1978–79 NBA season

Notable occurrences

• The Buffalo Braves moved from Buffalo, New York to San Diego, California and became the San Diego Clippers, shifting from the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference to the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.
• The Detroit Pistons changed conferences, moving from the Midwest Division of the Western Conference to the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, where they remain today.
• The Washington Bullets shifted from the Central Division to the Atlantic Division. The franchise also won its last division title until the 2016-17 season.
• The NBA adopted a three-official system similar to the one used in college basketball on a one-year trial basis. The experiment was scrapped for the 1979–80 season, but returned permanently in 1988–89.
• The 1979 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, with the West defeating the East 134–129 in overtime. David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets won the game's MVP award.
• The Jazz played their final season in New Orleans, Louisiana, before moving to Salt Lake City. It would be 23 years before New Orleans received another NBA franchise.
• The Los Angeles Lakers played their final season under the ownership of Jack Kent Cooke.
• For the last time until 2018, both conference finals went to a deciding Game 7.

  Final standings

By division

By conference

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

  Statistics leaders

NBA awards

• Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Houston Rockets
• Rookie of the Year: Phil Ford, Kansas City Kings
• Coach of the Year: Cotton Fitzsimmons, Kansas City Kings
• All-NBA First Team:
• *Paul Westphal, Phoenix Suns
• *George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs
• *Moses Malone, Houston Rockets
• *Marques Johnson, Milwaukee Bucks
• *Elvin Hayes, Washington Bullets
• All-NBA Second Team:
• *Walter Davis, Phoenix Suns
• *Bob Dandridge, Washington Bullets
• *Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
• *Lloyd Free, San Diego Clippers
• *Phil Ford, Kansas City Kings
• All-NBA Rookie Team:
• *Mychal Thompson, Portland Trail Blazers
• *Terry Tyler, Detroit Pistons
• *Ron Brewer, Portland Trail Blazers
• *Reggie Theus, Chicago Bulls
• *Phil Ford, Kansas City Kings
• NBA All-Defensive First Team:
• *Bobby Jones, Philadelphia 76ers
• *Bobby Dandridge, Washington Bullets
• *Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
• *Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics
• *Don Buse, Phoenix Suns
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team:
• *Maurice Lucas, Portland Trail Blazers
• *M. L. Carr, Detroit Pistons
• *Moses Malone, Houston Rockets
• *Lionel Hollins, Portland Trail Blazers
• *Eddie Johnson, Atlanta Hawks