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Professional basketball season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1968β69 Phoenix Suns season was the inaugural season for the
Phoenix Suns of the
National Basketball Association .
Head coach
Red Kerr led the franchise to its first win in their debut game, over the
Seattle SuperSonics . The Suns lost more games in their initial season than in any year since, and did not have a winning record against any other team. They played all their home games in the
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum .
Dick Van Arsdale was the franchise's first
All-Star selection when he was selected to play in the
1969 All-Star Game . He was the team's second leading scorer at 21
points per game, behind eventual Hall of Fame member
Gail Goodrich , who averaged 23.8, the seventh-highest in the league for the season. Goodrich was selected to replace an injured
Jerry West in the All-Star Game.
Offseason
NBA Expansion Draft
The Suns participated in the NBA's fourth expansion draft along with the
Milwaukee Bucks , the other expansion team that joined the league in 1968. Each of the league's other 12 teams protected seven of their top players, with the remaining unprotected players available in the draft. The two expansion teams selected three players from each team, totaling 18 selections each.
The Suns received the first, fourth and fifth picks, while the Bucks, which had not yet chosen their team name at the time, received the second and third picks. The Suns' first selection was
swingman
Dick Van Arsdale of the
New York Knicks . The Bucks then selected
center
Wayne Embry of the
Boston Celtics , and
power forward
Fred Hetzel of the
San Francisco Warriors . The Suns rounded out the top five by picking
point guard
Gail Goodrich of the
Los Angeles Lakers and
shooting guard
Dick Snyder of the
Atlanta Hawks .
[1] "The Original Sun"
Dick Van Arsdale would have a historic career with the Suns after being drafted, with him being an All-Star in his first three seasons with the team, as well as be named a member of the All-Defensive Second Team in 1974 and helping the team reach the
1976 NBA Finals before retiring in 1977, having his number become the second in franchise history to be retired into the
Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor in the 1977β78 season, behind
Connie Hawkins .
NBA draft
Roster
1968β69 Phoenix Suns roster
Players
Coaches
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: January 20, 1969
Regular season
Standings
Record vs. opponents
1968β69 NBA records
Team
ATL
BAL
BOS
CHI
CIN
DET
LAL
MIL
NYK
PHI
PHO
SDR
SFW
SEA
Atlanta
β
2β4
3β3
6β1
4β2
6β0
3β4
4β2
2β4
1β5
6β0
3β4
4β3
4β2
Baltimore
4β2
β
5β2
6β0
4β3
7β0
3β3
5β1
3β4
2β4
6β0
5β1
3β3
4β2
Boston
3β3
2β5
β
4β2
5β2
5β1
2β4
5β1
1β6
5β2
6β0
4β2
3β3
3β3
Chicago
1β6
0β6
2β4
β
1β5
3β3
3β4
5β1
2β4
1β5
4β2
3β3
4β3
4β3
Cincinnati
2β4
3β4
2β5
5β1
β
3β4
2β4
5β1
4β2
3β4
4β2
2β4
3β3
3β3
Detroit
0β6
0β7
1β5
3β3
4β3
β
3β3
2β4
3β4
3β4
4β2
3β3
2β4
4β2
Los Angeles
4β3
3β3
4β2
4β3
4β2
3β3
β
5β1
5β1
1β5
6β0
7β0
4β3
5β1
Milwaukee
2β4
1β5
1β5
1β5
1β5
4β2
1β5
β
0β6
0β6
6β2
4β2
3β3
3β5
New York
4β2
4β3
6β1
4β2
2β4
4β3
1β5
6β0
β
4β3
5β1
3β3
5β1
6β0
Philadelphia
5β1
4β2
2β5
5β1
4β3
4β3
5β1
6β0
3β4
β
5β1
4β2
2β4
6β0
Phoenix
0β6
0β6
0β6
2β4
2β4
2β4
0β6
2β6
1β5
1β5
β
1β7
2β4
3β3
San Diego
4β3
1β5
2β4
3β3
4β2
3β3
0β7
2β4
3β3
2β4
7β1
β
3β3
3β3
San Francisco
3β4
3β3
3β3
3β4
3β3
4β2
3β4
3β3
1β5
4β2
4β2
3β3
β
4β3
Seattle
2β4
2β4
3β3
3β4
3β3
2β4
1β5
5β3
0β6
0β6
3β3
3β3
3β4
β
Game log
1968β69 game log Total: 16β66 (home: 12β29; road: 4β37)
October: 4β3 (home: 3β2; road: 1β1)
November: 1β12 (home: 1β5; road: 0β7)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
Location Attendance
Record
Streak
8
November 3
Los Angeles
L 109β127
Dick Van Arsdale (38)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 7,150
4β4
L 1
9
November 4
San Francisco
L 108β119
Dick Van Arsdale (29)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,019
4β5
L 2
10
November 10
Detroit
W 130β128 (OT)
George Wilson (33)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 4,440
