1974-75 Upset in the league. Warriors win title.
1974-75 Upset in the league. Warriors win title.
The retirements of Jerry West and Oscar Robertson made their teams
weaker, and both the Lakers and Milwaukee fell to the bottom of their divisions.
This meant an opportunity for hungry young teams in the West, and nobody was
hungrier than the Golden State Warriors. Al Attles, a man tied with the Warriors
since 1960 as a player and coach, had assambled an 11-player roster around
30-year-old Rick Barry. , still in his prime at 30. Attles had acquired young
center Clifford Ray for the aging Nate Thurmond, and he also drafted forward
Jamaal (later known as Keith) Wilkes from UCLA, and guard Charles Johnson from
California. So assambled a group won 48 games , defeated Bill Russell's Seattle
in six games and hardly passed the team from Chicago in seven games to reach the
Finals.
The Washington Bullets had won 60 games in the East but had a tough time
against the Buffalo Braves, where the NBA scoring champ - Bob McAdoo (34.5) made
the series stratch to seven games. The Celtics had also won 60 games , they won
over Houston in five games and met thje Bullets. The Washington team played the
inside-outside system, mastered by Elvin Hayes and Phil Chenier, the combination
worked in the game against Boston. Afetr six games the Bullets celebrated their
advancement to the Finals. Washington was a favourite for the title, but Golden
State turned the basketball world upside down by winning four straight games and
the Chamionship (only the third sweep in the 29-year history of the NBA).
Rick Barry upsets Bullets. The Bullets had an experienced team, with
Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld up front , as well as Mike Riordan, Kevin Porter, and
Phil Chenier. On paper, the Bullets were far better than the Warriors. But as
people say, games aren't played on paper and when the Warriors swept their
oponent, Rick Barry could celebrate the even."It has to be the greatest upset in
the history of the NBA Finals," Barry said. "It was an unforgetable season.
Everything just went as it should. It's something I'll never forget for the rest
of my life".
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