NBA professional basketball team season (1st season in NBA)
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1976–77 Denver Nuggets season , is the Nuggets first season in the NBA, after nine seasons in the ABA.
In their NBA playoffs debut, the Nuggets lost to the eventual NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the First Round.
Offseason
ABA-NBA merger
With the conclusion of the 1975–76 season, the American Basketball Association came to an end with the ABA-NBA merger . Four ABA teams entered the NBA: the Nuggets, the Indiana Pacers , the New York Nets and the San Antonio Spurs . The other ABA teams were folded prior to the merger except for the Kentucky Colonels and Spirits of St. Louis , both of which were folded as part of the league merger.
The Nuggets and the other ABA teams were given harsh obstacles as part of their entry to the NBA. Each team had to pay an entry fee; for the Nuggets it was $3.2 million.[ 1] The Denver and the other four ABA team also received no television money for their first three NBA seasons in the NBA, were not allowed to participate in the 1976 NBA draft, had to be classified as "expansion franchises" (despite longer histories and more success than many NBA teams) and had to go for two years without any vote regarding the distribution of NBA gate receipts or the realignment of NBA divisions.[ 2]
The Nuggets moved from the ABA to the NBA's Midwest Division.[ 3]
NBA draft
As part of the terms of the ABA-NBA merger the Nuggets were prohibited from participating in both the 1976 NBA draft of college players and in the dispersal draft of ABA players from teams that did not enter the NBA.
Roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
PF
40
Beck, Byron
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1945-01-25
Denver
PG
20
Calvin, Mack
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
165 lb (75 kg)
1947-07-27
USC
C
44
Issel, Dan
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1948-10-25
Kentucky
PF
24
Jones, Bobby
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1951-12-18
North Carolina
SG
12
McClain, Ted
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1946-08-30
Tennessee State
PF
35
Silas, Paul
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1943-07-12
Creighton
PG
21
Taylor, Fatty
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1946-03-13
La Salle
SG
33
Thompson, David
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
1954-07-13
NC State
C
10
Webster, Marvin
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1952-04-13
Morgan State
SF
42
Wise, Willie
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1947-03-03
Drake
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
1976–77 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BOS
BUF
CHI
CLE
DEN
DET
GSW
HOU
IND
KCK
LAL
MIL
NOJ
NYK
NYN
PHI
PHO
POR
SAS
SEA
WAS
Atlanta
—
0–4
4–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
0–4
0–4
1–3
0–4
1–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
1–3
3–1
1–3
0–4
3–1
4–0
1–2
1–3
Boston
4–0
—
3–1
2–2
1–3
3–1
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–2
3–1
2–1
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
2–2
1–3
4–0
2–2
0–4
Buffalo
0–4
1–3
—
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
0–3
1–3
1–3
0–3
1–3
3–1
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
0–4
3–1
0–4
Chicago
2–2
2–2
3–1
—
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–1
4–0
2–2
2–1
2–2
2–2
0–4
3–1
2–2
1–2
Cleveland
2–2
3–1
2–2
1–3
—
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–3
2–1
3–1
2–2
4–0
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
2–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
Denver
2–2
1–3
2–2
3–1
2–2
—
3–1
2–2
3–0
3–1
3–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
2–2
3–1
1–3
3–1
2–2
1–2
4–0
2–2
Detroit
4–0
2–2
1–3
2–2
3–1
1–3
—
3–1
2–2
2–2
4–0
1–3
3–1
3–1
1–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–2
1–3
1–3
Golden State
4–0
3–1
3–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
—
2–1
4–0
1–3
2–2
1–3
1–3
1–3
3–1
3–1
4–0
1–3
2–2
1–3
3–1
Houston
3–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
3–1
0–3
2–2
1–2
—
4–0
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
1–3
3–1
3–1
2–2
3–1
3–1
Indiana
4–0
2–1
3–1
2–2
1–2
1–3
2–2
0–4
0–4
—
2–2
1–3
2–2
2–2
2–2
4–0
2–2
2–2
0–4
2–2
2–2
0–4
Kansas City
2–1
1–3
3–0
2–2
1–3
1–3
0–4
3–1
2–2
2–2
—
1–3
2–2
2–2
4–0
4–0
1–3
3–1
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
Los Angeles
2–2
1–2
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–1
—
3–1
3–0
1–3
4–0
2–2
3–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
4–0
Milwaukee
2–2
1–3
1–3
1–3
0–4
1–3
1–3
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
1–3
—
1–2
1–3
3–1
1–2
1–3
2–2
3–1
1–3
1–3
New Orleans
3–1
2–2
1–3
0–4
2–2
1–3
1–3
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
0–3
2–1
—
3–1
2–2
0–4
3–1
2–2
1–3
1–3
2–2
N.Y. Knicks
3–1
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
2–1
3–1
2–2
2–2
0–4
3–1
3–1
1–3
—
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–3
1–3
1–2
2–2
N.Y. Nets
1–3
1–3
2–2
1–2
1–3
1–3
1–3
1–3
2–2
0–4
0–4
0–4
1–3
2–2
2–2
—
1–3
2–2
0–3
1–3
1–3
1–3
Philadelphia
3–1
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–1
2–2
1–3
3–1
2–2
3–1
2–2
2–1
4–0
3–1
3–1
—
1–2
2–2
1–3
2–2
3–1
Phoenix
4–0
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–2
1–3
2–2
0–4
1–3
2–2
1–3
1–3
3–1
1–3
2–2
2–2
2–1
—
1–3
1–3
3–1
1–3
Portland
1–3
3–1
3–1
4–0
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
4–0
2–2
1–3
2–2
2–2
3–1
3–0
2–2
3–1
—
2–2
3–1
1–2
San Antonio
0–4
0–4
4–0
1–3
2–2
2–1
2–1
2–2
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
1–3
3–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
3–1
2–2
—
3–1
2–2
Seattle
2–1
2–2
1–3
2–2
1–3
0–4
3–1
3–1
1–3
2–2
3–1
1–3
3–1
3–1
2–1
3–1
2–2
1–3
1–3
1–3
—
3–1
Washington
3–1
4–0
4–0
2–1
3–1
2–2
3–1
1–3
1–3
4–0
2–2
0–4
3–1
2–2
2–2
3–1
1–3
3–1
2–1
2–2
1–3
—
Game log
Regular season
1976–77 game log Total: 50–32 (home: 33–8; road: 17–24)
October: 4–0 (home: 1–0; road: 3–0)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
November: 8–5 (home: 6–0; road: 2–5)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
December: 10–5 (home: 7–1; road: 3–4)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
January: 9–5 (home: 7–2; road: 2–3)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
35
@ Atlanta
L 109–113
The Omni
24–11
February: 8–5 (home: 6–0; road: 2–5)
March: 7–9 (home: 5–2; road: 2–7)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
66
@ Atlanta
L 95–100
The Omni
42–24
April: 3–3 (home: 1–0; road: 2–3)
1976–77 schedule
Playoffs
1977 playoff game log
Western Conference Semifinals: 2–4 (home: 2–1; road: 0–3)
1977 schedule
Awards, records, and honors
References
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s