1969–70 Washington Caps season

The 1969–70 Washington Caps season was the first and only one for the franchise in the American Basketball Association. On August 21, 1969, the Oakland Oaks moved to Washington, D.C., due to substantial financial losses despite winning the second-ever ABA championship only weeks earlier. The franchise was purchased for $2.6 million by a group led by Earl Foreman, Thomas Shaheen and Louis Diamond.

1969–70 Washington Caps season
Head coachAl Bianchi
ArenaUline Arena
Results
Record4440 (.524)
PlaceDivision: 3rd
Playoff finishLost in Division Semifinals
RadioWMAL

However reluctantly, superstar forward Rick Barry was among seven members of the talented Oaks team who made the move from coast to coast. It was grossly misplaced in the Western Division, however, which resulted in a brutal travel schedule. Not only did the team have to compete against the NBA's more established Baltimore Bullets nearby, but it lacked a modern arena to attract fans and forge a home-court advantage. It played several designated home games at neutral sites, including five in Los Angeles, nearly 2,700 miles from home.

Despite these hardships, the Caps did well to finish in third place with a respectable 44-40 record and earn a playoff berth. They faced the Denver Rockets in round one, losing in seven games despite Barry's heroic 52-point performance in Game 7 on the road. It marked the first and to date only time that a player scored as many as 50 points in a seventh game at the ABA or NBA level.

In anticipation of an ABA–NBA merger that would take years to complete, Foreman was encouraged to move the team from Washington to placate the Bullets after the season. For the third time in as many years, the franchise played in a different state in the 1969-70 campaign, this time as a regional team known as Virginia Squires.[1]

Roster

Final standings

Western Division

Western Division W L PCT GB
Denver Rockets *5133.607 -
Dallas Chaparrals *4539.5366.0
Washington Caps *4440.5247.0
Los Angeles Stars *4341.5128.0
New Orleans Buccaneers4242.5009.0

Playoffs

Western Division Semifinals vs. Denver Rockets[2]

GameDateLocationScoreRecordAttendance
1April 17Denver111–1300–19,822
2April 18Denver133–1430–29,889
3April 19Washington125–1201–21,748
4April 22Washington131–1142–25,497
5April 23Denver110–1322–37,141
6April 25Washington116–1113–33,186
7April 28Denver119–1433–49,893

Caps lose series, 4–3

Awards, records, and honors

1970 ABA All-Star Game played on January 24, 1970

References

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