1968-69 NBA Season

As originally posted by Tony Miller:

The NBA expanded for the third straight year in 1968. The Milwaukee Bucks joined the Eastern Division in Milwaukee Arena, while the Phoenix Suns joined the Western Division at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Both expansion teams finished last.

The Hawks flew the coop in St. Louis, heading to Atlanta where they would spend four years as Georgia Tech’s tenants at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Atlanta remained in the West, a bit of geographic inaccuracy that Major League Baseball also coincidentally adopted that winter.

The Knicks moved out of Madison Square Garden III, at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street, in favor of MSG IV, at Eighth and 33rd.

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

Wednesday 12/25:

Lakers-Suns, 2:30, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

JANUARY

Sunday 1/5:

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

Tuesday 1/14:

NBA All-Star Game at Baltimore

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

Sunday 1/19:

Warriors-76ers, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 1/26:

Bullets-Celtics, 1:55, ABC regional. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Lakers-Royals (at Cleveland), 1:55, ABC regional. Merle Harmon, analyst unknown

FEBRUARY

Sunday 2/2:

Knicks-Celtics, 1:55, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 2/9:

76ers-Celtics, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 2/16:

Celtics-76ers, 1:55, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 2/23:

Bullets-Royals, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

MARCH

Sunday 3/2:

76ers-Pistons, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/9:

Knicks-76ers, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/16:

Lakers-Celtics, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/23:

Bullets-Celtics, 1:55, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 3/30:

East semis, g3: Knicks-Bullets, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

(Scheduled coverage pre-empted for funeral of President Eisenhower.)

APRIL

Sunday 4/6:

East finals, g1: Celtics-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 4/13:

East finals, g4: Knicks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Jim Gordon, Jack Twyman

Friday 4/18:

East finals, g6: Knicks-Celtics, 7:30, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Sunday 4/20:

West finals, g5: Hawks-Lakers, 3:30, ABC. Jerry Gross, Jack Twyman

Sunday 4/27:

NBA Finals, g3: Lakers-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Tuesday 4/29:

NBA Finals, g4: Lakers-Celtics, 8:00, syndicated. Bob Wolff, Ed McCauley

MAY

Thursday 5/1:

NBA Finals, g5: Celtics-Lakers, 11:00, syndicated. Commentators unknown

Saturday 5/3:

NBA Finals, g6: Lakers-Celtics, 5:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

Monday 5/5:

NBA Finals, g7: Celtics-Lakers, 10:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Jack Twyman

(1969 was the first year with national NBA telecasts in May.)