1973–74 ABA season
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2024) |
| 1973–74 ABA season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 10, 1973 – May 10, 1974 |
| Number of games | 84 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | New York Nets |
| Season MVP | Julius Erving (New York) |
| Top scorer | Julius Erving (New York) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | New York Nets |
| Runners-up | Utah Stars |
The 1973–74 ABA season was the seventh season of the American Basketball Association. The New York Nets won the ABA championship, 4 games to 1 over the Utah Stars.
Only one franchise move occurred from the previous season, and it stayed in state. The Dallas Chaparrals were purchased by Angelo Drossos and were moved to San Antonio and renamed the San Antonio Spurs.
Teams
[edit]| 1973-74 American Basketball Association | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Carolina Cougars | Greensboro, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina |
Greensboro Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum Dorton Arena |
15,000 9,605 7,610 |
| Kentucky Colonels | Louisville, Kentucky | Freedom Hall | 16,664 | |
| Memphis Tams | Memphis, Tennessee | Mid-South Coliseum | 10,085 | |
| New York Nets | Uniondale, New York | Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 13,571 | |
| Virginia Squires | Old Dominion University Fieldhouse Hampton Coliseum Richmond Arena Salem Civic Center Roanoke Civic Center |
Norfolk, Virginia Hampton, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Salem, Virginia Roanoke, Virginia |
5,200 9,777 6,000 6,820 9,828 | |
| Western | Denver Rockets | Denver, Colorado | Denver Auditorium Arena | 6,841 |
| Indiana Pacers | Indianapolis, Indiana | Indiana State Fair Coliseum | 10,000 | |
| San Antonio Spurs | San Antonio, Texas | Hemisfair Arena | 10,146 | |
| San Diego Conquistadors | San Diego, California | Golden Hall | 3,200 | |
| Utah Stars | Salt Lake City, Utah | Salt Palace | 12,166 | |
Map of teams
[edit]
Final standings
[edit]Eastern Division
[edit]| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Nets * | 55 | 29 | .655 | — |
| Kentucky Colonels * | 53 | 31 | .631 | 2 |
| Carolina Cougars * | 47 | 37 | .560 | 8 |
| Virginia Squires * | 28 | 56 | .333 | 27 |
| Memphis Tams | 21 | 63 | .250 | 34 |
Western Division
[edit]| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Stars * | 51 | 33 | .607 | — |
| Indiana Pacers * | 46 | 38 | .548 | 5 |
| San Antonio Spurs * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 6 |
| San Diego Conquistadors * | 37 | 47 | .440 | 14 |
| Denver Rockets * | 37 | 47 | .440 | 14 |
Asterisk (*) denotes playoff team (the Conquistadors and the Rockets played a one-game playoff to settle the tie for the final playoff spot, which the Conquistadors won)
Bold – ABA champions
Playoffs
[edit]Awards and honors
[edit].jpeg)
- ABA Most Valuable Player Award: Julius Erving, New York Nets
- Rookie of the Year: Swen Nater, San Antonio Spurs[1]
- Coach of the Year: Babe McCarthy, Kentucky Colonels & Joe Mullaney, Utah Stars
- Playoffs MVP: Julius Erving, New York Nets
- All-Star Game MVP: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels[2]
- Executive of the Year: Jack Ankerson, San Antonio Spurs
- All-ABA First Team
- Julius Erving, New York Nets (2nd First Team selection, 3rd overall selection)
- George McGinnis, Indiana Pacers (1st First Team selection, 2nd overall selection)
- Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels (3rd selection)
- Jimmy Jones, Utah Stars (3rd selection)
- Mack Calvin, Carolina Cougars (2nd First Team selection, 3rd overall selection)
- All-ABA Second Team
- Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels (3rd Second Team selection, 4th overall selection)
- Willie Wise, Utah Stars (2nd selection)
- Swen Nater, San Antonio Spurs
- Ron Boone, Utah Stars
- Louie Dampier, Kentucky Colonels (4th selection)
- All-Defensive Team
- Mike Gale (2nd selection), Kentucky Colonels
- Artis Gilmore (2nd selection), Kentucky Colonels
- Julius Keye (2nd selection), Denver Rockets
- Ted McClain, Carolina Cougars
- Roland Taylor, Virginia Squires
- Willie Wise (2nd selection), Utah Stars
- All-Rookie Team
- Mike Green, Denver Rockets
- Larry Kenon, New York Nets
- Bo Lamar, San Diego Conquistadors
- Swen Nater, Virginia Squires (traded to the San Antonio Spurs in November 1973)
- John Williamson, New York Nets
References
[edit]
- ^ "Swen Nater is ABA Rookie of Year". Longview Morning Journal. United Press International. April 2, 1974. p. 13. Retrieved December 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rosenthal, Bert (January 31, 1974). "Artis Gilmore leads East over West in ABA All-Star game". Greeley Tribune. Associated Press. p. 28. Retrieved December 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.