1974–75 NBA season
| 1974–75 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Number of games | 82 |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| TV partner(s) | CBS |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Bob McAdoo (Buffalo) |
| Top scorer | Bob McAdoo (Buffalo) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Washington Bullets |
| Eastern runners-up | Boston Celtics |
| Western champions | Golden State Warriors |
| Western runners-up | Chicago Bulls |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Golden State Warriors |
| Runners-up | Washington Bullets |
| Finals MVP | Rick Barry (Golden State) |
The 1974–75 NBA season was the 29th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Golden State Warriors winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Washington Bullets 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors, with a record of 48–34, had low expectations against the Boston Celtics and the Bullets, both whom finished with records of 60–22.
At the start of the 1974–75 season, the Warriors underwent numerous roster changes, trading away Nate Thurmond for Clifford Ray, a first-round draft pick and $500,000 cash, which was the original motive of the trade. This led some sports writers to predict the Warriors would not even make the playoffs.
Drafting Keith Wilkes (rookie of the year) proved a master stroke as many questioned his ability to handle the rigors of play in the NBA. His play along with finals MVP Rick Barry, (First Team All NBA) and supported by such players as Clifford Ray, Butch Beard and the rest of an able supporting cast, proved to be enough to combat the tough and flashy Bullets, who had a very balanced and strong team with the likes of Wes Unseld, Kevin Porter and Elvin Hayes.
Until 2015, this was the only championship won by the Warriors in the San Francisco Bay area.
The defending champion Boston Celtics were the topic of much discussion as the season started. The team had upset Milwaukee and super giant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a year ago, bringing the team full circle from the days of Bill Russell. Cowens was second again in rebounds while scoring over 20 points per game. The Celtics roared to 60 wins this year, despite losing Dave Cowens with a broken foot at the 65-game mark. Jo Jo White was right there with the two stars in scoring, while Paul Silas continued his solid tradition of rebounding. Reserve Don Nelson, the future coaching great, shot just often enough to lead the NBA in accuracy from the floor. Boston's ability to outrebound and outpass teams led to many of those wins. The NBA's other 60-win team was the Washington Bullets. The team had a different name for the third straight year, but the same core of players. Elvin Hayes and Phil Chenier were the scorers, while Wes Unseld led the NBA in rebounds. Kevin Porter, a 6-foot fleet splinter, led the league in assists and foulouts and became a key part of the club. Even Mike Riordan, the discarded Knick, paid some dividends at forward. With Cowens battling injuries, they became a popular favorite in the East. Hayes, in particular, turned in another All-Pro caliber season as a leading rebounder and shot blocker. His inside defense, in combination with Unseld, created a lot of missed shots for opponents. While the NBA boasted two 60-win giants this year, no other team won over 50 games, a surprising fact. Nine teams did win 40 games or more to show the rising balance of the league. The best of these were Buffalo, Golden State and Chicago.
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