The 1969–70 Washington Caps season was the first and only one for the franchise in the American Basketball Association after spending their first two seasons in Oakland, California. On August 21, 1969, the Oakland Oaks moved to Washington, D.C., due to substantial financial losses despite winning the second-ever ABA championship only weeks earlier. The franchise was purchased for $2.6 million by a group led by Earl Foreman, Thomas Shaheen and Louis Diamond.
However reluctant he was, superstar forward Rick Barry was among seven members of the talented Oaks team who made the move from coast to coast. It was grossly misplaced in the Western Division, however, which resulted in a brutal travel schedule. Not only did the team have to compete against the NBA's more established Baltimore Bullets nearby, but it lacked a modern arena to attract fans and forge a home-court advantage. It played several designated home games at neutral sites, including six out in Los Angeles, nearly 2,700 miles from home.
Despite these hardships, the Caps did well enough to finish in third place with a respectable 44–40 record and earn themselves a playoff berth. From there, they faced the Denver Rockets in round one, losing in seven games despite Barry's heroic 52-point performance in Game 7 on the road. It marked the first and to date only time that a player scored as many as 50 points in a seventh game at either the ABA or NBA level. However, it was also Denver's first playoff series they won in franchise history, as well as the only playoff series they won while using the Rockets team name.
In anticipation of an ABA–NBA merger that would take years to officially complete, Foreman was encouraged to move the team from Washington, D.C. in order to help placate the Bullets after the season ended. For the third time in as many years, the franchise played in a different state in the 1969-70 campaign, this time as a regional team known as Virginia Squires for the rest of their existence going forward.
Roster
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Final standings Western Division Western DivisionWLPCTGBDenver Rockets * 51 33 .607 —Dallas Chaparrals * 45 39 .536 6.0Washington Caps * 44 40 .524 7.0Los Angeles Stars * 43 41 .512 8.0New Orleans Buccaneers 42 42 .500 9.0
ABA Playoffs ABA Western Division Semifinals vs. Denver Rockets Game Date Opponent Score Attendance Record 1 April 17 @ Denver L 111–130 9,822 0–1 2 April 18 @ Denver L 133–143 9,889 0–2 3 April 19 Denver W 125–120 1,748 1–2 4 April 22 Denver W 131–114 5,497 2–2 5 April 23 @ Denver L 110–132 7,141 2–3 6 April 25 Denver W 116–111 3,186 3–3 7 April 28 @ Denver L 119–143 9,893 3–4 Caps lose series, 4–3
Awards, records, and honors 1970 ABA All-Star Game played on January 24, 1970 Rick Barry Warren Jabali Larry Brown
References
Caps on Basketball Reference