1967-68 NBA Season

As originally posted by Tony Miller:

The NBA expanded again in the fall of 1967, with new entries in Seattle and San Diego bringing membership to 12. The Rockets played at San Diego Sports Arena, while the SuperSonics took flight from the Seattle Center Coliseum. They finished sixth and fifth, respectively, in the West.

In order to maintain an equal number of teams in each division, the Pistons moved East. (Not literally, of course – Cobo Arena stayed in place.)

The Bulls left the International Amphitheatre for Chicago Stadium, moving north about six miles to double their capacity. The Stadium joined Boston Garden as the only two NBA arenas with analog scoreboard clocks, but Boston replaced its scoreboard the next year.

In Philadelphia, the 76ers moved from Convention Hall to the newly-built Spectrum ... at least for part of the year. On March 1, part of the roof blew off during the Ice Capades, leaving the 76ers to play their final six regular-season home games and first three playoff tilts at Convention Hall or the Palestra.

The Lakers also moved, exiting the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena for the Great Western Forum in Inglewood. The Sports Arena would not host the NBA for 17 seasons, although the ABA Stars spent two years there. Speaking of the ABA, that league also started play in ’67, with 11 teams – but it had no national TV.

The division semifinals expanded from best-of-5 to best-of-7, creating what Moses Malone might dub the “fo’, fo’, fo’” era.

Data taken from ”The NBA on ABC 1964-65 to 1972-73”. Additional listings and significant clarifications on which games have been confirmed came from jtgrace1 and Jeff79.

DECEMBER

Sunday 12/24:

Warriors-Sonics, 5:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Monday 12/25:

Lakers-Rockets, 5:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

JANUARY

Sunday 1/7:

76ers-Royals, 5:00, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 1/21:

Rockets-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Tuesday 1/23:

NBA All-Star Game at New York

West-East, 8:30, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 1/28:

Warriors-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

FEBRUARY

Sunday 2/4:

Knicks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 2/11:

Lakers-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 2/18:

Celtics-Royals, 5:00, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 2/25:

76ers-Hawks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

(Note: 2/25 was the last NBA telecast from Missouri until the ‘70s.)

MARCH

Sunday 3/3:

Warriors-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/10:

76ers-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/17:

Knicks-Warriors, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/24:

East semis, g1: Pistons-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/31:

East semis, g5: Knicks-76ers (at Convention Hall), 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

East semis, g5: Pistons-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Jerry Gross

The two games above are marked “alternating coverage” in Jeff79’s notes.

APRIL

Sunday 4/14:

East final, g4: 76ers-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 4/21:

NBA Finals, g1: Lakers-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

(Note: no telecast 4/7. Game 2 of PHI-BOS was scheduled, but the game was postponed after Martin Luther King's assassination on 4/4.)