1972–73 Denver Rockets season

ABA professional basketball team season August 2023 March 2026 Denver Rockets Denver Nuggets ABA Frank GoldbergBud FischerAlex HannumJ. William Ringsby(minority owner) 1973 47 37 Western 3 Alex Hannum Denver Auditorium Arena KOA Division Semifinals(lost to Pacers 1–4) ROC The 1972–73 ABA season was the sixth season of the Denver Rockets as a franchise. It was also the first season where the team was no longer owned by J. William Ringsby and his son Donald W. Ringsby (who both had to sell the Rockets team due to trouble related to their local Ringsby Rocket Truck Lines business, though William still maintained minority ownership rights by this time), with San Diego-based businessmen Frank Goldberg and Bud Fischer further rebranding the Rockets team this season to help distance themselves away from the original Ringsby Rocket Truck Lines business association at hand for the team's own sake. Early on in the regular season, Denver was actually forced to forfeit a game against the Virginia Squires on October 26 (with official statistics for that game expunged from the record books) due to head coach Alex Hannum having his Rockets players foul the Squires' players under the pretense of a "pressure defense experiment"; the experimental pressure defensive plan in question that they played throughout the second half of that specific game resulted in the Rockets committing 56 fouls, which resulted in seven of the Rockets' own players fouling out of the game entirely, and it subsequently led to the Squires shooting 56 free-throws throughout the entire fourth quarter of that game for unofficial records of 53 points scored by Virginia in the fourth quarter and a total of 72/94 free-throws made by the Squires. It marked the second time in ABA history that a game would be declared as forfeited by someone (the first time happening in the inaugural season when a one-game playoff match to determine the final playoff spot in the Eastern Division for the 1968 ABA Playoffs led to the New Jersey Americans forfeiting their game to the Kentucky Colonels due to the arena that they were forced to use that night being declared unplayable on their ends), as well as the only time it would occur during the regular season in the ABA. Even with that in mind, however, the Rockets would have still lost their match to the Squires that night had the results stood firm like any other regular season match would have, with the unofficial final score being 155–111 in favor of Virginia instead as a blowout match.1972-73 ABA Game by Game Log-- Part 1 http://remembertheaba.com/ABAYearlyGameLogs/7273Part1.html Despite the forfeited game they had, the Rockets still ended up with a 47–37 record, which was good enough for a third place finish in the Western Division. However, they would lose in the Division semifinals to the Indiana Pacers.https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DNR/1973_games.html 1972-73 Denver Rockets Schedule and Results May 29, 2025 May 29, 2025 February 6, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220206172420/https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DNR/1973_games.html live ABA Draft 1972 ABA draft Weirdly enough, as of 2025, there has been no official draft records for the first five rounds of the 1972 ABA draft specifically, while every other round after that point has been properly recorded by basketball historians otherwise. Because of the strange dispersity of draft picks not being properly recorded this year after previously being fully recorded in the previous year's draft and the number of rounds potentially being off for even the players being selected this year, the recorded players selected in this year's draft will be marked with a ? for the pick number in particular (as well as certain round numbers, if necessary) in order to showcase the awkward display currently going on with the 1972 ABA draft year in particular (though what is known is that the Denver Rockets did pick up what can be considered as the official #3 pick of the ABA draft this year due to the Memphis Pros (as they were known as during that point in time) forfeited what would officially be considered as the #2 pick of the draft had it been kept properly due to Memphis signing away Larry Cannon from Denver sometime after the 1971 ABA draft period, as well as what can be considered as the official #6 pick of the ABA draft by a trade involving multiple players with the Indiana Pacers after the New York Nets also forfeited what would have been the official #5 pick had both the Pros and the Nets kept their picks due to the Nets signing Virginia Squires junior draft pick Jim Chones sometime after the 1971 ABA draft as well). However, if any changes come up to where a proper, official recording of the 1972 ABA draft gets released displaying both pick numbers and round numbers for where certain players got selected, please provide the updated (potential) draft ordering with a source confirming the round and pick numbers included here. Round Pick Player Position(s) Nationality College 1 3 Bud Stallworth SG/SF USA United States Kansas 1 6 Paul Stovall SF USA United States Arizona State 2 11 Claude Terry SG/SF USA United States Stanford 3? 