| 1967–68 NBA season | |
| League: | National Basketball Association |
| Sport: | Basketball |
| Duration: | October 13, 1967 – March 20, 1968 March 22 – April 19, 1968 (Playoffs) April 21 – May 2, 1968 (Finals) |
| No Of Games: | 82 |
| No Of Teams: | 12 |
| Tv: | ABC |
| Draft: | Draft |
| Draft Link: | 1967 NBA draft |
| Top Pick Link: | List of first overall NBA draft picks |
| Top Pick: | Jimmy Walker |
| Picked By: | Detroit Pistons |
| Season: | Regular season |
| Top Seed: | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Mvp: | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
| Mvp Link: | NBA MVP |
| Top Scorer: | Dave Bing (Detroit) |
| Playoffs: | Playoffs |
| Playoffs Link: | 1968 NBA playoffs |
| Conf1: | Eastern |
| Conf1 Link: | Eastern Division (NBA) |
| Conf1 Champ: | Boston Celtics |
| Conf1 Runner-Up: | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Conf2: | Western |
| Conf2 Link: | Western Division (NBA) |
| Conf2 Champ: | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Conf2 Runner-Up: | San Francisco Warriors |
| Finals: | Finals |
| Finals Link: | 1968 NBA Finals |
| Finals Champ: | Boston Celtics |
| Finals Runner-Up: | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Seasonslist: | List of NBA seasons |
| Seasonslistnames: | NBA |
| Prevseason Link: | 1966–67 NBA season |
| Prevseason Year: | 1966–67 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1968–69 NBA season |
| Nextseason Year: | 1968–69 |
The 1967–68 NBA season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals.
| Team | 1966–67 coach | 1967–68 coach | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Royals | Jack McMahon | Ed Jucker | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Fred Schaus | Butch Van Breda Kolff | |
| New York Knicks | Vince Boryla | Dick McGuire | |
| San Diego Rockets | Expansion | Jack McMahon | |
| Seattle SuperSonics | Expansion | Al Bianchi | |
| In-season | |||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach | |
| New York Knicks | Dick McGuire | Red Holzman | |
| 1967-68 National Basketball Association | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Baltimore Bullets | Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore Civic Center | 11,271 |
| Boston Celtics | Boston, Massachusetts | Boston Garden | 13,909 | |
| Cincinnati Royals | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cincinnati Gardens | 11,000 | |
| Detroit Pistons | Detroit, Michigan | Cobo Arena | 12,191 | |
| New York Knicks | New York, New York | Madison Square Garden | 19,812 | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | The Spectrum | 18,176 | |
| Western | Chicago Bulls | Chicago, Illinois | Chicago Stadium | 18,676 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Inglewood, California | The Forum | 17,505 | |
| San Diego Rockets * | San Diego, California | San Diego International Sports Center | 14,500 | |
| San Francisco Warriors | Daly City, California | Cow Palace | 12,953 | |
| Seattle SuperSonics * | Seattle, Washington | Seattle Center Coliseum | 17,072 | |
| St. Louis Hawks | St. Louis, Missouri | Kiel Auditorium | 9,300 | |
| Expansion team * |
The season began with the Philadelphia 76ers, the dominant winners from a year ago who had ended Boston's dynasty, looking very good to repeat under coach Alex Hannum and superstar Wilt Chamberlain. The Sixers had six scorers over 11 per game, and were again based around their four leading scorers: Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, and Chet Walker. Philadelphia led the league at 122.6 points per game, scoring more field goals and free throws than any other NBA team. They posted a league-high 62 wins in 82 NBA games, now the league standard.
Chamberlain cut his scoring back again to 24.3 per game, but still had one of his best seasons. Typically, he again led the league in rebounds, minutes played, and field goal accuracy at 59.5%. His 932 free throw tries, another NBA high, helped offset his poor shooting there also. Chamberlain also led the entire NBA in assists. His 702 passes for scores were more than even Oscar Robertson that year. Chamberlain's penchant for passing even produced a rare event—a triple-20. 20 points, 20 rebounds and 20 assists all in the same NBA game on February 2, 1968. Chamberlain alleges he also blocked 12 shots in that game. If so, it could be one of possibly 15 quadruple-double games or more that marked his playing days as a Philadelphia 76er. Blocked shots were not then an official NBA statistic. So the truth about this will never be truly verified.
Three other NBA teams won 50 or more games this year, getting some easy ones at the expense of the new clubs in Seattle and San Diego. The St. Louis Hawks, now fully recovered from the retirement of Bob Pettit, posted 56 wins to win the NBA's West Division. Rich Guerin's club got strong rebounding from their front line and got 20-point scoring from All-Pro point guard Lenny Wilkens and center Zelmo Beaty. The Hawks did have seven scorers over ten points per game, but lost Lou Hudson to military service for 35 games, which slowed them down. The Hawks again also had the league's top-rated defense. Following the season, the Hawks would relocate to Atlanta.
The Boston Celtics faced surprising criticism this year, but won 54 games in Bill Russell's second season as player/coach. The 6' 10 225-pound 33-year-old led his team again from his center spot, ranking third in rebounds and shots blocked and quietly finishing tenth in NBA in assists just behind teammate John Havlicek. Havlicek played more guard than forward this year and was an all-star with his strong all-around game. He was one of three 20-point scorers along with Sam Jones and Bailey Howell. Seven Celtics averaged ten points.
The Los Angeles Lakers won 52 games behind the now-legendary tandem of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. West battled injuries again but scored 26.3 points per game, made 51% of his shots from the floor and averaged six assists. He again also had several steals each game, but steals, like blocks, were not an official stat yet. Baylor added 26 points per game of his own and was ninth in NBA rebounds. Center play was still a weakness, but Laker guard Archie Clark added 20 points per game and defense to boost the team. A strong bench as well made the Lakers an improved contender from seasons past.
x – clinched playoff spot
See main article: 1968 NBA playoffs.
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 2,142 | ||
| Rebounds | 1,952 | ||
| Assists | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers | 702 |
| FG% | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers | .595 |
| FT% | .873 | ||
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
Earl Monroe, Baltimore Bullets
Richie Guerin, St. Louis Hawks