1969–70 NBA season

24th NBA season August 2023 1969–70 NBA season National Basketball Association Basketball October 14, 1969 – March 22, 1970March 25 – April 20, 1970 (Playoffs)April 24 – May 8, 1970 (Finals) 82 14 ABC Draft 1969 NBA draft Lew AlcindorChanged his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before the 1971–72 season.Basketball Star Lew Alcindor Changes Name to Kareem Jabbar https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19710917&id=aQJIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uv8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2775,2070037&hl=en The Morning Record September 17, 1971 July 16, 2016 14 List of first overall NBA draft picks Milwaukee Bucks Regular season New York Knicks Willis Reed (New York) NBA MVP Jerry West (L.A. Lakers) Playoffs 1970 NBA playoffs Eastern Eastern Division (NBA) New York Knicks Milwaukee Bucks Western Western Division (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers Atlanta Hawks Finals 1970 NBA Finals New York Knicks Los Angeles Lakers Willis Reed (New York) NBA Finals MVP List of NBA seasons NBA 1968–69 NBA season 1968–69 1970–71 NBA season 1970–71 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. Regular season 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.August 2018 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.October 2020 Division standings https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1970.html#all_divs_standings_ Division Standings 1969–70 NBA Season Summary Basketball Reference 24 August 2018 Eastern Division Western Division x – clinched playoff spot Playoffs 1970 NBA playoffs 1970 NBA playoffs Bracket yes no Statistics leaders + 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 NBA awards Most Valuable Player: Willis Reed, New York Knicks Rookie of the Year: Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks Coach of the Year: Red Holzman, New York Knicks 25em All-NBA First Team: F – Billy Cunningham, Philadelphia 76ers F – Connie Hawkins, Phoenix Suns C – Willis Reed, New York Knicks G – Walt Frazier, New York Knicks G – Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA Second Team: F – John Havlicek, Boston Celtics F – Gus Johnson, Baltimore Bullets C – Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks G – Lou Hudson, Atlanta Hawks G – Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals All-NBA Rookie Team: Dick Garrett, Los Angeles Lakers Mike Davis, Baltimore Bullets Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks Bob Dandridge, Milwaukee Bucks NBA All-Defensive First Team: Dave DeBusschere, New York Knicks Gus Johnson, Baltimore Bullets Willis Reed, New York Knicks Walt Frazier, New York Knicks Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers NBA All-Defensive Second Team: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics Bill Bridges, Atlanta Hawks Lew Alcindor, Milwaukee Bucks Joe Caldwell, Atlanta Hawks Jerry Sloan, Chicago Bulls See also 1970 NBA Finals 1969–70 ABA season List of NBA regular season records Notes References