1975–76 NBA season

The 1975–76 NBA season was the 30th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.

Notable occurrences

 * Larry O'Brien begins his tenure as the league's third commissioner.
 * The 1976 NBA All-Star Game was played at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, with the Eastern Conference beating the Western Conference 123–109. Dave Bing of the Washington Bullets wins the game's MVP award.
 * The Kansas City-Omaha Kings are renamed the Kansas City Kings as they settle into a permanent home in Kansas City, Missouri.
 * The New Orleans Jazz moved into the cavernous Louisiana Superdome after splitting their inaugural season between two inadequate facilities, the Loyola University Fieldhouse and New Orleans Municipal Auditorium.
 * The Houston Rockets play their inaugural season in The Summit.
 * It was the final season for Don Nelson, Pat Riley and Jerry Sloan as players. Each would go on to coach more than 2,000 games in the NBA.
 * This was the final season before the NBA-ABA merger. In the 1976 offseason, four ABA teams joined the NBA: the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and the reigning ABA champion New York Nets, who relocated to New Jersey.
 * It was the first season for Darryl Dawkins, World B. Free, and Kobe Bryant's dad Joe Bryant.
 * Dick Bavetta began his Hall of Fame officiating career, replacing the retired Mendy Rudolph, who suffered a blood clot in his lung during a 1975 playoff game and became an analyst for CBS Sports. Bavetta went on to set the record for most games officiated with 2,635 by the time he retired in 2014.
 * Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named the league's Most Valuable Player despite his team missing the playoffs. He remains the only league MVP to miss the playoffs.
 * The NBA Finals were contested by the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns. Phoenix was making their first finals appearance; Boston was making their fourteenth.
 * Game 4 of the NBA Finals was first game ever played in the month of June.
 * Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Suns went into triple-overtime before the Celtics prevailed 128–126. This was the first triple-overtime game in NBA finals history; the only triple-overtime finals game since occurred in 1993, in which the Phoenix Suns were again participating.

By conference
Notes
 * z, y – division champions
 * x – clinched playoff spot

NBA awards

 * Most Valuable Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
 * Rookie of the Year: Alvan Adams, Phoenix Suns
 * Coach of the Year: Bill Fitch, Cleveland Cavaliers


 * All-NBA First Team:
 * F – Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors
 * F – George McGinnis, Philadelphia 76ers
 * C – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
 * G – Nate Archibald, Kansas City Kings
 * G – Pete Maravich, New Orleans Jazz


 * All-NBA Second Team:
 * F – Elvin Hayes, Washington Bullets
 * F – John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
 * C – Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics
 * G – Randy Smith, Buffalo Braves
 * G – Phil Smith, Golden State Warriors


 * NBA All-Rookie Team:
 * Joe Meriweather, Houston Rockets
 * Alvan Adams, Phoenix Suns
 * Lionel Hollins, Portland Trail Blazers
 * John Shumate, Phoenix Suns/Buffalo Braves
 * Gus Williams, Golden State Warriors


 * NBA All-Defensive First Team:
 * Paul Silas, Boston Celtics
 * John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
 * Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics
 * Norm Van Lier, Chicago Bulls
 * Slick Watts, Seattle SuperSonics


 * NBA All-Defensive Second Team:
 * Jim Brewer, Cleveland Cavaliers
 * Jamaal Wilkes, Golden State Warriors
 * Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
 * Jim Cleamons, Cleveland Cavaliers
 * Phil Smith, Golden State Warriors