1968–69 NBA season
| 1968–69 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Wes Unseld (Baltimore) |
| Top scorer | Elvin Hayes (San Diego) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Boston Celtics |
| Eastern runners-up | New York Knicks |
| Western champions | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Western runners-up | Atlanta Hawks |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Boston Celtics |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Finals MVP | Jerry West (L.A. Lakers) |
The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.
The Philadelphia 76ers, champions two seasons ago and the favorites last year, lost two key leaders before the season. Coach Alex Hannum jumped to the ABA for more money. Wilt Chamberlain, who absorbed criticism after their loss to Boston last year just days after the King murder, demanded a trade out of his hometown. Hollywood was calling. So he would make major waves by joining Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and the Los Angeles Lakers. Never before had three such highly rated NBA stars become teammates. It put Chamberlain's team in the favorite role for the third straight year.
Four NBA teams won 50 or more games this year. While Russell and Chamberlain remained the subject of much discussion, the team of the year was the Baltimore Bullets. Just 36–46 a year ago, the Bullets rallied around 6' 7 250-pound rookie Wes Unseld and won a league-high 57 of 82 NBA games. Unseld was fifth in the league in rebounds and showed remarkable strength under the boards. Unseld also thrilled with his tremendous outlet passes, which drew comparisons to Russell and Chamberlain. A boycotter of the Mexico City Olympics, Unseld found new life and fans in Baltimore. Guard Earl Monroe, himself a major fan draw with his collection of offensive moves, followed up on his Rookie of the Year trophy from a year ago to finish second in the NBA in scoring. Teammate Kevin Loughery added 22.6 games as well. Coach Gene Shue's eight-man rotation sank more field goals than any other team. But Gus Johnson's knee injury was a dark cloud for the coming playoffs.
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