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1978–79 Boston Celtics season

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1978–79 Boston Celtics season
Head coach
General managerRed Auerbach
Owners
Arena
Results
Record29–53 (.354)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Atlantic)
Conference: 10th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWBZ-TV
RadioWBZ
< 1977–78 1979–80 >

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.

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.[1] 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. This was the last time the Celtics would miss the playoffs until the 1993-94 season.

Draft picks

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Main article: 1978 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
1 6 Larry Bird SF/PF  United States Indiana State
2 30 Jeff Judkins SF  United States Utah

Roster

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1978–79 Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB 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
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: February 12, 1979

Regular season

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Season standings

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Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Washington Bullets 54 28 .659 – 31–10 23–18 11–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 7 31–10 16–25 9–7
x-New Jersey Nets 37 45 .451 17 25–16 12–29 7–9
New York Knicks 31 51 .378 23 23–18 8–33 7–9
Boston Celtics 29 53 .354 25 21–20 8–33 6–10
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Washington Bullets 54 28 .659 –
2 y-San Antonio Spurs 48 34 .585 6
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers 47 35 .573 7
4 x-Houston Rockets 47 35 .573 7
5 x-Atlanta Hawks 46 36 .561 8
6 x-New Jersey Nets 37 45 .451 17
7 New York Knicks 31 51 .378 23
8 Cleveland Cavaliers 30 52 .366 24
8 Detroit Pistons 30 52 .366 24
10 Boston Celtics 29 53 .354 25
11 New Orleans Jazz 26 56 .317 28

Record vs. opponents

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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 – 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2
Boston 2–2 – 1–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 1–3 2–2 3–1 2–2 0–4 1–3 0–4 1–3 2–2 0–4
Chicago 1–3 2–1 – 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 0–3 0–4 0–4 1–3
Cleveland 1–3 2–2 3–1 – 1–2 1–3 2–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 2–2 0–4
Denver 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–1 – 2–2 4–0 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 4–0 3–1 3–1 0–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3
Detroit 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 – 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–1 0–4 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–3 1–3
Golden State 3–1 1–2 1–3 1–2 0–4 3–1 – 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2
Houston 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 – 0–4 3–1 2–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 4–0 0–4 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2
Indiana 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 4–0 – 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 2–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–3
Kansas City 2–2 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 – 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 3–0
Los Angeles 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 1–2 4–0 2–2 – 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–0 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2
Milwaukee 0–3 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 – 2–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3
New Jersey 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 0–4 4–0 3–1 1–3 2–1 1–3 2–2 2–2 – 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–0 2–2 0–4 2–2 0–4 1–3
New Orleans 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 0–4 1–2 1–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 – 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 0–4 0–3 0–4
New York 2–2 1–3 1–3 2–2 1–3 3–1 1–3 0–4 2–2 1–2 0–3 3–1 3–1 2–2 – 2–2 0–4 1–3 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3
Philadelphia 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 3–0 3–1 1–3 4–0 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 – 1–3 1–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 3–1
Phoenix 1–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 1–3 4–0 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–3 3–1 4–0 3–1 – 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3
Portland 2–2 3–1 0–4 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 1–3 – 2–1 2–2 1–3 3–1
San Antonio 1–3 4–0 3–0 4–0 1–3 3–1 3–1 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 3–1 4–0 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–2 – 4–0 2–2 1–3
San Diego 1–3 3–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 3–1 1–2 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 0–4 – 2–2 0–3
Seattle 3–1 2–2 4–0 2–2 1–3 3–0 1–3 2–2 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 – 2–2
Washington 2–2 4–0 3–1 4–0 3–1 3–1 2–2 2–2 3–1 0–3 2–2 3–1 3–1 4–0 3–1 1–3 3–1 1–3 3–1 3–0 2–2 —

References

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  1. ^ Goldaper, Sam (February 12, 1979). "Knicks Send McAdoo To Celtics for 3 Picks". The New York Times. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
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