1969–70 Los Angeles Stars season
The 1969–70 Los Angeles Stars season was the second and final season of the franchise in Los Angeles in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Late in February of the season, the team was 25-34 (9 games under .500), but by April 1, they were 40-38, with two 6 game winning streaks in that span. The Stars qualified for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Division by one game. The team soon went on a miracle run, beating the Chaparrals and Rockets, in 6 and 5 games respectively, to advance to the ABA Finals. The dream ended there, however, as the Indiana Pacers beat them in 6 games. The team ended up playing some of their playoff games in Anaheim and Long Beach due to no one expecting (or booking days to play) the team to go that far in the playoffs. However, owner Jim Kirst had decided to cut his losses and sell the team to Colorado businessman Bill Daniels on March 5, 1970 (over a month before the playoffs) for $850,000, who moved the team to Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 11 to become the Utah Stars. The next season, the team won the ABA Finals.
| 1969–70 Los Angeles Stars season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Sharman |
| Arena | Los Angeles Sports Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 43–41 (.512) |
| Place | Division: 4th (ABA) |
| Playoff finish | Lost in ABA Finals |
Roster
- 40 Andrew Anderson - Shooting guard
- 20 Mack Calvin - Point guard
- 55 Warren Davis - Power forward
- 35 Wayne Hightower - Power forward
- 54 Simmie Hill - Small forward
- 10 Mervin Jackson - Point guard
- 12 George Lehmann - Point guard
- 14 Bill McGill - Center
- 44 Larry Miller - Shooting guard
- 44 Mel Peterson - Guard / Forward
- 12/54 Craig Raymond - Center
- 22 Lester Selvage - Point guard
- 33 George Stone - Small forward
- 32 Bob Warlick - Shooting guard
- 21 Bob Warren - Shooting guard
- 14 Trooper Washington - Power forward
- 42 Willie Wise - Power forward
- 22/55 Tom Workman - Forward / Center
Final standings
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 berth
Playoffs
Western Division Semifinals[1]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 17 | Dallas | 103–115 | 0–1 | 4,513 |
| 2 | April 18 | Dallas | 129-121 | 1–1 | 4,764 |
| 3 | April 20 | Los Angeles | 104–116 | 1–2 | 971 |
| 4 | April 22 | Los Angeles | 144–138 | 2–2 | 2,921 |
| 5 | April 24 | Dallas | 146–139 | 3–2 | 5,128 |
| 6 | April 26 | Los Angeles | 124–123 | 4–2 | 2,083 |
Division Finals
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 30 | Denver | 113–123 (OT) | 0–1 | 7,071 |
| 2 | May 1 | Denver | 114–105 | 1–1 | 7,187 |
| 3 | May 4 | Los Angeles | 119–113 | 2–1 | 4,468 |
| 4 | May 5 | Los Angeles | 114–110 | 3–1 | 3,432 |
| 5 | May 9 | Denver | 109–107 | 4–1 | 6,401 |
ABA Finals
| Game | Date | Location | Result | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | May 15 | Indiana | 93–109 | 0–1 | 7,881 |
| 2 | May 17 | Indiana | 111–114 | 0–2 | 9,014 |
| 3 | May 18 | Los Angeles | 109–106 | 1–2 | 5,780 |
| 4 | May 19 | Los Angeles | 120–142 | 1–3 | 7,027 |
| 5 | May 23 | Indiana | 117–113 | 2–3 | 10,548 |
| 6 | May 25 | Los Angeles | 107–111 | 2–4 | 8,233 |