1970–71 ABA season
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox sports season
| title = 1970–71 ABA season
| league = American Basketball Association
| sport = Basketball
| duration = October 14, 1970 – May 18, 1971
| no_of_games = 84
| no_of_teams = 11
| TV =
| draft =
| draft_link =
| top_pick_link =
| top_pick =
| picked_by =
| season = Regular season
| top_seed = Indiana Pacers
| MVP = Mel Daniels (Indiana)
| MVP_link = ABA MVP
| top_scorer = Dan Issel (Kentucky)
| playoffs =
| playoffs_link =
| conf1 =
| conf1_link =
| conf1_champ =
| conf1_runner-up =
| conf2 =
| conf2_link =
| conf2_champ =
| conf2_runner-up =
| finals = Finals
| finals_link = 1971 ABA Playoffs
| finals_champ = Utah Stars
| finals_runner-up = Kentucky Colonels
| seasonslist = List of ABA seasons
| seasonslistnames = ABA
| prevseason_link = 1969–70 ABA season
| prevseason_year = 1969–70
| nextseason_link = 1971–72 ABA season
| nextseason_year = 1971–72
}}
The 1970–71 ABA season was the fourth season of the American Basketball Association.
Notable franchise moves from the previous season included:
- The Washington Caps moved to Norfolk, Virginia, became the Virginia Squires and switched divisions with the Indiana Pacers.
- The Miami Floridians became more of a regional franchise and were renamed simply The Floridians.
- The Los Angeles Stars moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and became the Utah Stars.
- The Dallas Chaparrals became a regional franchise and were renamed the Texas Chaparrals.
- The New Orleans Buccaneers moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and became the Memphis Pros.
Other notable events included the jumping of last season's Most Valuable Player Spencer Haywood from the Denver Rockets to the NBA Seattle SuperSonics after playing just one season with them, which inflamed ABA management amid rumblings of failed talks to merge with the NBA.https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/08/archives/aba-warning-haywood-hassle-stirs-talent-war.html
The Utah Stars, led by Zelmo Beaty and Willie Wise, won the ABA championship, defeating the Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3, in the ABA Finals.
Teams
=Map of teams=
{{CSS crop
|Location=left
|Description=10px Eastern Division 10px Western Division
|bSize=680
|cWidth=650
|cHeight=425
|oLeft=0
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{{Location map+ | United States
| width = 700
| caption =
| places =
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 36.06
| lon_deg = -79.83
| mark = Red pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Carolina
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 38.20
| lon_deg = -85.74
| mark = Red pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = bottom
| label = Kentucky
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 40.71
| lon_deg = -73.66
| mark = Red pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = New York
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 40.44
| lon_deg = -79.99
| mark = Red pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = bottom
| label = Pittsburgh
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 25.79
| lon_deg = -80.13
| mark = Red pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Floridians
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 36.88
| lon_deg = -76.31
| mark = Red pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Virginia
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 39.74
| lon_deg = -105.00
| mark = Blue pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Denver
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 39.83
| lon_deg = -86.14
| mark = Blue pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Indiana
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 35.12
| lon_deg = -89.98
| mark = Blue pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Memphis
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 32.77
| lon_deg = -96.80
| mark = Blue pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Texas
| background=#ffe}}
{{Location map~ | United States
| lat_deg = 40.77
| lon_deg = -111.90
| mark = Blue pog.svg
| label_size = 80
| position = top
| label = Utah
| background=#ffe}}
}}
}}
{{Clear}}
Final standings
=Eastern Division=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ! Team !! W !! L !! PCT. !! GB | ||||
| align="left" | Virginia Squires * | 55 | 29 | .655 | — |
| align="left" | Kentucky Colonels * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 11.0 |
| align="left" | New York Nets * | 40 | 44 | .476 | 15.0 |
| align="left" | The Floridians * | 37 | 47 | .440 | 18.0 |
| align="left" | Pittsburgh Condors | 36 | 48 | .429 | 19.0 |
| align="left" | Carolina Cougars | 34 | 50 | .405 | 21.0 |
=Western Division=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ! Team !! W !! L !! PCT. !! GB | ||||
| align="left" | Indiana Pacers * | 58 | 26 | .690 | — |
| align="left" | Utah Stars * | 57 | 27 | .679 | 1.0 |
| align="left" | Memphis Pros * | 41 | 43 | .488 | 17.0 |
| align="left" | Texas Chaparrals * | 30 | 54 | .357 | 28.0 |
| align="left" | Denver Rockets * | 30 | 54 | .357 | 28.0 |
Asterisk (*) denotes playoff team (the Rockets and the Chaparrals played a one-game playoff to settle the tie for the final playoff spot, which the Chaparrals won)
Bold – ABA champions
Playoffs
{{see also|1971 ABA Playoffs}}
Awards and honors
File:Zelmo Beaty hook shot.jpeg (Utah) was named Playoffs MVP]]
File:Dan Issel (1).jpeg (Kentucky) won the 1970–71 scoring title]]
- ABA Most Valuable Player Award: Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers (2nd time)
- Rookie of the Year: Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires & Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels
- Coach of the Year: Al Bianchi, Virginia Squires
- Playoffs MVP: Zelmo Beaty, Utah Stars
- All-Star Game MVP: Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers
- All-ABA First Team
- Roger Brown, Indiana Pacers (1st First Team selection, 3rd overall selection)
- Rick Barry, New York Nets (3rd selection)
- Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers (4th selection)
- Mack Calvin, The Floridians
- Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires
- All-ABA Second Team
- John Brisker, Pittsburgh Condors
- Joe Caldwell, Carolina Cougars
- Zelmo Beaty, Utah Stars (tied with Issel)
- Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels (tied with Beaty)
- Donnie Freeman, Texas Chaparrals (3rd selection)
- Larry Cannon, Denver Rockets
- All-ABA Rookie Team
- Joe Hamilton, Texas Chaparrals
- Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels
- Wendell Ladner, Memphis Pros
- Samuel Robinson, The Floridians
- Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Sports}}
- [http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/ABA_1971.html 1970-71 ABA Season Summary | Basketball-Reference.com]
{{ABA seasons}}
{{1970–71 ABA season by team}}
{{Utah Stars 1970–71 ABA Champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1970-71 ABA season}}