20? Paul Westphal PG/SG USA United States USC 4 30? Doug Collins SG USA United States Illinois State 5? 37? Dave Bustion PF USA United States Denver 6 46? Sam Sibert SF USA United States Kentucky State 7 57? Ron Riley PF USA United States USC 8 68? Ted Martiniuk F USA United States Saint Peter's College 9 79? Bernie Fryer SG USA United States Brigham Young 10 90? Jerry Pender SG USA United States Fresno State 11 101? Gary Stewart F USA United States Canisius College 12 112? Michael Reid G USA United States UC Riverside 13 123? John Burks F USA United States San Francisco 14 134? John Tschogl SF USA United States UC Santa Barbara 15 145? Leon Huff G USA United States Drake 16 154? Phillip Sisk G USA United States Georgia Southern 17 163? Dave Hullman PF USA United States Arizona State 18 171? Harold Little SG/SF USA United States New Mexico 19 175? Andy Knowles PG USA United States Louisiana Tech 20 178? Al Davis F USA United States Hawaii This draft would be notable for a few things that the Rockets did. First, they would be the only ABA team to have multiple first round picks selected after some teams ended up forfeiting their first round picks in this draft for various reasons (some of which relate to things the franchise themselves previously did with regards to Spencer Haywood and Ralph Simpson in earlier ABA drafts). Second, the selection of Claude Terry marks the oldest one-time ABA All-Star Denver draft pick to stay with the franchise that later played in the final ABA All-Star Game with the Denver franchise that first selected him in the second round as the 11th pick of that draft. Third, the franchise would select Paul Westphal, a future Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame guard, in arguably the third round of the draft despite him never playing for the franchise whatsoever, instead having his best years with the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns in the NBA. Fourth, Doug Collins would end up later becoming the #1 pick of the 1973 NBA draft instead of playing with the Rockets as a fourth round pick in Denver. Finally, the Rockets would (supposedly) be the only ABA team to utilize all 20 rounds of the 1972 ABA draft since not only did they not lose any draft picks through measures that would have resulted in them forfeiting any draft picks like they previously had done in the last two draft years beforehand after previously acquiring Spencer Haywood and Ralph Simpson as undrafted college underclassmen on their ends, but they also picked up at least one extra first round draft pick from the Indiana Pacers for good measure, as well as not skipped out on using up any of their later round draft picks this year. ABA Dispersal Draft Months after the original ABA draft for this year concluded, the ABA held their first ever dispersal draft on July 13, 1972 after it was found out by the ABA itself that neither "The Floridians" nor the Pittsburgh Condors would be able to continue operations either in their original locations or elsewhere in the U.S.A. (or even Canada in the case of "The Floridians"). Unlike the main draft they did during the months of March and April, this draft would last for only six rounds as a one day deal and would have the nine remaining inaugural ABA teams selecting players that were left over at the time from both "The Floridians" and Pittsburgh Condors franchises (including draft picks from both teams there) and obtain their player rights from there.https://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2607:1972-aba-draft 1972 ABA Draft June 6, 2007 The Draft Review Dec 23, 2024 Any players from either franchise that wouldn't be selected during this draft would be placed on waivers and enter free agency afterward.Bradley Robert D. The Basketball Draft Fact Book: A History of Professional Basketball's College Drafts 2013 Scarecrow Press 9780810890695, pg. 426 Interestingly, only 42 total players were selected by the nine remaining ABA teams at the time of the dispersal draft, meaning everyone else that was available from both teams was considered a free agent to the ABA not long afterward. Not only that, but the Rockets were also the only ABA team to select players from only one of the teams involved with the dispersal draft in terms of selectable options, with Denver choosing players from "The Floridians" franchise (ignoring the Pittsburgh Condors' players