1960–61 NBA season
| 1960–61 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 19, 1960 – March 12, 1961 March 14–April 1, 1961 (Playoffs) April 2–11, 1961 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 79 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| TV partner(s) | NBC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Oscar Robertson |
| Picked by | Cincinnati Royals |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Bill Russell (Boston) |
| Top scorer | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Boston Celtics |
| Eastern runners-up | Syracuse Nationals |
| Western champions | St. Louis Hawks |
| Western runners-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Boston Celtics |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Hawks |
The1960–61 NBA seasonwas the 15th season of theNational Basketball Association. The season ended with theBoston Celticswinning their 3rd straight NBA Championship, beating the St. Louis Hawks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
| 1960–61 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 19, 1960 – March 12, 1961 March 14–April 1, 1961 (Playoffs) April 2–11, 1961 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 79 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| TV partner(s) | NBC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Oscar Robertson |
| Picked by | Cincinnati Royals |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Bill Russell (Boston) |
| Top scorer | Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Boston Celtics |
| Eastern runners-up | Syracuse Nationals |
| Western champions | St. Louis Hawks |
| Western runners-up | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Boston Celtics |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Hawks |
Notable occurrences
-
The Lakers relocate from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Los Angeles. They would play for seven seasons in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
-
The NBA schedule expanded again, this time from 75 games per team to 79.
-
The 1961 NBA All-Star Game was played in Syracuse, New York, with the West beating the East 153-131. Rookie Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals won the game’s MVP award.
| Offseason | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team | 1959–60 coach | 1960–61 coach |
| Syracuse Nationals | Paul Seymour | Alex Hannum |
| Cincinnati Royals | Tom Marshall | Charles Wolf |
| Los Angeles/Minneapolis Lakers | Jim Pollard | Fred Schaus |
| St. Louis Hawks | Ed Macauley | Paul Seymour |
| In-season | ||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
| N/A | ||
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **x-**Boston Celtics | 57 | 22 | .722 | – | 21–7 | 24–11 | 12–4 | 28–11 |
| **x-**Philadelphia Warriors | 46 | 33 | .582 | 11 | 23–6 | 12–21 | 11–6 | 22–17 |
| **x-**Syracuse Nationals | 38 | 41 | .481 | 19 | 19–9 | 8–21 | 11–11 | 18–21 |
| New York Knicks | 21 | 58 | .266 | 36 | 10–22 | 7–25 | 4–11 | 10–29 |
Western Division
| Western Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **x-**St. Louis Hawks | 51 | 28 | .646 | – | 29–5 | 15–20 | 7–3 | 25–14 |
| **x-**Los Angeles Lakers | 36 | 43 | .456 | 15 | 16–12 | 8–20 | 12–11 | 19–20 |
| **x-**Detroit Pistons | 34 | 45 | .430 | 17 | 20–11 | 3–19 | 11–15 | 18–21 |
| Cincinnati Royals | 33 | 46 | .418 | 18 | 18–13 | 8–19 | 7–14 | 16–23 |
x– clinched playoff spot
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 3,033 |
| Rebounds | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 2,149 |
| Assists | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 690 |
| FG% | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | .509 |
| FT% | Bill Sharman | Boston Celtics | .921 |
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
NBA awards
-
Most Valuable Player:Bill Russell,Boston Celtics
-
Rookie of the Year:Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals