1972-73 NBA Season

As originally posted by Tony Miller:

Before the 1972-1973 season, pro basketball in Cincinnati met its end. The Royals left Cincinnati for Kansas City, and because the name “Kansas City Royals” was in use by a baseball team, they changed their name to the Kings. For their first three years in Missouri, the club was officially a two-city team, splitting time between Municipal Auditorium in KC and the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Nebraska.

The Kings moved to the Midwest Division, joining Milwaukee, Detroit and Chicago; they bumped the Suns into the Pacific Division, who in turn moved the Rockets into the Central Division slot Cincinnati had held.

The Hawks changed arenas in Atlanta, moving from Alexander Memorial Coliseum at Georgia Tech to The Omni.

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.

For the game that is not confirmed, the initials of jtgrace1’s guesses are given in parentheses. These are, for the sake of emphasis, GUESSES.

DECEMBER

Monday 12/25:

Bulls-Suns, 3:30, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

JANUARY

Sunday 1/7:

Lakers-Bucks, 3:30, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 1/14:

Lakers-Hawks, 1:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Sunday 1/21:

Knicks-Rockets, 2:00, ABC regional. Chris Schenkel, Marv Albert

Warriors-Bucks, 2:00, ABC regional. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Tuesday 1/23:

NBA All-Star Game at Chicago

East-West, 9:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell, Dave Diles

ABC cut away late in the first half to show President Nixon's brief address on Vietnam.

Sunday 1/28:

Knicks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

FEBRUARY

Sunday 2/4:

Lakers-Bullets (at College Park, Md.), 2:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 2/11:

Bucks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Sunday 2/18:

Bucks-Bullets (at College Park, Md.), 2:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 2/25:

Bucks-Lakers, 4:45, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

MARCH

Sunday 3/4:

Knicks-Bullets (at College Park, Md.), 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Sunday 3/11:

Knicks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Sunday 3/18:

Kings-Celtics, 2:00, ABC regional. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Bucks-Hawks, 3:30, ABC regional. Keith Jackson, color unknown

Sunday 3/25:

Lakers-Sonics, 4:45, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

APRIL

Sunday 4/1:

East semis, g2: Bullets-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Sunday 4/8:

East semis, g5: Bullets-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

West semis, g4: Lakers-Bulls, 4:15, ABC. Keith Jackson, Johnny Egan

Friday 4/13:

West semis, g6: Lakers-Bulls, 8:30, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 4/15:

East finals, g1: Knicks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Friday 4/20:

East finals, g3: Knicks-Celtics, 8:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 4/22:

East finals, g4: Celtics-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Wednesday 4/25:

East finals, g5: Knicks-Celtics, 8:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Friday 4/27:

East finals, g6: Celtics-Knicks, 9:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 4/29:

East finals, g7: Knicks-Celtics, 2:00, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

MAY

Thursday 5/3:

NBA Finals, g2: Knicks-Lakers, 10:30, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Sunday 5/6:

NBA Finals, g3: Lakers-Knicks, 2:00, ABC. Chris Schenkel, Bill Russell

Tuesday 5/8:

NBA Finals, g4: Lakers-Knicks, 8:30, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell

Thursday 5/10:

NBA Finals, g5: Knicks-Lakers, 10:30, ABC. Keith Jackson, Bill Russell