| 1969–70 ABA season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 17, 1969 – May 25, 1970 |
| Number of games | 84 |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Indiana Pacers |
| Season MVP | Spencer Haywood (Denver) |
| Top scorer | Spencer Haywood (Denver) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Indiana Pacers |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Stars |
| ABA seasons | |
The 1969–70 ABA season was the third season of the American Basketball Association. Prior to the start of the season, the Minnesota Pipers moved back to Pittsburgh, the Oakland Oaks moved to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Caps and the Houston Mavericks moved to North Carolina and became the Carolina Cougars. For the regular-season, the schedule was increased from 78 to 84 games per team. The season ended with the Indiana Pacers capturing their first ABA Championship.
Spencer Haywood, a rookie from the University of Detroit, led the ABA in scoring (30.0 ppg) and rebounding (19.5 rpg) for the Denver Rockets. Haywood was professional basketball's first "hardship case", leaving college after his sophomore season. The NBA prohibited him from declaring for its draft, and he signed with the Rockets instead, leading them to the Western Division championship.
| 1969-70 American Basketball Association | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Carolina Cougars | Greensboro, North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina |
Greensboro Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum Dorton Arena |
15,000 9,605 7,610 |
| Indiana Pacers | Indianapolis, Indiana | Indiana State Fair Coliseum | 10,000 | |
| Kentucky Colonels | Louisville, Kentucky | Louisville Convention Center | 6,000 | |
| Miami Floridians | Miami, Florida | Dinner Key Auditorium Miami-Dade Junior College North Gym |
6,900 N/A | |
| New York Nets | West Hempstead, New York | Island Garden | 5,200 | |
| Pittsburgh Pipers | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Civic Arena | 12,580 | |
| Western | Dallas Chaparrals | University Park, Texas Dallas, Texas |
Moody Coliseum Dallas Memorial Auditorium |
8,998 9,815 |
| Denver Rockets | Denver, Colorado | Denver Auditorium Arena | 6,841 | |
| Los Angeles Stars | Los Angeles, California | Los Angeles Sports Arena | 14,795 | |
| New Orleans Buccaneers | New Orleans, Louisiana | Loyola Field House | 6,500 | |
| Washington Caps | Washington, D.C. | Washington Coliseum | 7,000 | |
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Pacers * | 59 | 25 | .702 | — |
| Kentucky Colonels * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 14.0 |
| Carolina Cougars * | 42 | 42 | .500 | 17.0 |
| New York Nets * | 39 | 45 | .464 | 20.0 |
| Pittsburgh Pipers | 29 | 55 | .345 | 30.0 |
| Miami Floridians | 23 | 61 | .274 | 36.0 |
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Rockets * | 51 | 33 | .607 | — |
| Dallas Chaparrals * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 6.0 |
| Washington Caps * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 7.0 |
| Los Angeles Stars * | 43 | 41 | .512 | 8.0 |
| New Orleans Buccaneers | 42 | 42 | .500 | 9.0 |
Asterisk (*) denotes playoff team
Bold – ABA champions
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American Basketball Association seasons
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| Seasons |
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| Playoffs |
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| All-Star Games |
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1969–70 ABA season by team
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| Eastern Division |
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| Western Division |
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