March 26, 1972Coach Jack RamsayPhiladelphia 76ersResignedRecord: 30-52
March 27, 1972Coach Johnny McCarthyBuffalo BravesFiredRecord: 22-59
April 2, 1972P.coach Lenny WilkensSeattle SuperSonicsResignedRecord: 47-35
April 3, 1972Coach Jack McCloskeyPortland Trail BlazersHiredRecord: n/a
April 6, 1972Coach Jack RamsayBuffalo BravesHiredRecord: n/a
April 20, 1972Coach Tom NissalkeSeattle SuperSonicsHiredRecord: n/a
April 24, 1972Coach Richie GuerinAtlanta HawksReassignedRecord: 36-46

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Bob BoozerCincinnati Royals
New York Knicks
Los Angeles Lakers
Chicago Bulls
Seattle SuperSonics
Milwaukee Bucks		1x Champ
1x All-Star
Bailey HowellDetroit Pistons
Baltimore Bullets
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers		2x Champ
1x All-NBA
6x All-Star
Adrian Smith
(jumped to ABA)		Cincinnati Royals
San Francisco Warriors		1x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGKareem Abdul-Jabbar (34.8)
Tiny Archibald (28.2)
John Havlicek (27.5)
Spencer Haywood (26.2)
Gail Goodrich (25.9)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (19.2)
Wes Unseld (17.6)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.6)
Nate Thurmond (16.1)
Dave Cowens (15.2)
APGJerry West (9.7)
Lenny Wilkens (9.6)
Tiny Archibald (9.2)
Archie Clark (8.0)
John Havlicek (7.5)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (64%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57%)
Walt Bellamy (54%)
Dick Snyder (52%)
Jerry Lucas (51%)
FT%Jack Marin (89%)
Calvin Murphy (89%)
Gail Goodrich (85%)
Chet Walker (84%)
Dick Van Arsdale (84%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-2
For the first time since moving to Atlanta, the Hawks had to play their historic rival Boston Celtics. After an expected Celtics win in Game 1, a duel between star forwards ensued. Boston’s John Havlicek finished with forty-three points, and Atlanta’s Lou Hudson got forty-one of his own. The Hawks managed a solid road win, only to get blown out on their turf a couple nights later – despite the loss, Pete Maravich posted a glamorous 37/9/6 statline.

After winning by a mere two points in Game 4 – thanks to another Maravich effort – the Hawks ventured back up north. They ended up losing to the Celtics in back-to-back matches, with Boston’s Dave Cowens closing out with twenty-six points and twenty rebounds.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-2
For the fourth year in a row, New York and Baltimore met in the post-season. The Knicks were still without Willis Reed, so the outcome was relatively unpredictable.

The Bullets opened up with a surprising overtime victory, riding off Archie Clark’s thirty-eight points. Regression to the mean did occur, though, as the Knicks won by twenty-two in the next match behind a near-triple-double from Walt Frazier. Clark once again took over in Game 3 as the Bullets won by a single point, taking an unexpected 2-1 lead.

Their efforts ended up being pointless as New York responded with three consecutive wins, largely dependent on Frazier and Jerry Lucas’ abilities. Clark was bad in Games 4 and 5, and his thirty-one point bounce back in the decisive sixth was not enough to stave off elimination.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-0
After a fierce series between these two teams that went to seven games, they were slated for another head-to-head. The difference this time around was a healthy Jerry West – after averaging thirty points and ten assists in the two Lakers home games, it was safe to say his impact was immediate. Goodrich was a human flamethrower, and Chicago couldn’t be efficient for their lives – even proven playoff performer Bob Love had a horrible outing.

Wilt Chamberlain was two points and assists short of a triple-double in Game 4, which was the final nail in the coffin for the Bulls. They suffered a sweep at the hands of the historic Lakers squad, still yet to win a playoff series.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Golden State Warriors, 4-1
Last time these teams met, Milwaukee completed a comfortable gentleman’s sweep. It was predicted that the fight would be tougher now that the Warriors had leveled up a bit – they were a fifty-win team whose star was arguably having his most impactful season to date.

Shock infested Bucks fans when Golden State managed to win Game 1 in Milwaukee Arena, with four of their players scoring twenty or more points. Nate Thurmond also grabbed twenty boards and dished nine assists.

