1980–81 Kansas City Kings season

The 1980–81 NBA season was the Kings 32nd season in the NBA and their ninth season in the city of Kansas City.[1] The Kansas City Kings made the playoffs with a 40-42 win loss record and appeared in the western conference finals where they lost to the also 40-42 Houston Rockets. This is the only time two NBA teams with losing records have made it to the conference finals.

1980–81 Kansas City Kings season
Head coachCotton Fitzsimmons
ArenaKemper Arena
Results
Record40–42 (.488)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Midwest)
Conference: 5th (Western)
Playoff finishWestern Conference Finals
(Eliminated 1-4)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKBMA-TV
RadioKCMO

Draft picks
Main article: 1980 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
116Hawkeye WhitneySG/SF United StatesNorth Carolina State
362Tony MurphySG United StatesSouthern
5108Kevin Blakley United StatesEastern Michigan
6131Trent Grooms United StatesKent State
7154Arnold McDowell United StatesMontana State
9193Charley Cole United StatesDelta State

Roster
Roster listing
Kansas City Kings roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY-MM-DD)From
SG 10 Birdsong, Otis 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Houston
C 13 Douglas, Leon 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Alabama
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
PF 24 Lambert, John 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Southern California
F/C 50 Meriweather, Joe 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Southern Illinois
F 4 Sanders, Frankie 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Southern
G 11 Walton, Lloyd 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Marquette
G 15 Wedman, Scott 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Colorado
G 12 White, Jo Jo 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Kansas
G 43 Whitney, Hawkeye 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 235 lb (107 kg) North Carolina State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings
Midwest Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-San Antonio Spurs5230.634–34–718–2321–9
x-Kansas City Kings4042.48812.024–1716–2519–11
x-Houston Rockets4042.48812.025–1615–2619–11
Denver Nuggets3745.45115.023–1814–2713–17
Utah Jazz2854.34124.020–218–3313–17
Dallas Mavericks1567.18337.011–304–375–25
# Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Phoenix Suns5725.695–
2 y-San Antonio Spurs5230.6345
3 x-Los Angeles Lakers5428.6593
4 x-Portland Trail Blazers4537.54912
5 x-Kansas City Kings4042.48817
6 x-Houston Rockets4042.48817
7 Golden State Warriors3943.47618
8 Denver Nuggets3745.45120
9 San Diego Clippers3646.43921
10 Seattle SuperSonics3448.41523
11 Utah Jazz2854.34129
12 Dallas Mavericks1567.18342


Notes

  • z, y – division champions
  • x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents
1980-81 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta —2–42–41–52–01–14–22–01–11–51–10–21–53–22–41–50–21–11–11–11–12–01–4
Boston 4–2—5–14–12–02–04–11–12–03–31–12–03–36–05–13–32–02–02–02–01–11–15–1
Chicago 4–21–5—5–11–11–15–11–11–13–22–01–13–33–23–32–40–20–20–21–11–12–05–1
Cleveland 5–11–41–5—2–01–13–31–10–22–40–20–20–63–30–50–61–11–11–11–10–21–14–2
Dallas 0–20–21–10–2—3–30–22–30–60–20–60–50–21–11–10–21–41–41–52–31–41–50–2
Denver 1–10–21–11–13–3—2–03–22–41–14–23–21–11–10–21–11–42–32–43–23–22–40–2
Detroit 2–41–41–53–32–00–2—0–21–12–41–10–21–53–31–51–40–20–20–21–10–20–21–5
Golden State 0–21–11–11–13–22–32–0—3–21–15–01–51–11–12–00–22–42–41–42–43–34–11–1
Houston 1–10–21–12–06–04–21–12–3—1–12–42–30–22–00–20–21–43–23–31–44–14–20–2
Indiana 5–13–32–34–22–01–14–21–11–1—2–00–22–45–13–20–61–10–22–01–10–21–14–2
Kansas City 1–11–10–22–06–02–41–10–54–20–2—0–51–12–01–10–23–23–22–43–22–35–11–1
Los Angeles 2–00–21–12–05–02–32–05–13–22–05–0—0–22–02–01–12–43–32–33–36–03–21–1
Milwaukee 5–13–33–36–02–01–15–11–12–04–21–12–0—5–13–33–21–12–01–12–02–02–04–1
New Jersey 2–30–62–33–31–11–13–31–10–21–50–20–21–5—0–61–51–12–00–20–21–11–13–3
New York 4–21–53–35–01–12–05–10–22–02–31–10–23–36–0—3–31–11–10–22–02–02–04–2
Philadelphia 5–13–34–26–02–01–14–12–02–06–02–01–12–35–13–3—1–11–12–02–02–02–04–2
Phoenix 2–00–22–01–14–14–12–04–24–11–12–34–21–11–11–11–1—3–33–26–05–15–01–1
Portland 1–10–22–01–14–13–22–04–22–32–02–33–30–20–21–11–13–3—2–34–24–22–32–0
San Antonio 1–10–22–01–15–14–22–04–13–30–24–23–21–12–02–00–22–33–2—4–13–25–11–1
San Diego 1–10–21–11–13–22–31–14–24–11–12–33–30–22–00–20–20–62–41–4—5–13–20–2
Seattle 1–11–11–12–04–12–32–03–31–42–03–20–60–21–10–20–21–52–42–31–5—4–11–1
Utah 0–21–10–21–15–14–22–01–42–41–11–52–30–21–10–20–20–53–21–52–31–4—0–2
Washington 4–11–51–52–42–02–05–11–12–02–41–11–11–43–32–42–41–10–21–12–01–12–0—

