1979–80 Kansas City Kings season

NBA professional basketball team season

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NBA professional basketball team season

Head coach

Cotton Fitzsimmons

General manager

John Begzos

Owners

Leon Karosen
Robert Margolin
H. Paul Rosenberg

Arena

Municipal Auditorium
Kemper Arena

Results

Record

47–35 (.573)

Place

Division: 2nd (Midwest)
Conference: 5th (Western)

Playoff finish

West First Round
(eliminated 1-2)

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Local media

Television

Radio

The 1979–80 NBA season was the Kings 31st season in the NBA and their eighth season in Kansas City.

Due to a June 1979 storm which caused the collapse of Kemper Arena's roof, the Kings were forced to play most of their home games at Municipal Auditorium, their Kansas City home during their first two seasons in the Midwest (the Kings split their home schedule between Kansas City and Omaha during the 1972–73, 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons before settling in Kansas City full-time). The Kings were able to return to Kemper late in the season.

Draft picks

Main article: 1979 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College

Roster

1979–80 Kansas City Kings roster

Players

Coaches

Pos.	No.	Name	Height	Weight	From
SG	10	Birdsong, Otis	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Houston
C	16	Burleson, Tommy	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	NC State
C	41	Elmore, Len	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Maryland
PG	1	Ford, Phil	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	North Carolina
F	22	Gerard, Gus	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Virginia
SG	20	Grunfeld, Ernie	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Tennessee
F	51	King, Reggie	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Alabama
C	44	Lacey, Sam	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	New Mexico State
G	25	McKinney, Billy	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Northwestern
F	52	Robinzine, Bill	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	230 lb (104 kg)	DePaul
G	15	Wedman, Scott	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	215 lb (98 kg)	Colorado

Head coach

Cotton Fitzsimmons

Assistant coach(es)

Frank Hamblen

Legend

(DP) Unsigned draft pick
(FA) Free agent
(S) Suspended
Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Midwest Division v t e	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	–	28–12	21–21	15–9
x-Kansas City Kings	47	35	.573	2	30–11	17–24	18–6
Chicago Bulls	30	52	.366	19	21–20	9–32	8–16
Denver Nuggets	30	52	.366	19	24–17	6–35	10–14
Utah Jazz	24	58	.293	25	17–24	7–34	9–15

#	Western Conference v t e
#	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	c-Los Angeles Lakers	60	22	.732	–
2	y-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	11
3	x-Seattle SuperSonics	56	26	.683	4
4	x-Phoenix Suns	55	27	.671	5
5	x-Kansas City Kings	47	35	.573	13
6	x-Portland Trail Blazers	38	44	.463	22

7	San Diego Clippers	35	47	.427	25
8	Chicago Bulls	30	52	.366	30
9	Denver Nuggets	30	52	.366	30
10	Utah Jazz	24	58	.293	36
11	Golden State Warriors	24	58	.293	36

