1971–72 ABA season
| 1971–72 ABA season | |
|---|---|
| League | American Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 13, 1971 – May 20, 1972 |
| Number of games | 84 |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Regular season | |
| Top seed | Kentucky Colonels |
| Season MVP | Artis Gilmore (Kentucky) |
| Top scorer | Dan Issel (Kentucky) |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Indiana Pacers |
| Runners-up | New York Nets |
The 1971–72 ABA season was the fifth season of the American Basketball Association. The Indiana Pacers won the championship, defeating the New York Nets, 4 games to 2, in the ABA Finals.
For the first time in the league's history, no franchise moved to a different state from the previous season. The only name change involved the Dallas Chaparrals, who were able to secure a lease in Dallas for the season and were renamed from the previous season's Texas Chaparrals.
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Colonels * | 68 | 16 | .810 | — |
| Virginia Squires * | 45 | 39 | .536 | 23 |
| New York Nets * | 44 | 40 | .524 | 24 |
| The Floridians * | 36 | 48 | .429 | 32 |
| Carolina Cougars | 35 | 49 | .417 | 33 |
| Pittsburgh Condors | 25 | 59 | .298 | 43 |
Western Division
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah Stars * | 60 | 24 | .714 | — |
| Indiana Pacers * | 47 | 37 | .560 | 13 |
| Dallas Chaparrals * | 42 | 42 | .500 | 18 |
| Denver Rockets * | 34 | 50 | .405 | 26 |
| Memphis Pros | 26 | 58 | .310 | 34 |
Asterisk (*) denotes playoff team
Bold – ABA champions
Playoffs
Awards and honors
- ABA Most Valuable Player Award: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels
- Rookie of the Year: Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels
- Coach of the Year: Tom Nissalke, Dallas Chaparrals
- Playoffs MVP: Freddie Lewis, Indiana Pacers
- All-Star Game MVP: Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels
- All-ABA First Team
- Dan Issel, Kentucky Colonels (1st First Team selection, 2nd overall selection)
- Rick Barry, New York Nets (4th selection)
- Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels
- Donnie Freeman, Dallas Chaparrals (1st First Team selection, 4th overall selection)
- Bill Melchionni, New York Nets
- All-ABA Second Team
- Willie Wise, Utah Stars
- Julius Erving, Virginia Squires
- Zelmo Beaty, Utah Stars (2nd selection)
- Ralph Simpson, Denver Rockets
- Charlie Scott, Virginia Squires
- All-ABA Rookie Team
- Julius Erving, Virginia Squires
- Artis Gilmore, Kentucky Colonels
- George McGinnis, Indiana Pacers
- Johnny Neumann, Memphis Pros
- John Roche, New York Nets
