1970–71 ABA season
| 1970–71 ABA season | ||
|---|---|---|
| League | MVP Mel Daniels (Indiana) | |
| Top scorer | Dan Issel (Kentucky) | |
| Finals | ||
| Champions | Utah Stars | |
| Runners-up | Kentucky Colonels | |
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 The Floridians.
- The Los Angeles Stars moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and became the Utah Stars.
- The Texas Chaparrals.
- The Memphis Pros.
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
| 1970-71 American Basketball Association | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Carolina Cougars | Greensboro, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina |
15,000 9,605 7,610 | |
| Kentucky Colonels | Louisville, Kentucky | Freedom Hall | 16,664 | |
New York Nets
|
West Hempstead, New York | Island Garden | 5,200 | |
| Pittsburgh Condors | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
|
Civic Arena | 12,580 | |
The Floridians
|
Miami Beach, Florida Tampa, Florida St. Petersburg, Florida Jacksonville, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida |
West Palm Beach Auditorium
|
15,000 7,000 7,500 11,000 5,000 | |
| Virginia Squires | Roanoke Civic Center
|
Norfolk, Virginia Hampton, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Salem, Virginia Roanoke, Virginia |
5,200 9,777 6,000 6,820 9,828 | |
| Western | Denver Rockets
|
Denver, Colorado
|
Denver Auditorium Arena | 6,841 |
| Indiana Pacers | Indianapolis, Indiana
|
Indiana State Fair Coliseum
|
10,000 | |
Memphis Pros
|
Memphis, Tennessee | Mid-South Coliseum | 10,085 | |
Texas Chaparrals
|
Tarrant County Coliseum
Lubbock Municipal Coliseum |
8,998 9,815 16,057 11,200 | ||
| Utah Stars | Salt Lake City, Utah
|
Salt Palace | 12,166 | |
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Squires * | 55 | 29 | .655 | — |
| Kentucky Colonels * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 11.0 |
| New York Nets * | 40 | 44 | .476 | 15.0 |
| The Floridians * | 37 | 47 | .440 | 18.0 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 36 | 48 | .429 | 19.0 |
| Carolina Cougars | 34 | 50 | .405 | 21.0 |
Western Division
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers * | 58 | 26 | .690 | — |
| Utah Stars * | 57 | 27 | .679 | 1.0 |
| Memphis Pros * | 41 | 43 | .488 | 17.0 |
| Texas Chaparrals * | 30 | 54 | .357 | 28.0 |
| 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
Awards and honors
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- 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)
- New York Nets(3rd selection)
- Mel Daniels, Indiana Pacers (4th selection)
- 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
- Memphis Pros
- Samuel Robinson, The Floridians
- Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires
