1966–67 NBA season | |
---|---|
League | National Basketball Association |
Sport | Basketball |
Number of teams | 10 |
TV partner(s) | ABC |
Regular season | |
Season MVP | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
Top scorer | Rick Barry (San Francisco) |
Playoffs | |
Eastern champions | Philadelphia 76ers |
Eastern runners-up | Boston Celtics |
Western champions | San Francisco Warriors |
Western runners-up | St. Louis Hawks |
Finals | |
Champions | Philadelphia 76ers |
Runners-up | San Francisco Warriors |
The 1966–67 NBA Season was the 21st season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship, beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals, ending the Boston Celtics' record title run at 8.
The Philadelphia 76ers had dismissed coach Dolph Schayes of Syracuse Nationals fame. Alex Hannum, the former 50s power forward who was the last man to coach a winner past Boston, was the new coach. The 43-year-old Hannum looked like he could still play, and often ran with the club in practice.
Hannum's 76ers would share the ball, or play 'Celtic-ball' as some observed. Wilt Chamberlain would not be expected to hold the team afloat like Atlas but would pass more and get the others involved. Chamberlain had bragged in interviews that he was the sport's best passer on top of his other abilities. His eight assists per game set a record for centers and made him third in the NBA overall, scoring 24 per game, while again leading the NBA in rebounds and blocked shots.
Shooting less, he made a league-record 68% of his shots; his 875 free throw attempts, another league record, offset his dismal percentage from the foul line.
The 76ers also had three other players around the 20 point-per-game mark this year in Hal Greer with 22 points, Chet Walker and Billy Cunningham, both with 19 points. All four players combined won a league-record 68 games together under Hannum's watch. The team scored a record 125 points per game, leading all teams in shooting accuracy.