5β5
W 1
11
November 14
Detroit
L 109β111
Gail Goodrich (25)
Tucson ,
AZ 2,712
5β6
L 1
12
November 15
@
Seattle
L 124β128 (2OT)
Dick Van Arsdale (34)
Seattle Center Coliseum 4,368
5β7
L 2
13
November 17
Boston
L 98β130
Gail Goodrich ,
Dave Lattin (13)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 9,109
5β8
L 3
14
November 19
@
Philadelphia
L 110β126
Dick Van Arsdale (29)
New York City,
NY 16,664
5β9
L 4
15
November 22
@
Boston
L 106β133
McCoy McLemore (18)
Boston Garden 8,224
5β10
L 5
16
November 23
@
Milwaukee
L 112β115
McCoy McLemore (28)
Milwaukee Arena 6,090
5β11
L 6
17
November 26
Philadelphia
L 119β126
Gail Goodrich (32)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,209
5β12
L 7
18
November 27
@
Detroit
L 111β125
George Wilson (24)
Cobo Arena 11,016
5β13
L 8
19
November 29
@
Baltimore
L 106β124
Gail Goodrich ,
Dick Van Arsdale (24)
Baltimore Civic Center 6,596
5β14
L 9
20
November 30
@
Chicago
L 96β100
Dick Van Arsdale (29)
Chicago Stadium 3,246
5β15
L 10
December: 3β15 (home: 2β5; road: 1β10)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
Location Attendance
Record
Streak
21
December 2
Seattle
L 108β118
Gail Goodrich (26)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,171
5β16
L 11
22
December 3
@
Los Angeles
L 108β122
Gail Goodrich (23)
The Forum 8,277
5β17
L 12
23
December 4
San Francisco
W 126β97
Gail Goodrich (32)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,387
6β17
W 1
24
December 6
@
San Diego
L 106β117
Dick Van Arsdale (33)
San Diego Sports Arena 5,782
6β18
L 1
25
December 8
Atlanta
L 99β121
Dick Van Arsdale (17)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,243
6β19
L 2
26
December 10
@
New York
L 106β111
Gail Goodrich (29)
Madison Square Garden 16,337
6β20
L 3
27
December 11
@
Philadelphia
L 123β143
Gail Goodrich (19)
The Spectrum 6,780
6β21
L 4
28
December 13
@
Cincinnati
L 123β130 (OT)
Dick Van Arsdale (31)
Cleveland ,
OH 2,114
6β22
L 5
29
December 14
@
Detroit
W 123β118
Gail Goodrich (41)
Cobo Arena 5,024
7β22
W 1
30
December 15
@
Cincinnati
L 101β119
Stan McKenzie (28)
Omaha ,
NE 5,886
7β23
L 1
31
December 17
Philadelphia
L 128β145
Dick Snyder (25)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 1,946
7β24
L 2
32
December 18
Cincinnati
W 123β114
Gail Goodrich (34)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,462
8β24
W 1
33
December 21
@
Baltimore
L 117β131
Gail Goodrich (28)
Baltimore Civic Center 8,529
8β25
L 1
34
December 22
@
Milwaukee
L 116β127
Dick Van Arsdale (26)
Milwaukee Arena 3,466
8β26
L 2
35
December 25
Los Angeles
L 99β119
Dick Van Arsdale (27)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 10,355
8β27
L 3
36
December 26
@
San Francisco
L 118β119
Gail Goodrich (40)
OaklandβAlameda County Coliseum Arena 4,916
8β28
L 4
37
December 28
San Diego
L 126β136
Gail Goodrich (29)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 5,749
8β29
L 5
38
December 30
@
Seattle
L 118β120
Jim Fox (24)
Seattle Center Coliseum 3,920
8β30
L 6
January: 3β12 (home: 3β6; road: 0β6)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
Location Attendance
Record
Streak
39
January 1
Boston
L 87β93
Dick Van Arsdale (22)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 4,757
8β31
L 7
40
January 3
@
Milwaukee
L 104β121
Dick Snyder (22)
Milwaukee Arena 4,230
8β32
L 8
41
January 4
@
Chicago
L 92β103
Jim Fox (27)
Chicago Stadium 3,107
8β33
L 9
42
January 5
@
Atlanta
L 96β97
Dick Snyder ,
Dick Van Arsdale (22)
Alexander Memorial Coliseum 3,235
8β34
L 10
43
January 7
Seattle
W 116β112
Gail Goodrich (35)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,875
9β34
W 1
44
January 9
New York
L 120β134
Stan McKenzie (18)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,591
9β35
L 1
45
January 11
Baltimore
L 107β118
Gary Gregor (19)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,807
9β36
L 2
All-Star Break
46
January 16
@
Atlanta
L 107β112
Gary Gregor (26)
Columbia ,
SC 5,815
9β37
L 3
47
January 17
@
Atlanta
L 107β112
Gail Goodrich (27)
Alexander Memorial Coliseum 4,565
9β38
L 4
48
January 19
San Diego
L 118β136
Gail Goodrich (29)
San Diego Sports Arena 2,867
9β39
L 5
49
January 22
