NBA 1980/81

National Basketball Association
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Duration		October 10, 1980 - March 29, 1981
Season games per team		82
Number of teams		23
Regular season
Best record		Boston Celtics
Season MVP		Julius Erving
Playoffs
Eastern - Champion		Boston Celtics
Runner-up team		Philadelphia 76ers
Western - Champion		Houston Rockets
Runner-up team		Kansas City Kings
Finals
NBA champions		Boston Celtics
Runner-up		Houston Rockets
Finals MVP		Cedric Maxwell

The 1980-81 NBA season was the National Basketball Association's 35th season . The regular season began on October 10, 1980 and ended on March 29, 1981. This was followed by the NBA playoffs on March 31, 1981, which ended in mid-May with the NBA finals . The championship won the Boston Celtics with a 4-2 in the series against the Houston Rockets .

As the 23rd team in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks played their first season. Due to the new team, there were changes in the division of the teams in West and East: The San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets were from now on part of the Western Conference, the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks part of the Eastern Conference.

Draft

The 1980 NBA Draft took place in New York City on June 10, 1980 . In the first position Joe Barry Carroll was chosen by the Golden State Warriors .

All-Star Game

The 1981 All-Star Game was played on February 1, 1981 at Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland . The East won with 123 to 120. For MVP was Nate Archibald selected.

Final results

S = wins, N = defeats, PCT = percentage of wins, P = deficit on division leaders

The placements in the seed lists of the respective conference playoffs are listed in brackets.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Boston Celtics (1) 62 20th .756 - 2 Philadelphia 76ers (3) 62 20th .756 - 3 New York Knicks (4) 50 32 .610 12 4th Washington Bullets 39 43 .476 23 5 New Jersey Nets 24 58 .293 38 Central Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Milwaukee Bucks (2) 60 22nd .732 - 2 Chicago Bulls (5) 45 37 .549 15th 3 Indiana Pacers (6) 44 38 .537 16 4th Atlanta Hawks 31 51 .378 29 5 Cleveland Cavaliers 28 54 .341 32 6th Detroit Pistons 21st 61 .256 39

Western Conference Midwest Division # team S. N PCT P 1 San Antonio Spurs (2) 52 30th .634 - 2 Kansas City Kings (5) 40 42 .488 12 3 Houston Rockets (6) 40 42 .488 12 4th Denver nuggets 37 45 .451 15th 5 Utah Jazz 28 54 .341 24 6th Dallas Mavericks 15th 67 .183 37 Pacific Division # team S. N PCT P 1 Phoenix Suns (1) 57 25th .695 - 2 Los Angeles Lakers (3) 54 28 .659 3 3 Portland Trail Blazers (4) 45 37 .549 12 4th Golden State Warriors 39 43 .476 18th 5 San Diego Clippers 36 46 .439 21st 6th Seattle SuperSonics 34 48 .415 23

NBA awards

• Most Valuable Player: Julius Erving , Philadelphia 76ers
• Rookie of the Year: Darrell Griffith , Utah Jazz
• Coach of the Year: Jack McKinney , Indiana Pacers
• All-NBA First Team:
  • Larry Bird , Boston Celtics
  • George Gervin , San Antonio Spurs
  • Julius Erving , Philadelphia 76ers
  • Dennis Johnson , Phoenix Suns
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Los Angeles Lakers
• All-NBA Second Team:
  • Nate Archibald , Boston Celtics
  • Otis Birdsong , Kansas City Kings
  • Adrian Dantley , Utah Jazz
  • Marques Johnson , Milwaukee Bucks
  • Moses Malone , Houston Rockets
• All-NBA Rookie Team:
  • Kelvin Ransey , Portland Trail Blazers
  • Darrell Griffith , Utah Jazz
  • Larry Smith , Golden State Warriors
  • Kevin McHale , Boston Celtics
  • Joe Barry Carroll , Golden State Warriors
• NBA All-Defensive First Team:
  • Bobby Jones , Philadelphia 76ers
  • Caldwell Jones , Philadelphia 76ers
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Los Angeles Lakers
  • Dennis Johnson , Phoenix Suns
  • Micheal Ray Richardson , New York Knicks
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team:
  • Dan Roundfield , Atlanta Hawks
  • Kermit Washington , Portland Trail Blazers
  • George Johnson , San Antonio Spurs
  • Quinn Buckner , Milwaukee Bucks
  • Dudley Bradley , Indiana Pacers
  • Michael Cooper , Los Angeles Lakers
  • Dennis Johnson , Phoenix Suns

Playoffs

In the first round, the teams started on the third to sixth seed list. The two top teams at the conferences only entered the playoffs in the second round. The first round was played in the best-of-three system , from the second round onwards in the best-of-seven system.

	First round					Conference semifinals					Conference Finals					NBA finals
						1	Phoenix	3
						5	Kansas City	4th
	4th	Portland	1
	5	Kansas City	2
											5	Kansas City	1
	Western Conference
											6th	Houston	4th
	3	los Angeles	1
	6th	Houston	2
						6th	Houston	4th
						2	San Antonio	3
																W6	Houston	2
																E1	Boston	4th
						1	Boston	4th
						5	Chicago	0
	4th	new York	0
	5	Chicago	2
											1	Boston	4th
	Eastern Conference
											3	Philadelphia	3
	3	Philadelphia	2
	6th	Indiana	0
						3	Philadelphia	4th
						2	Milwaukee	3

Web links

The 1980/81 season at basketball-reference.com