1971-72 NBA
Expansion & ABA Rivalry
Los Angeles Lakers won the title.
- Teams
- 17
- Teams in the rival league
- 11
- Games per team
- 82
- Pace (poss. per 48 min)
- 112.0
- Points per team game
- 110.2
- League true shooting
- .504
- Share of shots from three
- No line
Award winners
- MVPKareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Rookie of the YearSidney Wicks
Standings and postseason
East
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 56 | 26 | 4.38 | Lost conf. finals |
| New York Knicks | 48 | 34 | 2.28 | Lost Finals |
| Baltimore Bullets | 38 | 44 | -1.26 | Lost 2nd round |
| Atlanta Hawks | 36 | 46 | -1.94 | Lost conf. finals |
| Cincinnati Royals | 30 | 52 | -4.13 | Missed playoffs |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 30 | 52 | -3.44 | Missed playoffs |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 23 | 59 | -7.90 | Missed playoffs |
| Buffalo Braves | 22 | 60 | -9.44 | Missed playoffs |
West
| Team | W | L | SRS | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | 69 | 13 | 11.65 | Won title |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 63 | 19 | 10.70 | Lost conf. finals |
| Chicago Bulls | 57 | 25 | 7.91 | Lost 2nd round |
| Golden State Warriors | 51 | 31 | 0.92 | Lost conf. finals |
| Phoenix Suns | 49 | 33 | 5.57 | Missed playoffs |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | 0.86 | Missed playoffs |
| Houston Rockets | 34 | 48 | -1.22 | Missed playoffs |
| Detroit Pistons | 26 | 56 | -6.11 | Missed playoffs |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 18 | 64 | -8.84 | Missed playoffs |
Rules in force
| Free-throw lane width | 16 ft |
|---|---|
| Three-point line | none |
| Arm bar / forearm contact | allowed (source pending) |
| Hand-checking | allowed |
| Zone defense | not permitted (source pending) |
| Team foul penalty (bonus) | bonus after team foul limit |
| Backcourt count | 10 seconds (source pending) |
| Shot clock | 24 seconds |
See how each rule changed over time on the rules timeline.
What changed this season
No league-wide rule or format changes recorded for this season.