1973–74 ABA season

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Sports season

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
ABA seasons

← 1972–73

1974–75 →

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]

Carolina

Kentucky

Memphis

New York

Virginia

Denver

Indiana

San Antonio

San Diego

Utah

Eastern Division  Western Division

## 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

## Regular season

[edit]

Julius Erving was named league MVP with 49 votes to Artis Gilmore's nine votes.[1]

## Playoffs

[edit]

See also: 1974 ABA playoffs

## Awards and honors

[edit]

Julius "Dr. J" Erving (New York) won the ABA MVP

* ABA Most Valuable Player Award: Julius Erving, New York Nets
* Rookie of the Year: Swen Nater, San Antonio Spurs[2]
* 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[3]
* 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]

* Sports portal

1. ^ https://newspaperarchive.com/red-bank-register-apr-09-1974-p-14/
2. ^ "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.
3. ^ 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.

Season summary on Basketball Reference

* v
* t
* e

American Basketball Association seasons

Seasons|

* 1967–68
* 1968–69
* 1969–70
* 1970–71
* 1971–72
* 1972–73
* 1973–74
* 1974–75
* 1975–76

Drafts|

* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975

Playoffs|

* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976

All-Star Games|

* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976

General|

* Champions
* Arenas
* Awards and honors
* Broadcasters
* ABA–NBA merger (1976 ABA dispersal draft)
* ABA All-Time Team

* v
* t
* e

1973–74 ABA season by team

* All-Star Game
* Draft
* Playoffs

Eastern Division|

* Carolina Cougars
* Kentucky Colonels
* Memphis Tams
* New York Nets
* Virginia Squires

Western Division|

* Denver Rockets
* Indiana Pacers
* San Antonio Spurs
* San Diego Conquistadors
* Utah Stars

* v
* t
* e

New York Nets 1973–74 ABA champions

* 4 Ladner
* 5 Paultz
* 12 Gale
* 14 Taylor
* 15 Schaeffer
* 23 Williamson
* 25 Melchionni
* 32 Erving (Playoffs MVP)
* 35 Kenon
* 40 Sojourner
* 44 O'Brien

* Head coach Loughery

* Regular season
* Playoffs

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template