1969–70 ABA season
The 1969–70 ABA season was the third season of the American Basketball Association. Prior to the start of the season, the Minnesota Pipers moved back to Pittsburgh, the Oakland Oaks moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Caps and the Houston Mavericks moved to North Carolina and became the Carolina Cougars. For the regular-season, the schedule was increased from 78 to 84 games per team. The season ended with the Indiana Pacers capturing their first ABA Championship.
| 1969–70 ABA season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 17, 1969 – May 25, 1970 |
| Number of games | 84 |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Indiana Pacers |
| Season MVP | Spencer Haywood (Denver) |
| Top scorer | Spencer Haywood (Denver) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Indiana Pacers |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Stars |
Spencer Haywood, a rookie from the University of Detroit, led the ABA in scoring (30.0 ppg) and rebounding (19.5 rpg) for the Denver Rockets. Haywood was professional basketball's first "hardship case", leaving college after his sophomore season. The NBA prohibited him from declaring for its draft, and he signed with the Rockets instead, leading them to the Western Division championship.
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers * | 59 | 25 | .702 | - |
| Kentucky Colonels * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 14.0 |
| Carolina Cougars * | 42 | 42 | .500 | 17.0 |
| New York Nets * | 39 | 45 | .464 | 20.0 |
| Pittsburgh Pipers | 29 | 55 | .345 | 30.0 |
| Miami Floridians | 23 | 61 | .274 | 36.0 |
Western Division
| Western Division | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Rockets * | 51 | 33 | .607 | - |
| Dallas Chaparrals * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 6.0 |
| Washington Caps * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 7.0 |
| Los Angeles Stars * | 43 | 41 | .512 | 8.0 |
| New Orleans Buccaneers | 42 | 42 | .500 | 9.0 |
Asterisk (*) denotes playoff team
Bold – ABA Champions
Playoffs
Awards and honors
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- ABA Most Valuable Player Award: Spencer Haywood, Denver Rockets
- Rookie of the Year: Spencer Haywood, Denver Rockets
- Coach of the Year: Bill Sharman, Los Angeles Stars and Joe Belmont, Denver Rockets
- Playoffs MVP: Roger Brown, Indiana Pacers
- All-Star Game MVP: Spencer Haywood, Denver Rockets
- All-ABA First Team
- Rick Barry, Washington Caps (2nd selection)
- Spencer Haywood, Denver Rockets
- Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers (3rd selection)
- Bob Verga, Carolina Cougars
- Larry Jones, Denver Rockets (3rd selection)
- All-ABA Second Team
- Roger Brown, Indiana Pacers (2nd selection)
- Bob Netolicky, Indiana Pacers
- Red Robbins, New Orleans Buccaneers (2nd selection)
- Louie Dampier, Kentucky Colonels (3rd selection)
- Donnie Freeman, Miami Floridians (2nd selection)
- All-ABA Rookie Team
- Mike Barrett, Washington Caps
- John Brisker, Pittsburgh Pipers
- Mack Calvin, Los Angeles Stars
- Spencer Haywood, Denver Rockets
- Willie Wise, Los Angeles Stars