Game log

Regular season
1980–81 game log
Total: 40–42 (Home: 24–17; Road: 16–25)
October: 5–7 (Home: 3–3; Road: 2–4)
November: 5–9 (Home: 3–2; Road: 2–7)
December: 7–8 (Home: 4–3; Road: 3–5)
January: 7–6 (Home: 4–3; Road: 3–3)
February: 9–5 (Home: 7–1; Road: 2–4)
March: 7–7 (Home: 3–5; Road: 4–2)
1980–81 schedule

Playoffs
1981 playoff game log
Western Conference First Round: 2–1 (Home: 0–1; Road: 2–0)
Western Conference Semifinals: 4–3 (Home: 2–1; Road: 2–2)
Western Conference Finals: 1–4 (Home: 1–1; Road: 0–3)
1981 schedule

Playoffs

The Kings won two playoff rounds in 1981, their only such victories while playing in Kansas City. The wins over Portland and Phoenix were the franchise's first playoff wins in 17 years (since the Cincinnati Royals defeated Philadelphia in 1964) and would be their last for another 20 years (when the now-Sacramento Kings toppled Phoenix again in 2001).

West First Round

(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Kansas City Kings: Kings win series 2-1

  • Game 1 @ Portland: Kansas City 98, Portland 97 (OT)
  • Game 2 @ Kansas City: Portland 124, Kansas City 119 (OT)
  • Game 3 @ Portland: Kansas City 104, Portland 95

West Conference Semifinals

(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (5) Kansas City Kings: Kings win series 4-3

  • Game 1 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 102, Kansas City 80
  • Game 2 @ Phoenix: Kansas City 88, Phoenix 83
  • Game 3 @ Kansas City: Kansas City 93, Phoenix 92
  • Game 4 @ Kansas City: Kansas City 102, Phoenix 95
  • Game 5 @ Phoenix: Phoenix 101, Kansas City 89
  • Game 6 @ Kansas City: Phoenix 81, Kansas City 76
  • Game 7 @ Phoenix: Kansas City 95, Phoenix 88 (The Kings became the 2nd NBA road team to win Game 7 after leading series 3–1 and the 1st #5 seed to eliminate #1 seed)

West Conference Finals

(5) Kansas City Kings vs. (6) Houston Rockets: Rockets win series 4-1

  • Game 1 @ Kansas City: Houston 97, Kansas City 78
  • Game 2 @ Kansas City: Kansas City 88, Houston 79
  • Game 3 @ Houston: Houston 92, Kansas City 88
  • Game 4 @ Houston: Houston 100, Kansas City 89
  • Game 5 @ Kansas City: Houston 97, Kansas City 88

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

References
  1. 1980-81 Kansas City Kings
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