1976–77 Denver Nuggets season

The 1976–77 Denver Nuggets season, is the Nuggets first season in the NBA, after nine seasons in the ABA.

1976–77 Denver Nuggets season
Division champions
Head coachLarry Brown
ArenaMcNichols Sports Arena
Results
Record50–32 (.610)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Midwest)
Conference: 2nd (Western)
Playoff finishWest Conference semifinals
(lost to Trail Blazers 2–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKWGN-TV
RadioKOA

In their NBA playoffs debut, the Nuggets lost to the eventual NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the First Round.

Offseason

ABA-NBA merger

With the conclusion of the 1975–76 season, the American Basketball Association came to an end with the ABA-NBA merger. Four ABA teams entered the NBA: the Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers, the New York Nets and the San Antonio Spurs. The other ABA teams were folded prior to the merger except for the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis, both of which were folded as part of the league merger.

The Nuggets and the other ABA teams were given harsh obstacles as part of their entry to the NBA. Each team had to pay an entry fee; for the Nuggets it was $3.2 million.[1] The Denver and the other four ABA team also received no television money for their first three NBA seasons in the NBA, were not allowed to participate in the 1976 NBA draft, had to be classified as "expansion franchises" (despite longer histories and more success than many NBA teams) and had to go for two years without any vote regarding the distribution of NBA gate receipts or the realignment of NBA divisions.[2]

The Nuggets moved from the ABA to the NBA's Midwest Division.[3]

NBA draft
Main article: 1976 NBA draft

As part of the terms of the ABA-NBA merger the Nuggets were prohibited from participating in both the 1976 NBA draft of college players and in the dispersal draft of ABA players from teams that did not enter the NBA.

Roster
Denver Nuggets roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
PF 40 Beck, Byron 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1945-01-25 Denver
PG 20 Calvin, Mack 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 165 lb (75 kg) 1947-07-27 USC
C 44 Issel, Dan (C) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1948-10-25 Kentucky
PF 24 Jones, Bobby 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1951-12-18 North Carolina
SG 12 McClain, Ted 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1946-08-30 Tennessee State
PF 35 Silas, Paul 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1943-07-12 Creighton
PG 21 Taylor, Fatty 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1946-03-13 La Salle
SG 33 Thompson, David (C) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1954-07-13 NC State
C 10 Webster, Marvin 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1952-04-13 Morgan State
SF 42 Wise, Willie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1947-03-03 Drake
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Regular season

Season standings
Midwest Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Denver Nuggets 5032.610–36–514–2715–5
x-Detroit Pistons 4438.537630–1114–2712–8
x-Chicago Bulls 4438.537631–1013–2810–10
Kansas City Kings 4042.4881028–1312–297–13
Indiana Pacers 3646.4391425–1611–309–11
Milwaukee Bucks 3052.3662024–176–357–13
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Los Angeles Lakers5329.646–
2 y-Denver Nuggets5032.6103
3 x-Portland Trail Blazers4933.5984
4 x-Golden State Warriors4636.5617
5 x-Detroit Pistons4438.5379
6 x-Chicago Bulls4438.5379
7 Kansas City Kings4042.48813
8 Seattle SuperSonics4042.48813
9 Indiana Pacers3646.43917
10 Phoenix Suns3448.41519
11 Milwaukee Bucks3052.36623

Record vs. opponents
1976–77 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS BUF CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NOJ NYK NYN PHI PHO POR SAS SEA WAS
Atlanta —0–44–02–22–22–20–40–41–30–41–22–22–21–31–33–11–30–43–14–01–21–3
Boston 4–0—3–12–21–33–12–21–32–21–23–12–13–12–22–23–11–32–21–34–02–20–4
Buffalo 0–41–3—1–32–22–23–10–31–31–30–31–33–13–11–32–22–23–11–30–43–10–4
Chicago 2–22–23–1—3–11–32–22–21–32–22–23–13–14–02–22–12–22–20–43–12–21–2
Cleveland 2–23–12–21–3—2–21–32–21–32–13–12–24–02–22–23–11–32–12–22–23–11–3
Denver 2–21–32–23–12–2—3–12–23–03–13–12–23–13–12–23–11–33–12–21–24–02–2
Detroit 4–02–21–32–23–11–3—3–12–22–24–01–33–13–11–23–12–22–22–21–21–31–3
Golden State 4–03–13–02–22–22–21–3—2–14–01–32–21–31–31–33–13–14–01–32–21–33–1
Houston 3–12–23–13–13–10–32–21–2—4–02–22–23–12–22–22–21–33–13–12–23–13–1
Indiana 4–02–13–12–21–21–32–20–40–4—2–21–32–22–22–24–02–22–20–42–22–20–4
Kansas City 2–11–33–02–21–31–30–43–12–22–2—1–32–22–24–04–01–33–12–21–31–32–2
Los Angeles 2–21–23–11–32–22–23–12–22–23–13–1—3–13–01–34–02–23–13–13–13–14–0
Milwaukee 2–21–31–31–30–41–31–33–11–32–22–21–3—1–21–33–11–21–32–23–11–31–3
New Orleans 3–12–21–30–42–21–31–33–12–22–22–20–32–1—3–12–20–43–12–21–31–32–2
N.Y. Knicks 3–12–23–12–22–22–22–13–12–22–20–43–13–11–3—2–21–32–21–31–31–22–2
N.Y. Nets 1–31–32–21–21–31–31–31–32–20–40–40–41–32–22–2—1–32–20–31–31–31–3
Philadelphia 3–13–12–22–23–13–12–21–33–12–23–12–22–14–03–13–1—1–22–21–32–23–1
Phoenix 4–02–21–32–21–21–32–20–41–32–21–31–33–11–32–22–22–1—1–31–33–11–3
Portland 1–33–13–14–02–22–22–23–11–34–02–21–32–22–23–13–02–23–1—2–23–11–2
San Antonio 0–40–44–01–32–22–12–12–22–22–23–11–31–33–13–13–13–13–12–2—3–12–2
Seattle 2–12–21–32–21–30–43–13–11–32–23–11–33–13–12–13–12–21–31–31–3—3–1
Washington 3–14–04–02–13–12–23–11–31–34–02–20–43–12–22–23–11–33–12–12–21–3—

Playoffs
1977 playoff game log
Conference semifinals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance		Series
1 April 20 Portland L 100–101 Dan Issel (28) Paul Silas (11) Ted McClain (5) McNichols Sports Arena
17,995		 0–1
2 April 23 Portland W 121–110 Dan Issel (36) Paul Silas (9) Jones, McClain (7) McNichols Sports Arena
17,975		 1–1
3 April 24 @ Portland L 106–110 David Thompson (40) Jones, Issel (9) Bobby Jones (5) Memorial Coliseum
12,736		 1–2
4 April 26 @ Portland L 96–105 Mack Calvin (28) Jones, Silas (8) Paul Silas (4) Memorial Coliseum
12,930		 1–3
5 May 1 Portland W 114–105 (OT) David Thompson (31) Dan Issel (18) Jim Price (11) McNichols Sports Arena
17,517		 2–3
6 May 2 @ Portland L 92–108 David Thompson (17) Marvin Webster (16) Ted McClain (7) Memorial Coliseum
12,924		 2–4
1977 schedule

Awards, records, and honors

References
  1. Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets/Nuggets Year-to-Year Rosters
  2. Remember the ABA: Denver Rockets/Nuggets Year-by-Year Notes Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Remember the ABA: Denver Nuggets
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