1975–76 NBA season

30th NBA season August 2023 February 2024 1975–76 NBA season National Basketball Association Basketball October 23, 1975 – April 11, 1976April 13 – May 18, 1976 (Playoffs)May 23 – June 6, 1976 (Finals) 82 18 CBS Draft 1975 NBA Draft List of first overall NBA draft picks David Thompson Atlanta Hawks Regular season Golden State Warriors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L.A. Lakers) NBA MVP Bob McAdoo (Buffalo) Playoffs 1976 NBA Playoffs Eastern Eastern Conference (NBA) Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers Western Western Conference (NBA) Phoenix Suns Golden State Warriors Finals 1976 NBA Finals Boston Celtics Phoenix Suns Jo Jo White (Boston) NBA Finals MVP List of NBA seasons NBA 1974–75 NBA season 1974–75 1976–77 NBA season 1976–77 The 1975–76 NBA season was the 30th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA championship, beating the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Notable occurrences Larry O'Brien begins his tenure as the league's third commissioner.https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/29/archives/nba-picks-obrien-as-new-commissioner-obrien-will-head-nba.html N.B.A. Picks O'Brien As New Commissioner O'Brien to Head N.B.A Sam Goldaper The New York Times April 29, 1975 1 February 2024 The jump ball to start the second, third and fourth quarters is eliminated. The winner of the opening jump ball receives possession at the beginning of the fourth, with the opposing team starting the middle periods with possession. The 1976 NBA All-Star Game was played at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, with the Eastern Conference beating the Western Conference 123–109.https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-feb-04-1976-4281904/ Bing MVP, East wins The Southern Illinoisan February 4, 1976 January 30, 2024 19 NewspaperArchive Dave Bing of the Washington Bullets wins the game's MVP award. The Kansas City-Omaha Kings are renamed the Kansas City Kings as they settle into a permanent home in Kansas City, Missouri. The New Orleans Jazz moved into the cavernous Louisiana Superdome after splitting their inaugural season between two inadequate facilities, the Loyola University Fieldhouse and New Orleans Municipal Auditorium. The Houston Rockets play their inaugural season in The Summit. It was the final season for Don Nelson, Pat Riley and Jerry Sloan as players. Each would go on to coach more than 2,000 games in the NBA. This was the final season before the NBA-ABA merger. In the 1976 offseason, four ABA teams joined the NBA: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and the reigning ABA champion New York Nets, who relocated to New Jersey. It was the first season for Darryl Dawkins, World B. Free, and Kobe Bryant's dad Joe Bryant. Dick Bavetta began his Hall of Fame officiating career, replacing the retired Mendy Rudolph, who suffered a blood clot in his lung during a 1975 playoff game and became an analyst for CBS Sports. Bavetta went on to set the record for most games officiated with 2,635 by the time he retired in 2014. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named the league's Most Valuable Player despite his team missing the playoffs. He remains the only league MVP to miss the playoffs. The NBA Finals were contested by the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns. Phoenix was making their first finals appearance; Boston was making their fourteenth. Game 4 of the NBA Finals was first game ever played in the month of June. Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Suns went into triple-overtime before the Celtics prevailed 128–126. This was the first triple-overtime game in NBA finals history; the only triple-overtime finals game since occurred in 1993, in which the Phoenix Suns were again participating. +Coaching changesIn-season Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach Atlanta Hawks Cotton Fitzsimmons Bumper Tormohlen Detroit Pistons Ray Scott Herb Brown Final standings By division By conference Notes z, y – division champions x – clinched playoff spot Playoffs 1976 NBA playoffs 1976 NBA playoffs Bracket yes no Statistics leaders + Category Player Team Stat Points per game Bob McAdoo Buffalo Braves 31.1 Rebounds per game Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Los Angeles Lakers 16.9 Assists per game Slick Watts Seattle SuperSonics 8.1 Steals per game Slick Watts Seattle SuperSonics 3.18 Blocks per game Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Los Angeles Lakers 4.12 FG% Wes Unseld Washington Bullets .561 FT% Rick Barry Golden State Warriors .923 NBA awards Most Valuable Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers Rookie of the Year: Alvan Adams, Phoenix Suns Coach of the Year: Bill Fitch, Cleveland Cavaliers 66% 33% All-NBA First Team: F – Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors F – George McGinnis, Philadelphia 76ers C – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers G – Nate Archibald, Kansas City Kings G – Pete Maravich, New Orleans Jazz 33% All-NBA Second Team: F – Elvin Hayes, Washington Bullets F – John Havlicek, Boston Celtics C – Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics G – Randy Smith, Buffalo Braves G – Phil Smith, Golden State Warriors 33% 33% NBA All-Rookie Team: Joe Meriweather, Houston Rockets Alvan Adams, Phoenix Suns Lionel Hollins, Portland Trail Blazers John Shumate, Phoenix Suns/Buffalo Braves Gus Williams, Golden State Warriors 66% 33% NBA All-Defensive First Team: Paul Silas, Boston Celtics John Havlicek, Boston Celtics Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics Norm Van Lier, Chicago Bulls Slick Watts, Seattle SuperSonics 33% NBA All-Defensive Second Team: Jim Brewer, Cleveland Cavaliers Jamaal Wilkes, Golden State Warriors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers Jim Cleamons, Cleveland Cavaliers Phil Smith, Golden State Warriors See also 1976 NBA Finals 1976 NBA playoffs 1975–76 ABA season List of NBA regular season records References