entirely there), meaning they'll be the only team to not require an ABA Team section for their dispersal draft section. With that said, the following players from "The Floridians" franchise were acquired by the Denver Rockets during this dispersal draft. Round Pick Player Position(s) Nationality College 1 2 Warren Jabali PG/SG USA United States Wichita State 1 7 Willie Long SF/PF USA United States New Mexico 2 15 Scott English SF USA United States UTEP 3 23 Al Tucker SF USA United States Oklahoma Baptist Interestingly, the Denver Rockets would be one of four ABA teams to acquire two first round picks in the dispersal draft instead of the usual one total first round pick that most teams had there, joining the likes of the Carolina Cougars, Dallas Chaparrals, and Memphis Pros turned Memphis Tams as the other three teams to have multiple first round picks there. The Rockets' first pick of Warren Jabali was one of two selections from that draft to later become future members of the ABA All-Time Team (the other being Mack Calvin, who also previously played for "The Floridians" alongside Warren Jabali). As for their last pick from that draft, Al Tucker, he would ultimately retire from play following his selection with Denver after last playing professionally for "The Floridians" franchise. Roster Denver Rockets 1972–73 #B876D6 #FDDF04 #FDDF04 #B876D6 40 Byron Beck PF 6 9 225 January 25, 1945 University of Denver 14 David Bustion PF 6 8 215 August 30, 1949 University of Denver 20 Frank Card SF 6 7 195 December 28, 1944 South Carolina State 12 Warren Jabali SG 6 2 200 August 29, 1946 Wichita State University 13 Julius Keye PF 6 10 200 September 5, 1946 Alcorn State University 30 Willie Long SF 6 8 225 March 1, 1950 University of New Mexico 31 Marv Roberts PF 6 8 200 January 29, 1950 Utah State University 25 Dave Robisch C 6 10 235 December 22, 1949 University of Kansas 44 Ralph Simpson SG 6 5 200 August 10, 1949 Michigan State University 10 Al Smith basketball PG 6 1 185 January 15, 1947 Bradley University 21 Claude Terry SF 6 4 195 January 12, 1950 Stanford University 24 John Trapp basketball SF 6 7 210 October 2, 1945 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Alex Hannum https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DNR/1973.html<noinclude> Season standings Eastern Division + Team W L % GB Carolina Cougars 57 27 .679 - Kentucky Colonels 56 28 .667 1 Virginia Squires 42 42 .500 15 New York Nets 30 54 .357 27 Memphis Tams 24 60 .286 33 Western Division + Team W L % GB Utah Stars 55 29 .655 - Indiana Pacers 51 33 .607 4 Denver Rockets 47 37 .560 8 San Diego Conquistadors 30 54 .357 25 Dallas Chaparrals 28 56 .333 27 Game log 1972-73 Denver Rockets Schedule and Results | Basketball-Reference.com Statistics RkPlayerAgeGMPFGFGAFG%3P3PA3P%2P2PA2P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTTOVPFPTS1Julius Keye2683 36.32.04.5.4350.00.1.3751.94.4.4361.62.8.5583.37.410.72.21.63.25.52Warren Jabali2682 33.45.411.9.4530.41.7.2574.910.2.4865.97.3.8051.63.65.26.63.73.417.03Ralph Simpson2381 32.09.020.6.4380.10.3.2089.020.3.4425.26.9.7571.72.94.62.7 3.53.023.34Dave Robisch2383 31.96.312.2.5160.00.0.0006.312.2.5163.74.9.7563.06.09.02.0 1.63.316.35Byron Beck2877 29.96.111.4.5300.00.1.2866.011.3.5322.12.6.7982.64.37.01.4 1.63.514.26Al Smith2683 28.23.89.2.4110.21.1.1893.68.2.4403.34.2.7730.81.82.65.7 3.13.611.17Marv Roberts2377 25.44.910.5.4630.00.0.3334.810.4.4642.63.3.7882.32.85.21.2 1.42.512.38Willie Long2256 18.83.38.2.4000.00.0.0003.38.1.4012.53.2.7801.83.45.20.8 1.72.69.09John Trapp2724 14.32.35.3.4220.00.1.0002.35.3.4290.81.3.5941.11.93.00.8 1.03.25.310Claude Terry2368 9.81.84.2.4210.10.4.4171.63.8.4211.11.7.6490.70.41.10.9 1.01.64.811Frank Card284 9.01.53.8.4000.00.01.53.8.4002.33.3.6921.00.81.80.0 0.81.05.312David Bustion2347 7.61.22.8.4360.00.01.22.8.4360.91.3.7120.81.32.10.4 1.11.73.41972-73 Denver Rockets Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com ABA Playoffs ABA Western Division Semifinals Game Date Location Score Record Attendance 1 March 31 Indiana 91–114 0–1 7,051 2 April 1 Denver 93–106 0–2 7,235 3 April 3 Denver 105–94 1–2 5,335 4 April 5 Denver 95–97 1–3 6,904 5 April 7 Indiana 107–121 1–4 9,816 Rockets lose series, 4–1http://www.remembertheaba.com/PlayoffPages/1973Playoffs.html Remember the ABA: 1972-73 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results 2010-10-03 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101129165745/http://remembertheaba.com/PlayoffPages/1973Playoffs.html 2010-11-29 Awards and honors All-ABA 1st Team: Warren Jabali All-ABA 2nd Team: Ralph Simpson All-Defensive 1st Team: Julius Keye ABA All-Stars: Warren Jabali, Ralph Simpson1972-73 ABA Season Summary | Basketball-Reference.com References Category:Denver Nuggets seasons Denver Denver Rockets Denver Rockets