[EDIT 6/22/2015: Removing the apostrophes Microsoft Word forces.]
I cannot apologize enough to myself for missing those two updates, but I couldn't get to a place where I could update this for most of the last three months. Here's what I would have posted in October: a look at all of basketball; at the end of 1974, it was too early for most of the season to have happened at either level.
PRO BASKETBALL
Bill Walton is the #1 pick in the '74 NBA Draft, and he goes to the Portland Trail Blazers. In his first season, he gets 441 rebounds in 35 games.
The NBA's New Orleans Jazz play their first season. LSU alumnus Pete Maravich is traded to the Jazz from the Atlanta Hawks May 3, 1974. The Jazz play at Municipal Auditorium (capacity 7,853) until the Louisiana Superdome (47,284) opens in '75.
Three arenas that open for NBA and ABA teams as well as NHL and WHA teams are Richfield Coliseum (home of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders), Market Square Arena in Indianapolis (ABA Indiana Pacers and WHA Indianapolis Racers), and Kemper Arena in Kansas City (NBA Kings, NHL Scouts).
The Capital Bullets change their name to the Washington Bullets.
Among the NBA-ABA exhibitions in the preseason is Sept. 28, when the New York Nets defeat the Bullets 101-98 in overtime at the Capital Centre. Due to an error in handling luggage, Erving and four other Nets players have to wear Bullets road uniforms.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays what will prove to be his final season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
This season, Rick Barry of the Golden State Warriors makes a free throw in the pros for the 4000th time.
Lenny Wilkens, having coached the Seattle SuperSonics for three years before, is back after a two-year absence and begins his stint as coach of the Trail Blazers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
In his final year at NC State, David Thompson averages 29.9 points per game and gets 229 rebounds (8.2 per game). The Hawks will use their #1 overall pick in the '75 NBA Draft on him, but he will go to the ABA's Denver Nuggets (Rockets until '74) after they trade with the Virginia Squires, who also make him the #1 overall pick.
This season is the last for UCLA coach John Wooden. By March, it will be UCLA's last appearance in the NCAA tournament under Wooden, and the school's tenth championship season.
Pat Head (later Summitt) begins her long coaching career with the Tennessee Lady Vols soon after graduating from the University of Tennessee-Martin.
Bob McCurdy of Richmond leads Division I of the NCAA with 32.9 PPG.
This season will be followed by the first Division III tournament.
Larry Bird, age 18 as of Dec. 7 and fresh out of Springs Valley High School in French Lick, Indiana, initially goes to Indiana University, but quickly transfers to Indiana State.
Bill Walton in the '70s, as Clippers broadcaster Ralph Lawler recounts
The Jazz when they got their name and logo, according to, well, the Jazz
ABA-NBA exhibitions on RememberTheABA.com
David Thompson video highlights from NCAA Web site
John Wooden's last championship, according to the school he beat, Kentucky
Something on Larry Bird's time at IU from Inside The Hall
And that's all I prepared for 2013-14. Thanks for viewing.
COMING SOON: A special bonus.
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