| 1969–70 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 14, 1969 – March 22, 1970 March 25 – April 20, 1970 (Playoffs) April 24 – May 8, 1970 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Lew Alcindor [a] |
| Picked by | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | New York Knicks |
| Season MVP | Willis Reed (New York) |
| Top scorer | Jerry West (L.A. Lakers) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | New York Knicks |
| Eastern runners-up | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Western champions | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Western runners-up | Atlanta Hawks |
| Finals | |
| Champions | New York Knicks |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Finals MVP | Willis Reed (New York) |
The 1969–70 NBA season was the 24th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
The 1969–70 season saw the NBA into a new decade as well as a new era. The retirement of Bill Russell from the Boston Celtics at the end of the 1968–69 season effectively signaled the end of the Celtics dynasty that had dominated the NBA for the past decade.
The New York Knicks were the top club in the league. They had a solid team of players led by star center Willis Reed and rising star guard Walt Frazier. Dave DeBusschere, who had been acquired from the Detroit Pistons the previous year, combined with Frazier and Reed to anchor the league's best defense. Coach Red Holzman led the club to wins in 60 of its 82 regular season games to pace the league.
In just their second season in the league, the Milwaukee Bucks totaled 56 wins helped by rookie superstar Lew Alcindor. Alcindor averaged 29 points per game on 52% shooting. He was also third in rebounds, seventh in shooting accuracy, and second in minutes played. Coach Larry Costello's team also had a strong backcourt of Jon McGlocklin and Flynn Robinson, and two ex-Cincinnati Royals, but Alcindor's arrival on the team nearly doubled their win total from the previous season, earning him rookie of the year honors.[ citation needed ]
The Baltimore Bullets also reached the 50-win plateau. Coach Gene Shue led a squad looking to improve after their early playoff exit the previous year. Guards Earl Monroe and Kevin Loughery were the team's main scoring threats, while center Wes Unseld and forward Gus Johnson excelled at rebounding, giving the Bullets more field goals than any other NBA team that year.
The Atlanta Hawks won the NBA's West Division title with 48 wins. Under coach Richie Guerin, they fielded a solid starting five, led again by scorer Lou Hudson. An early-season trade with Detroit netted star center Walt Bellamy.[ citation needed ]
| 1969-70 National Basketball Association | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Baltimore Bullets | Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore Civic Center | 11,271 |
| Boston Celtics | Boston, Massachusetts | Boston Garden | 13,909 | |
| Cincinnati Royals | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cincinnati Gardens | 11,000 | |
| Detroit Pistons | Detroit, Michigan | Cobo Arena | 12,191 | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee Arena | 10,783 | |
| New York Knicks | New York, New York | Madison Square Garden | 19,812 | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | The Spectrum | 15,244 | |
| Western | Atlanta Hawks | Atlanta, Georgia | Alexander Memorial Coliseum | 9,191 |
| Chicago Bulls | Chicago, Illinois | Chicago Stadium | 18,676 | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Inglewood, California | The Forum | 17,505 | |
| Phoenix Suns | Phoenix, Arizona | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 14,870 | |
| San Diego Rockets | San Diego, California | San Diego International Sports Center | 14,500 | |
| San Francisco Warriors | Daly City, California | Cow Palace | 12,953 | |
| Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Center Coliseum | 13,200 | |
| W | L | PCT | GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x- New York Knicks | 60 | 22 | .732 | – |
| x- Milwaukee Bucks | 56 | 26 | .683 | 4 |
| x- Baltimore Bullets | 50 | 32 | .610 | 10 |
| x- Philadelphia 76ers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 18 |
| Cincinnati Royals | 36 | 46 | .439 | 24 |
| Boston Celtics | 34 | 48 | .415 | 26 |
| Detroit Pistons | 31 | 51 | .378 | 29 |
| W | L | PCT | GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x- Atlanta Hawks | 48 | 34 | .585 | – |
| x- Los Angeles Lakers | 46 | 36 | .561 | 2 |
| x- Chicago Bulls | 39 | 43 | .476 | 9 |
| x- Phoenix Suns | 39 | 43 | .476 | 9 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 36 | 46 | .439 | 12 |
| San Francisco Warriors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 18 |
| San Diego Rockets | 27 | 55 | .329 | 21 |
x – clinched playoff spot
| Division Semifinals | Division Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||
| E1 | New York * | 4 | ||||||||||||
| E3 | Baltimore | 3 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | New York * | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Eastern Division | ||||||||||||||
| E2 | Milwaukee | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Philadelphia | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Milwaukee | 4 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | New York * | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Los Angeles | 3 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Atlanta * | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W3 | Chicago | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Atlanta* | 0 | ||||||||||||