z - clinched division title

y - clinched division title

x - clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1979-80 NBA Records
Team	ATL	BOS	CHI	CLE	DEN	DET	GSW	HOU	IND	KCK	LAL	MIL	NJN	NYK	PHI	PHO	POR	SAS	SDC	SEA	UTA	WAS
Atlanta	–	2–4	1–1	4–2	1–1	6–0	2–0	2–4	4–2	0–2	1–1	1–1	4–2	4–2	4–2	1–1	2–0	5–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–3
Boston	4–2	–	2–0	4–2	2–0	6–0	2–0	6–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	5–1	5–1	3–3	1–1	2–0	4–2	2–0	0–2	2–0	4–2
Chicago	1–1	0–2	–	2–0	2–4	1–1	4–2	1–1	0–2	3–3	1–5	1–5	1–1	0–2	1–1	1–5	3–3	0–2	4–2	2–4	2–4	0–2
Cleveland	2–4	2–4	0–2	–	1–1	6–0	2–0	2–4	2–4	2–0	1–1	0–2	3–3	3–3	1–5	1–1	0–2	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–3
Denver	1–1	0–2	4–2	1–1	–	1–1	3–3	1–1	1–1	0–6	1–5	3–3	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–5	2–4	1–1	3–3	1–5	3–3	1–1
Detroit	0–6	0–6	1–1	0–6	1–1	–	1–1	1–5	1–5	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–4	2–4	1–5	0–2	0–2	2–4	0–2	0–2	1–1	2–4
Golden State	0–2	0–2	2–4	0–2	3–3	1–1	–	1–1	1–1	3–3	1–5	0–6	2–0	0–2	0–2	2–4	2–4	0–2	3–3	0–6	3–3	0–2
Houston	4–2	0–6	1–1	4–2	1–1	5–1	1–1	–	4–2	0–2	0–2	1–1	3–3	3–3	2–4	1–1	1–1	3–3	2–0	1–1	2–0	2–4
Indiana	2–4	2–4	2–0	4–2	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–4	–	1–1	0–2	0–2	2–4	4–2	1–5	0–2	2–0	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2
Kansas City	2–0	1–1	3–3	0–2	6–0	2–0	3–3	2–0	1–1	–	2–4	3–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	1–5	1–5	1–1	5–1	3–3	6–0	2–0
Los Angeles	1–1	2–0	5–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	5–1	2–0	2–0	4–2	–	3–3	2–0	2–0	1–1	3–3	2–4	2–0	5–1	4–2	6–0	1–1
Milwaukee	1–1	0–2	5–1	2–0	3–3	1–1	6–0	1–1	2–0	3–3	3–3	–	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–2	5–1	0–2	4–2	2–4	4–2	1–1
New Jersey	2–4	1–5	1–1	3–3	1–1	4–2	0–2	3–3	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	–	2–4	1–5	1–1	0–2	3–3	1–1	1–1	1–1	3–3
New York	2–4	1–5	2–0	3–3	1–1	4–2	2–0	3–3	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–2	–	0–6	2–0	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	1–1	3–3
Philadelphia	2–4	3–3	1–1	5–1	2–0	5–1	2–0	4–2	5–1	1–1	1–1	2–0	5–1	6–0	–	1–1	2–0	4–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	5–1
Phoenix	1–1	1–1	5–1	1–1	5–1	2–0	4–2	1–1	2–0	5–1	3–3	2–4	1–1	0–2	1–1	–	6–0	1–1	2–4	4–2	6–0	2–0
Portland	0–2	0–2	3–3	2–0	4–2	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–2	5–1	4–2	1–5	2–0	0–2	0–2	0–6	–	1–1	4–2	1–5	3–3	1–1
San Antonio	1–5	2–4	2–0	2–4	1–1	4–2	2–0	3–3	4–2	1–1	0–2	2–0	3–3	2–4	2–4	1–1	1–1	–	2–0	1–1	1–1	4–2
San Diego	1–1	0–2	2–4	1–1	3–3	2–0	3–3	0–2	1–1	1–5	1–5	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	4–2	2–4	0–2	–	3–3	5–1	1–1
Seattle	2–0	2–0	4–2	2–0	5–1	2–0	6–0	1–1	2–0	3–3	2–4	4–2	1–1	2–0	1–1	2–4	5–1	1–1	3–3	–	5–1	1–1
Utah	0–2	0–2	4–2	1–1	3–3	1–1	3–3	0–2	1–1	0–6	0–6	2–4	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–6	3–3	1–1	1–5	1–5	–	0–2
Washington	3–3	2–4	2–0	3–3	1–1	4–2	2–0	4–2	2–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	3–3	3–3	1–5	0–2	1–1	2–4	1–1	1–1	2–0	—

Game log

Regular season

1979–80 game log
Total: 47–35 (Home: 29–12; Road: 18–23)

October: 5–5 (home: 2–2; road: 3–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
7	October 26	@ Los Angeles	L 104–116				The Forum	3–4

November: 8–9 (home: 5–3; road: 3–6)

Game	Date	Team	Score	Location Attendance	Record
14	November 7	@ Philadelphia	L 102–110	The Spectrum	5–9
17	November 13	Philadelphia	W 110–103	Municipal Auditorium	6–11
18	November 15	Los Angeles	W 114–108	Municipal Auditorium	7–11
24	November 25	@ Los Angeles	L 110–111	The Forum	11–13

December: 9–4 (home: 7–1; road: 2–3)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
38	December 26	Los Angeles	W 118–111				Municipal Auditorium	22–16

January: 13–5 (home: 7–1; road: 6–4)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record

February: 6–4 (home: 4–2; road: 2–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
All-Star Break
63	February 15	@ Los Angeles	L 100–114				The Forum	37–26

March: 6–8 (home: 4–3; road: 2–5)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Record
70	March 5	Los Angeles	L 101–117				Kemper Arena	42–28

1979–80 schedule

Playoffs

1980 playoff game log

First round: 1–2 (home: 1–0; road: 0–2)

Game	Date	Team	Score	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Location Attendance	Series
1	April 2	@ Phoenix	L 93–96	Otis Birdsong (23)	Reggie King (10)	Phil Ford (7)	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12,660	0–1
2	April 4	Phoenix	W 106–96	Scott Wedman (32)	Scott Wedman (9)	Phil Ford (13)	Kemper Arena 9,637	1–1
3	April 6	@ Phoenix	L 99–114	Scott Wedman (24)	Reggie King (11)	Phil Ford (6)	Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 11,306	1–2

1980 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG

Awards and records

Scott Wedman, NBA All-Defensive Second Team

Transactions

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References

1979-80 Kansas City Kings

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