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RetroSeasons
RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
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National Basketball Association logo

National Basketball Association (NBA)
1969-70 NBA Teams

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Leagues Basketball NBA 1970 Teams

Recap

The 1969–70 season saw the NBA into a new decade as well as a new era. The retirement of Bill Russell from the Boston Celtics at the end of the 1968–69 season effectively signaled the end of the Celtics dynasty that had dominated the NBA for the past decade.

The New York Knicks were the top club in the league. They had a solid team of players led by star center Willis Reed and rising star guard Walt Frazier. Dave DeBusschere, who had been acquired from the Detroit Pistons the previous year, combined with Frazier and Reed to anchor the league's best defense. Coach Red Holzman led the club to wins in 60 of its 82 regular season games to pace the league.

In just their second season in the league, the Milwaukee Bucks totaled 56 wins helped by rookie superstar Lew Alcindor. Alcindor averaged 29 points per game on 52% shooting. He was also third in rebounds, seventh in shooting accuracy, and second in minutes played. Coach Larry Costello's team also had a strong backcourt of Jon McGlocklin and Flynn Robinson, and two ex-Cincinnati Royals, but Alcindor's arrival on the team nearly doubled their win total from the previous season, earning him rookie of the year honors.

The Baltimore Bullets also reached the 50-win plateau. Coach Gene Shue led a squad looking to improve after their early playoff exit the previous year. Guards Earl Monroe and Kevin Loughery were the team's main scoring threats, while center Wes Unseld and forward Gus Johnson excelled at rebounding, giving the Bullets more field goals than any other NBA team that year.

The Atlanta Hawks won the NBA's West Division title with 48 wins. Under coach Richie Guerin, they fielded a solid starting five, led again by scorer Lou Hudson. An early-season trade with Detroit netted star center Walt Bellamy.

Close
Other basketball leagues in 1970:    
ABA
1969-70 New York Knicks Season
1969-70 New York Knicks
60-22 (.732)
Won NBA Finals
1969-70 Los Angeles Lakers Season
1969-70 Los Angeles Lakers
46-36 (.561)
Lost NBA Finals
1969-70 Milwaukee Bucks Season
1969-70 Milwaukee Bucks
56-26 (.683)
Lost Division Finals
1969-70 Atlanta Hawks Season
1969-70 Atlanta Hawks
48-34 (.585)
Lost Division Finals
1969-70 Baltimore Bullets Season
1969-70 Baltimore Bullets
50-32 (.610)
Lost Division Semifinals
1969-70 Philadelphia 76ers Season
1969-70 Philadelphia 76ers
42-40 (.512)
Lost Division Semifinals
1969-70 Chicago Bulls Season
1969-70 Chicago Bulls
39-43 (.476)
Lost Division Semifinals
1969-70 Phoenix Suns Season
1969-70 Phoenix Suns
39-43 (.476)
Lost Division Semifinals
1969-70 Cincinnati Royals Season
1969-70 Cincinnati Royals
36-46 (.439)
Missed Playoffs
1969-70 Seattle SuperSonics Season
1969-70 Seattle SuperSonics
36-46 (.439)
Missed Playoffs
1969-70 Boston Celtics Season
1969-70 Boston Celtics
34-48 (.415)
Missed Playoffs
1969-70 Detroit Pistons Season
1969-70 Detroit Pistons
31-51 (.378)
Missed Playoffs
1969-70 San Francisco Warriors Season
1969-70 San Francisco Warriors
30-52 (.366)
Missed Playoffs
1969-70 San Diego Rockets Season
1969-70 San Diego Rockets
27-55 (.329)
Missed Playoffs

1970 NBA

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