| Western Division | ||||||||||||||
| W2 | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Phoenix | 3 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Los Angeles | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Jerry West | Los Angeles Lakers | 31.2 |
| Rebounds per game | Elvin Hayes | San Diego Rockets | 16.9 |
| Assists per game | Lenny Wilkens | Seattle SuperSonics | 9.1 |
| FG% | Johnny Green | Cincinnati Royals | .559 |
| FT% | Flynn Robinson | Milwaukee Bucks | .898 |
Vernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player. He played for two teams, the Baltimore Bullets and the New York Knicks, during his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Both teams have retired Monroe's number. Due to his on-court success and flashy style of play, Monroe was given the nicknames "Black Jesus" and "Earl the Pearl". Monroe was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. In 1996, Monroe was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and in 2021, Monroe was named as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
The 1973–74 NBA season was the 28th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
The 1972–73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. This would be Wilt Chamberlain's final season playing in the NBA.
The 1970–71 NBA season was the 25th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Milwaukee Bucks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Baltimore Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. Three new teams made their debut: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Buffalo Braves.
The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
The 1967–68 NBA season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.
The 1964–65 NBA season was the 19th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 7th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
The 1973 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1972–73 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the culmination of that season's playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 to win their second championship. The series was an exact reversal of the prior year, this time with the Lakers winning Game 1 and the Knicks taking the next four games. Knicks center Willis Reed was named as the NBA Finals MVP.
The 1972 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round played at the conclusion of the 1971–72 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks in five games to win their sixth title. The Lakers won their first NBA championship since the franchise moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The 1974 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1973-74 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. John Havlicek was named NBA Finals MVP.
The 1972 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1971–72 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. Wilt Chamberlain was named NBA Finals MVP.
The 1971 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1970–71 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Eastern Conference champion Baltimore Bullets four games to none in the NBA Finals.
The 1969–70 New York Knicks season was the 24th season of NBA basketball in New York City. The Knicks had a then single-season NBA record 18 straight victories en route to 60–22 record, which was the best regular season record in the team's history. They set the record for the best start in the first 24 games of a season at 23–1 before the Golden State Warriors surpassed it in 2015. After defeating the Bullets in the Eastern Division semifinals and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Division finals, the Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games to capture their first NBA title.
The 1971–72 New York Knicks season was the 26th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks compiled a 48–34 record in the regular season to finish second in the Atlantic Division and earn a berth in the NBA Playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. New York had acquired Earl Monroe in a trade with the Baltimore Bullets in November 1971.
The 1970–71 New York Knicks season was the 25th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). New York entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1970 NBA Finals in seven games to win the first championship in franchise history. In the 1970–71 regular season, the Knicks finished in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 52–30 record, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
The 1968–69 New York Knicks season was the 23rd season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks finished third in the Eastern Division with a 54–28 regular season record, and qualified for the NBA playoffs for the third straight year. In the first round of the playoffs, New York defeated the Baltimore Bullets in a four-game sweep to earn a berth in the Eastern Division finals. The Knicks lost the division finals to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in six games. Willis Reed scored a team-best 21.1 points per game for the Knicks; Walt Frazier led the team with 7.9 assists per game and Reed averaged 14.5 rebounds per game.
The 1971–72 NBA season was the 26th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
