1978–79 Boston Celtics season

The 1978–79 Boston Celtics season was the 33rd season of the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the worst record of any Celtics team that played between 1950 and 1996.

1978–79 Boston Celtics season
Head coachSatch Sanders
Dave Cowens
General managerRed Auerbach
ArenaBoston Garden
Hartford Civic Center
Results
Record29–53 (.354)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Atlantic)
Conference: 10th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid Not Qualify
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWBZ-TV
RadioWBZ

Prior to the season, owner Irv Levin swapped franchises with the Buffalo Braves ownership group led by John Y. Brown, Jr.. Levin had wanted to have a team in his native California, but knew the other league owners would not consider a move of the Celtics. He therefore brokered a deal with Brown to swap franchises, and then moved the Braves to San Diego to become the Clippers. In the meantime, a deal was brokered, without consulting team president Red Auerbach, to trade three players (Freeman Williams, Kevin Kunnert and Kermit Washington) to the Braves for Tiny Archibald, Billy Knight and Marvin Barnes. The move created a media firestorm for the team, as Kunnert and Washington were viewed as keys to future improvement, and Auerbach publicly stated that he was not consulted about the move. Brown would then trade three first-round draft picks for former Brave Bob McAdoo. Auerbach again was not consulted, and he almost took a job with the rival New York Knicks because of it. By the start of the season, between trades and the retirement of team captain John Havlicek, only six players remained from the 1977–78 team, including the starting front three of Dave Cowens, Cedric Maxwell and Curtis Rowe, shooting guard Jo Jo White and backup point guards Don Chaney and Kevin Stacom. Team depth issues were worsened when first round draft pick Larry Bird decided to remain in college for the season.

Following the season, Brown would sell his portion of the team to partner Harry T. Mangurian, Jr.. Brown would subsequently be elected Governor of his native Kentucky later that year.

Draft picks
Main article: 1978 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 6 Larry Bird SF/PF  United States Indiana State

Roster
Roster listing
Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
G 7 Archibald, Nate 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 150 lb (68 kg) UTEP
G 12 Chaney, Don 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Houston
C 18 Cowens, Dave 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Florida State
G 42 Ford, Chris 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Villanova
F 32 Judkins, Jeff 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Utah
F 31 Maxwell, Cedric 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Charlotte
F/C 11 McAdoo, Bob 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) North Carolina
C 53 Robey, Rick 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Kentucky
F 41 Rowe, Curtis 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) UCLA
F 45 Sanders, Frankie 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Southern
G 27 Stacom, Kevin 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Providence
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings
Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Washington Bullets 5428.659–31–1023–1811–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers 4735.573731–1016–259–7
x-New Jersey Nets 3745.4511725–1612–297–9
New York Knicks 3151.3782323–188–337–9
Boston Celtics 2953.3542521–208–336–10
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Washington Bullets5428.659–
2 y-San Antonio Spurs4834.5856
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers4735.5737
4 x-Houston Rockets4735.5737
5 x-Atlanta Hawks4636.5618
6 x-New Jersey Nets3745.45117
7 New York Knicks3151.37823
8 Cleveland Cavaliers3052.36624
8 Detroit Pistons3052.36624
10 Boston Celtics2953.35425
11 New Orleans Jazz2656.31728

Record vs. opponents
1978-79 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NOJ NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA WAS
Atlanta —2–23–13–13–13–11–33–11–32–21–33–02–22–22–22–22–12–23–13–11–32–2
Boston 2–2—1–22–21–32–22–11–33–11–31–31–31–32–23–12–20–41–30–41–32–20–4
Chicago 1–32–1—1–32–22–23–12–22–20–41–31–32–22–23–11–31–34–00–30–40–41–3
Cleveland 1–32–23–1—1–21–32–12–21–31–32–21–33–12–22–22–20–40–40–42–22–20–4
Denver 1–33–12–22–1—2–24–01–33–11–33–12–24–03–13–10–33–11–33–12–23–11–3
Detroit 1–32–22–23–12–2—1–32–22–22–22–22–10–42–21–31–30–41–31–32–20–31–3
Golden State 3–11–21–31–20–43–1—2–22–22–21–32–21–33–13–13–11–32–21–31–33–12–2
Houston 1–33–12–22–23–12–22–2—0–43–12–12–23–14–04–00–42–23–13–12–12–22–2
Indiana 3–11–32–23–11–32–22–24–0—1–30–42–21–22–12–22–22–23–13–11–30–41–3
Kansas City 2–23–14–03–13–12–22–21–33–1—2–22–23–13–12–12–22–21–31–32–22–23–0
Los Angeles 3–13–13–12–21–32–23–11–24–02–2—3–12–22–23–01–32–22–22–22–22–22–2
Milwaukee 0–33–13–13–12–21–22–22–22–22–21–3—2–23–11–32–22–22–21–31–32–21–3
New Jersey 2–23–12–21–30–44–03–11–32–11–32–22–2—3–11–32–23–02–20–42–20–41–3
New Orleans 2–22–22–22–21–32–21–30–41–21–32–21–31–3—2–22–21–31–32–20–40–30–4
New York 2–21–31–32–21–33–11–30–42–21–20–33–13–12–2—2–20–41–31–32–22–21–3
Philadelphia 2–22–23–12–23–03–11–34–02–22–23–12–22–22–22–2—1–31–23–13–11–33–1
Phoenix 1–24–03–14–01–34–03–12–22–22–22–22–20–33–14–03–1—3–13–12–21–31–3
Portland 2–23–10–44–03–13–12–21–31–33–12–22–22–23–13–12–11–3—2–12–21–33–1
San Antonio 1–34–03–04–01–33–13–11–31–33–12–23–14–02–23–11–31–31–2—4–02–21–3
San Diego 1–33–14–02–22–22–23–11–23–12–22–23–12–24–02–21–32–22–20–4—2–20–3
Seattle 3–12–24–02–21–33–01–32–24–02–22–22–24–03–02–23–13–13–12–22–2—2–2
Washington 2–24–03–14–03–13–12–22–23–10–32–23–13–14–03–11–33–11–33–13–02–2—
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References
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