Summary
Finally, the Celtics were dethroned. And Wilt Chamberlain left one throne for another.
Alex Hannum, who had coached San Francisco and Chamberlain to the Western Division championship in 1963-64, took over the Philadelphia 76ers. Under his tutelage, they became a tough defensive team and Chamberlain cut back on his scoring a little to make passes. He finished behind San Francisco's Rick Barry and Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson in the scoring race, but once again led in rebounding and field goal percentage, and he also finished third in assists.
The 76ers finished eight games ahead of the Celtics in the Eastern Division, while San Francisco won in the West, where they were the only team with a winning record.
The NBA had again expanded by adding a Chicago franchise, the Bulls, who were placed in the Western Division, while the Baltimore Bullets moved into the Eastern Division.
With two divisions of the five teams each, the playoff format was changed. Instead of getting a first-round bye, the first-place team had to play a best-of-five series against the third-place team, while the second- and fourth-place teams met.
The 76ers eliminated Cincinnati and then wiped out the Celtics in five games to reach the finals against San Francisco, who had beaten the Lakers and the St. Louis Hawks to get there. Philadelphia won the championship in six games.