Atlanta
L 107β125
Bob Warlick (23)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,527
9β40
L 6
50
January 24
Chicago
W 117β106
Dick Van Arsdale (27)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 6,275
10β40
W 1
51
January 25
@
San Diego
L 120β133
Jim Fox ,
Gail Goodrich (22)
San Diego Sports Arena 4,128
10β41
L 1
52
January 26
San Francisco
L 93β117
Neil Johnson (22)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,452
10β42
L 2
53
January 29
Milwaukee
W 111β107
Gail Goodrich (33)
Tacoma ,
WA 3,013
11β42
W 1
February: 3β14 (home: 2β4; road: 1β10)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
Location Attendance
Record
Streak
54
February 2
Milwaukee
W 122β121
Gail Goodrich (37)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,926
12β42
W 2
55
February 4
Philadelphia
W 125β116
Jim Fox ,
Dick Van Arsdale (25)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,317
13β42
W 3
56
February 6
Cincinnati
L 103β124
Gail Goodrich (35)
Tucson ,
AZ 3,849
13β43
L 1
57
February 7
@
San Diego
L 119β130
Gail Goodrich (33)
San Diego Sports Arena 6,214
13β44
L 2
58
February 8
Los Angeles
L 104β122
Gail Goodrich (29)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 9,106
13β45
L 3
59
February 9
@
Los Angeles
L 116β134
Gail Goodrich (29)
The Forum 8,840
13β46
L 4
60
February 12
@
New York
L 105β112
Gail Goodrich (26)
Madison Square Garden 12,017
13β47
L 5
61
February 14
@
Detroit
L 123β128
Jim Fox (24)
Cobo Arena 2,853
13β48
L 6
62
February 16
@
Cincinnati
W 125β113
Gail Goodrich (25)
Cincinnati Gardens 3,922
14β48
W 1
63
February 18
@
Boston
L 110β116
Gail Goodrich (29)
Boston Garden 7,022
14β49
L 1
64
February 20
@
Baltimore
L 121β124
Dick Van Arsdale (44)
Detroit ,
MI 7,066
14β50
L 2
65
February 21
Chicago
L 121β133
Gail Goodrich (43)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 4,939
14β51
L 3
66
February 22
Boston
L 100β124
Dick Van Arsdale (21)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 8,295
14β52
L 4
67
February 23
@
Milwaukee
L 103β107
Gail Goodrich (29)
Green Bay ,
WI 4,347
14β53
L 5
68
February 25
@
Boston
L 99β112
Dick Van Arsdale (22)
New York City,
NY 19,500
14β54
L 6
69
February 26
@
Philadelphia
L 97β104
Dick Van Arsdale (22)
The Spectrum 7,781
14β55
L 7
70
February 28
@
Los Angeles
L 117β121
Gail Goodrich (43)
The Forum 15,728
14β56
L 8
March: 2β10 (home: 1β7; road: 1β3)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
Location Attendance
Record
Streak
71
March 1
@
San Francisco
W 119β118
Gail Goodrich (33)
OaklandβAlameda County Coliseum Arena 3,580
15β56
W 1
72
March 4
Cincinnati
L 122β141
Gail Goodrich (37)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,165
15β57
L 1
73
March 6
@
Chicago
L 117β125 (OT)
Gail Goodrich (33)
Carbondale ,
IL 3,125
15β58
L 2
74
March 7
@
New York
L 87β119
Bob Warlick (18)
Philadelphia ,
PA 15,244
15β59
L 3
75
March 9
San Diego
W 146β133
Gail Goodrich (47)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 2,384
16β59
W 1
76
March 10
Baltimore
L 121β140
Dick Van Arsdale (37)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 4,133
16β60
L 1
77
March 11
@
San Diego
L 106β116
Dick Van Arsdale (26)
San Diego Sports Arena 4,172
16β61
L 2
78
March 15
San Diego
L 124β141
Gail Goodrich (38)
Tucson ,
AZ 2,616
16β62
L 3
79
March 17
Detroit
L 95β119
Stan McKenzie (18)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,128
16β63
L 4
80
March 19
Milwaukee
L 110β117
Dick Van Arsdale (32)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,033
16β64
L 5
81
March 21
New York
L 104β139
Gary Gregor (23)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 7,175
16β65
L 6
82
March 23
Milwaukee
L 118β128
Dick Van Arsdale (31)
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 3,204
16β66
L 7
1968β69 schedule
Team-by-team results
Awards and honors
All-Star
Season
Player statistics
Season
* β Stats with the Suns.
^ β Minimum 230 field goals.
+ β Minimum 230 free throws.
Transactions
Trades
Free agents
Additions
Subtractions
References
^ Boatner, Verne (May 7, 1968), "Suns Stress Youth in Draft Choices", Arizona Republic
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s