The 1968–69 Oakland Oaks season was the 2nd and final season of the Oaks of the ABA. The Oaks finished first in the Western Division and won their first and only ABA title. They were helped in part by the hiring of Alex Hannum and Rick Barry for $85,000 per year.
| 1968–69 Oakland Oaks season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Alex Hannum |
| General manager | Scotty Stirling |
| Arena | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 60–18 (.769) |
| Place | Division: 1st |
| Playoff finish | Won ABA Championship |
In the ABA Western Division Semifinals, they defeated the Denver Rockets in seven games. In the ABA Western Division Finals, they swept the previous Division Champion, the New Orleans Buccaneers, in four games. Lastly, they beat the Indiana Pacers in five games to secure the title.[1]
However, the team operated at a loss. Despite being owned by singer Pat Boone, S. Kenneth Davidson and Dennis A. Murphy, the team lost money due to the proximity of the San Francisco Warriors. Despite winning the title, the team moved to Washington to become the Washington Caps.
Roster
edit- 11 Larry Brown (Point guard, University of North Carolina)
- 12 Henry Logan (Point guard, Western Carolina University)
- 14 Russ Critchfield (Point guard, University of California)
- 24 Rick Barry (Small forward, University of Miami)
- 30 Gary Bradds (Power forward, Ohio State University)
- 31 Warren Jabali (Shooting guard, Wichita State University)
- 32 John Clawson (Small forward, University of Michigan)
- 33 Ira Harge (Center, University of New Mexico)
- 34 Doug Moe (Small forward, University of North Carolina)
- 40 Mel Peterson (Shooting guard, Wheaton College)
- 42 Jim Eakins (Center, Brigham Young University)
- 44 Andrew Anderson (Guard, Canisius College)
Bold indicates the player was on the final roster prior to the playoffs.
Season standings
edit| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Oaks | 60 | 18 | .769 | - |
| New Orleans Buccaneers | 46 | 32 | .590 | 14 |
| Denver Rockets | 44 | 34 | .564 | 16 |
| Dallas Chaparrals | 41 | 37 | .526 | 19 |
| Los Angeles Stars | 33 | 45 | .423 | 27 |
| Houston Mavericks | 23 | 55 | .295 | 37 |
Playoffs
editWestern Division Semifinals[2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 5 | Oakland | 129–99 | 1–0 | 2,358 |
| 2 | April 6 | Oakland | 119–122 | 1–1 | 1,580 |
| 3 | April 8 | Denver | 121–99 | 2–1 | 5,062 |
| 4 | April 10 | Denver | 108–109 | 2–2 | 5,431 |
| 5 | April 12 | Oakland | 128–118 | 3–2 | 3,156 |
| 6 | April 13 | Denver | 115–126 | 3–3 | 6,481 |
| 7 | April 16 | Oakland | 115–102 | 4–3 | 5,123 |
Oaks win series, 4–3
Division Finals[2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 19 | Oakland | 128–118 | 1–0 | 2,848 |
| 2 | April 21 | Oakland | 135–124 | 2–0 | 1,749 |
| 3 | April 23 | New Orleans | 113–107 | 3–0 | 4,253 |
| 4 | April 25 | New Orleans | 128–114 | 4–0 | 3,583 |
Oaks win series, 4–0
ABA Finals[2]
| Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | April 30 | Oakland | 123–114 | 1–0 | 3,290 |
| 2 | May 2 | Oakland | 122–150 | 1–1 | 4,171 |
| 3 | May 3 | Indiana | 134–126 (OT) | 2–1 | 8,467 |
| 4 | May 5 | Indiana | 144–117 | 3–1 | 7,133 |
| 5 | May 7 | Oakland | 135–131 (OT) | 4–1 | 6,340 |
Oaks win series, 4–1 For scoring 21.5 points per game with 9.7 rebounds per game during the playoffs, Warren Jabali was named Playoffs MVP.
Awards, records, and honors
editReferences
edit- ^ "1968-69 Oakland Oaks Roster and Stats".
- ^ a b c "Remember the ABA: 1968-69 Regular Season Standings and Playoff Results". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2016.