The 1969–70

Washington Caps The Washington Caps were an American Basketball Association team from 1969 through 1970. The franchise had previously been the Oakland Oaks. From 1970 through 1976 the team played as the Virginia Squires. Origins With the formation of the ABA i ...

season was the first and only one for the franchise in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

. 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 Earl Marin Foreman (March 29, 1924 – January 23, 2017) was an American lawyer and sports executive. Foreman practiced law in the District of Columbia. He was the owner of the short-lived Washington Whips professional soccer club of the NASL an ...

, Thomas Shaheen and Louis Diamond. However reluctantly, superstar forward

Rick Barry Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Barry ranks among the ...

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 five in Los Angeles, nearly 2,700 miles from home. Despite these hardships, the Caps did well to finish in third place with a respectable 44-40 record and earn a playoff berth. They faced the

Denver Rockets Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

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 the ABA or NBA level. In anticipation of an ABA–NBA merger that would take years to complete, Foreman was encouraged to move the team from Washington to placate the Bullets after the season. 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 The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

Roster

*20 Mike Barrett – Shooting guard *24

– Small forward *30

Gary Bradds Gary Lee "Tex" Bradds (July 26, 1942 – July 15, 1983) was an American basketball player. After a successful college career at Ohio State, where he was the 1964 College Player of the Year, he played an integral role with the 1968–69 Oakland O ...

– Power forward *11 Larry Brown *34

Frank Card Frank Howard Card (December 28, 1944 – April 14, 2021) was an American basketball player who played five seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he played collegiately for the South Carolina St ...

– Power forward *40 George Carter – Small forward *42

Jim Eakins James Scott Eakins (born May 24, 1946) is a retired American professional basketball player and two-time American Basketball Association champion. A 6'11" center from Brigham Young University, Eakins was selected in the fifth round of the 1968 N ...

– Center *33

Ira Harge Ira Lee Harge (born March 14, 1941) is a retired American professional basketball player. Born in Anguilla, Mississippi, Harge played high school basketball in Detroit, Michigan before starring in college at the University of New Mexico. He playe ...

– Center *15

Warren Jabali Warren Jabali (August 29, 1946 – July 13, 2012) was an American basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1968 to 1975. Early career Born Warren Edward Armstrong, Jabali changed his name whi ...

– Shooting guard *21

Hal Jeter Harold Jeter (born May 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the American Basketball Association for the Washington Caps The Washington Caps were an American Basketball Association team from 1969 through 1 ...

– Guard *12 Henry Logan – Shooting guard *14/54

Roland Taylor Roland Morris "Fatty" Taylor (March 13, 1946 – December 7, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. A 6’0" guard born in Washington, D.C. and an alum of La Salle University, Taylor joined the American Basketball Association in 1 ...

– Point guard *-- Ron Taylor – Center *31 George Tinsley – Small forward

Final standings

Western Division

Playoffs

Western Division Semifinals vs. Denver Rockets ''Caps lose series, 4–3''

Awards, records, and honors

1970 ABA All-Star Game The third American Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on January 24, 1970, at Indiana State Fair Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana before an audience at 11,932. Bobby Leonard of the Indiana Pacers coached the East, with Babe McCarthy of ...

played on January 24, 1970 *

* Larry Brown

References

Caps on Basketball Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1969-70 Washington Caps season

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Washington Caps Washington Caps, 1969-70 Washington Caps, 1969-70