Milwaukee tightened up with a statement blowout win afterwards, with only Thurmond managing a good performance. This would become the theme of the series – Thurmond’s sheer authority on both ends of the ball was wasted by pathetic play from his supporting cast, and they could not take advantage of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s awful efficiency. Respect to Jim Barnett for his ferocity, though – he played very well in Games 4 and 5.

Ultimately, the Bucks handled business with three straight cushioned victories.

Conference Finals

East / New York Knicks beat Boston Celtics, 4-1
For the first time this decade, the Knicks didn’t seem like clear favorites in the East. They finished with a worse regular season record than the Celtics and lacked one of their stars.

This matchup was proof that veteran experience goes a long way, though. New York won by a disrespectful twenty-two-point margin in Game 1, humiliating fans of the green team. They had six double-digit scorers in this game, while the Celtics’ only members of that club were John Havlicek and Jo Jo White – both of whom were very inefficient.

Despite fifty-two combined points from Havlicek and White the next match, the Knicks won by a narrow one-point margin. Taking both of the first two games was huge for them, and left the Celtics largely demoralized moving forward. Regardless, they fought through adversity – Game 3 at home was theirs. In response, New York provided a beating to keep Boston’s optimism at a low.

In Game 5, three Knicks finished with double digit rebounds as they completed a gentleman’s sweep. This sent them to their second Finals appearance in three years, slated to face one of the last two Western Conference champions.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2
In a rematch of last year’s Conference Finals, the brewing rivalry between Los Angeles and Milwaukee continued. The Lakers looked like the greater team this year, but the Bucks were defending a title – all that could be expected from this series was determination from both clubs.

The classic matchup between Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar favored the latter in the first game, as the back-to-back M.V.P. dropped thirty-three points and secured eighteen rebounds in a Bucks blowout win on the road. After the Lakers’ Happy Hairston secured a series tie with his game-winning bucket, matters were headed to Milwaukee. And considering the Bucks managed a dominant victory – and proceeded to lose by only one point – it wasn’t absurd to say momentum was in their favor.

A quality scoring effort from L.A.’s starting lineup brought them up 2-1 a couple nights later, only to lose by twenty-six points shortly after. Every single Bucks win was in crude fashion, and Los Angeles would have to raise their intensity if they wanted to dethrone their opponent.

Thanks to sixty-nine combined points from Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Jim McMillian in Game 5, the Lakers completed their first blowout win of the series at home. Fatigue seemed to plague Milwaukee as the series progressed – Oscar Robertson only logged nine points in twenty-nine minutes, and Abdul-Jabbar was taking an ill-advised number of shots in every game.

With a chance to tie the series at home, the Bucks collapsed in the fourth quarter and accepted defeat at the hands of their foe. They could not sustain quality play, being littered with injuries – Robertson and Wali Jones both had pulled muscles, and Jon McGlocklin was dealing with a nagging back injury. Couple that with a rare dominant offensive performance from Chamberlain – as well as necessary support from the Lakers’ other starters – and yet another Finals trip for the Californian team was in the books.

Finals

Los Angeles Lakers beat New York Knicks, 4-1
In the sixties, the narrative was Lakers vs. Celtics. Now, Lakers vs. Knicks seemed to be the uprising cross-country clash – this was their second Finals meeting in the last three years. Los Angeles looked to avenge their disappointing loss in 1970, where they went out in embarrassing fashion to a rallying New York squad.

New York surprisingly managed to win the first game against the odds, similar to their series with Boston. Walt Frazier’s triple-double harmonized with Bill Bradley’s effective twenty-nine points, while just about everybody on the Lakers was terrible.

The sixty-nine-win team shut out the noise shortly after, thanks to great performances from Wilt Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich. The former began to take advantage of New York’s shallow rim protection as the series continued, and his increased aggression made up for how poorly Jerry West was playing.

Game 4 was an overtime battle – while West got to the line at every opportunity, Jerry Lucas and Walt Frazier could not be contained. The Knicks still lost regardless, now down 3-1 on their way back to the west coast.

The Lakers were now closer than ever to their first championship in nearly twenty years, and seized the opportunity without a thought. Four of the five starters scored over twenty points, and Chamberlain got twenty-nine rebounds.

