1967–68 Denver Rockets season
The 1967-68 ABA season was the inaugural season of the American Basketball Association and the Denver Rockets. This was the first professional basketball played in Denver since the original Denver Nuggets disbanded in 1950. They finished 45-33, which was good enough to qualify for a playoff spot, as the third team out of four. They lost in the first round. This was their first of three consecutive playoff appearances, and first of ten appearances in the franchise's first twelve years.
Roster
No. |
Player |
Position |
Height |
Weight |
Birth Date |
Experience (years) |
College |
40 |
Byron Beck |
C |
6-9 |
225 |
January 25, 1945 |
R |
University of Denver |
50 |
Tommie Bowens |
PF |
6-8 |
220 |
July 7, 1940 |
R |
Grambling State University |
14-23 |
Jeffrey Congdon |
PG |
6-1 |
180 |
October 17, 1943 |
R |
Brigham Young University |
12 |
Chuck Gardner |
PF |
6-8 |
205 |
September 30, 1944 |
R |
University of Colorado |
22 |
Julian Hammond |
SF |
6-5 |
205 |
May 27, 1943 |
R |
University of Tulsa |
54 |
Wayne Hightower |
PF |
6-8 |
192 |
January 14, 1940 |
5 |
University of Kansas |
24 |
Tom Hoover |
C |
6-9 |
230 |
January 23, 1941 |
3 |
Villanova University |
30 |
Ron Horn |
SF |
6-7 |
220 |
May 24, 1938 |
2 |
Indiana University |
32 |
Larry Jones |
PG |
6-2 |
180 |
September 22, 1942 |
1 |
University of Toledo |
30 |
R.B. Lynam |
G |
6-1 |
190 |
|
R |
Oklahoma Baptist University |
30 |
Richard Moore |
SG |
6-2 |
190 |
|
R |
Hiram Scott College |
14 |
John Morrison |
G |
6-2 |
190 |
May 2, 1945 |
R |
Canisius College |
44 |
Willie Murrell |
SF |
6-6 |
225 |
September 13, 1941 |
R |
Kansas State University |
10 |
Grant Simmons |
PG |
6-3 |
190 |
March 7, 1943 |
R |
University of Nebraska |
20 |
Willis Thomas |
SG |
6-2 |
185 |
|
R |
Tennessee State University |
42 |
Lonnie Wright |
SG |
6-2 |
205 |
January 23, 1944 |
R |
Colorado State University |
Season standings
Eastern Division
Team |
Wins |
Loses |
Pct. |
Pittsburgh Pipers |
54 |
24 |
.692 |
Minnesota Muskies |
50 |
28 |
.641 |
Indiana Pacers |
38 |
40 |
.487 |
Kentucky Colonels |
36 |
42 |
.462 |
New Jersey Americans |
36 |
42 |
.462 |
Western Division
Team |
Wins |
Loses |
Pct. |
New Orleans Buccaneers |
48 |
30 |
.615 |
Dallas Chaparrals |
46 |
32 |
.590 |
Denver Rockets |
45 |
33 |
.577 |
Houston Mavericks |
29 |
49 |
.372 |
Anaheim Amigos |
25 |
53 |
.321 |
Oakland Oaks |
22 |
56 |
.282[1] |
Playoffs
Western Division Semifinals[2]
Game | Date | Location | Score | Record | Attendance |
1 | March 26 | New Orleans | 104-130 | 0-1 | 3,111 |
2 | March 27 | New Orleans | 93-105 | 0-2 | 3,622 |
3 | March 30 | Denver | 105-98 | 1-2 | 3,678 |
4 | March 31 | Denver | 108-100 | 2–2 | 3,485 |
5 | April 3 | New Orleans | 97-102 | 2-3 | 4500 |
Rockets lose 3-2
Game log
Statistics
Num | Name | University | Pos | GP | Reb | Asts | Pts | RPG | APG | PPG |
10 | Grant Simmons | Nebraska | G | 78 | 240 | 182 | 793 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 10.2 |
12 | Charles Gardner | Colorado | F | 42 | 136 | 13 | 197 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 4.7 |
14 | Jeff Congdon | Brigham Young | G | 41 | 34 | 59 | 159 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.9 |
14 | John Morrison | Canisius | G | 9 | 9 | 7 | 27 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 3.0 |
20 | Willis Thomas | Tennessee State | G | 24 | 58 | 25 | 294 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 12.3 |
22 | Julian Hammond | Tulsa | C/F | 74 | 327 | 62 | 591 | 4.4 | 0.8 | 8.0 |
24 | Tom Hoover | Villanova | C | 70 | 491 | 64 | 454 | 7.0 | 0.9 | 6.5 |
30 | R. B. Lynam | Oklahoma Baptist | G | 7 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
30 | Ron Horn | Indiana | F | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
30 | Richard Moore | Hiram Scott | 18 | 19 | 8 | 69 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 3.8 |
32 | Larry Jones | Toledo | G | 76 | 599 | 270 | 1742 | 7.9 | 3.6 | 22.9 |
40 | Byron Beck | Denver | C/F | 71 | 559 | 38 | 669 | 7.9 | 0.5 | 9.4 |
42 | Lonnie Wright | Colorado State | G | 38 | 96 | 68 | 373 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 9.8 |
44 | Willie Murrell | Kansas State | F | 71 | 637 | 164 | 1165 | 9.0 | 0.9 | 16.4 |
50 | Tom Bowens | Grambling | F/C | 67 | 374 | 41 | 410 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 6.1 |
54 | Wayne Hightower | Kansas | F | 74 | 536 | 143 | 1282 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 17.3[3] |
Awards and records
References
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- Franchise
- Denver Rockets (1967–1974)
- Denver Nuggets (1974–present)
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Eastern Division | |
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Western Division | |
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