They convincingly pulled away in the second half, completing the gentleman’s sweep – this was the Lakers’ long-awaited first title since moving to Los Angeles, and first since the great dynasties of Minneapolis. The Jerry West era had finally produced a ring.
The Los Angeles Lakers win the 1972 NBA championship!
Wilt Chamberlain was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Sidney WicksKareem Abdul-JabbarWilt ChamberlainBill Sharman

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Spencer Haywood
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Tiny Archibald
Archie Clark
Billy Cunningham
Bob Love
Wilt Chamberlain

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
Jerry Sloan
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Wilt Chamberlain		Norm Van Lier
Don Chaney
Paul Silas
Bob Love
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Butch Beard
Archie Clark
Dave Cowens
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
John Johnson
Bob Kauffman
Jack Marin
Wes Unseld
Tom Van Arsdale
Jo Jo White		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Wilt Chamberlain
Gail Goodrich
Connie Hawkins
Elvin Hayes
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier
Bob Love
Oscar Robertson
Cazzie Russell
Paul Silas
Jimmy Walker
Jerry West*
Sidney Wicks
West beats East, 112-110

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Austin Carr
Phil Chenier
Clifford Ray
Elmore Smith
Sidney Wicks

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics111957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Royals11951
Hawks11958
Knicks11970
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1971

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published April 15, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1971

The NBA’s World

Conferences

After adding four expansion teams in the past five years, the NBA continued taking advantage of its opportunities to grow. Therefore came three new faces – the Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trail Blazers.

Cleveland had briefly experienced ties to the league in the inaugural season, with the Cleveland Rebels. That franchise folded immediately after, but this was a welcoming addition that gave the Cincinnati Royals an inter-state rival. Buffalo and Portland were entirely new destinations – they added depth to the already established northeast and rapidly growing west coast, respectively.

Due to the sheer amount of clubs filling the NBA, the standings format was re-imagined. Instead of simply having Eastern and Western Divisions, the league now adopted conferences.

  • The Eastern Conference included:
    • The Atlantic Division (i.e., Knicks), comprised of teams located in the northeast.
    • The Central Division (i.e., Bullets), comprised of eastern teams close to the Atlantic Ocean, but south of New England.
  • The Western Conference included:
    • The Midwest Division (i.e., Bulls), comprised of teams located in the “mid-west” region of the U.S., as well as the distant Phoenix Suns.
    • The Pacific Division (i.e., Rockets), comprised of teams located along the Pacific Ocean.

The playoff eligibility format also saw change – each conference still had four representatives, but it was simply the top two from each division. The advantage of this format was the increase in competitive rigor, but it incentivized mediocre teams in a bad division. For example, the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs while finishing five games below .500.

Going All In

A messy season under new coach Bob Cousy – as well as complications regarding his financial future with the Cincinnati Royals – left Oscar Robertson eager to leave his hometown. Many attempts to move the superstar ensued, including a failed trade proposal to the Baltimore Bullets, denied by Robertson himself.

By April of 1970, it seemed almost definitive that his future destination was the budding Milwaukee Bucks. They boasted a solid infrastructure for such an inexperienced team, including three All-Stars in the past two seasons and an M.V.P. contender in Lew Alcindor. By the third week of April, transactions had brought Robertson over in exchange for star guard Flynn Robinson. A large influence on the success of this trade was former Royal Wayne Embry, who now held a front office role in Milwaukee.

The trade was considered one of the biggest blockbuster moves in league history, pairing a former M.V.P. with a potential future one – a new contender had arrived.

Standout Players

Lew Alcindor

In his sophomore season, Alcindor was already the best player in the NBA. He led everybody in scoring, finished top five in rebounds, and guided Milwaukee to a sixty-win effort. This won him an unsurprising first M.V.P. award.

Walt Frazier

While teammate Willis Reed was also great, Frazier drove the bus this year. He remained one of the best guards in the NBA, putting effort in on both ends to clinch the Knicks their third consecutive fifty-win season.

John Havlicek

After a rough down year, Havlicek made an undeniable jump into superstardom as the best forward in the league. Boston returned to the win column, and the sixth man-turned-cornerstone finished top four in both scoring and assists.

Bob Love

On a Bulls team sneakily loaded with talent, Love was the best player. He was a two-way force that was consistently available at high minutes, nearly always on the floor for the fifty-win club. His efforts helped Chicago snag the third-best record league-wide.

Jerry West

West enjoyed an excellent campaign for most of the season, leading Los Angeles to forty-four wins before going down with a season-ending knee injury. He totaled the highest assists average of his career, and would have finished second league-wide if not for the omitted time. The Lakers plummeted in his absence, posting a pitiful 4-9 record in his missed matches.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
New York Knicks*5230Baltimore Bullets*4240
Philadelphia 76ers*4735Atlanta Hawks*3646